Boycotting the diet industry.

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January has been a hard month. I’ve hit this wall of not quite knowing what I’m doing or how to start the process of dealing with trauma I’ve otherwise been distracting myself from. I’ve been distant from family and friends because its easy for me to isolate myself than face the world. I’ve been dodging the swing ball of diet culture that never stops and trying to stick to my recovery without allowing the ongoing parade of sign ups and sellers filling my inbox. I’m almost grateful I’m not at work because I cant deal with the discussion I know everyone and their hamster is having.

My biggest issue is how diet culture infiltrates my safe space. Its looming in my inbox, hiding on my social feeds and putting itself in the mouths of those I love. I have people I usually enjoy interacting with pushing PTs and portion control down my throat. I have friends investing in contraptions in hopes to mould a new shape. Family who still to this day cannot stop talking all things diet related despite my request not to.

It rushes us off our feet in January like an avalanche of lies disguised as secrets and it doesn’t stop. There’s always some reason to be trying to change our appearance and to buy in to the body shaming culture that controls us. A season, a social event a holiday, we keep being presented with unrealistic moulds we weren’t designed to fit in and are then chastised when we cant, don’t or wont. I’m suddenly aware of this grim reaper of diets that’s forever looking for new victims to claim as its next self loathing follower.

I’m fully aware that for some being on a structured diet is something that is needed. For my own recovery I had to follow eating plans and for some this is the only way to ensure they sat happy and healthy. However pushing and enforcing any one way of living on to people is not just wrong, its rude. There is no one way of living, its what makes life so magical .we have multiple races and religions and beliefs around this floating ball of water. What is damaging is to force those around you in a manipulative fashion to follow you in to a darkness they have no desire to exist in.

I want this world to change, to become a place where body positivity truly exists and not just in certain circles and when its profitable. In reality I know we are a long way off. I want it that when my children find their own way in the world they are respected for who they are and their existence. That they know bodies come in all shapes and sizes, colours and designs, abilities and genders. In reality too many people profit for the idea of perfection and worse still, too many of us keep buying into it.

So do me favour, if you promote anything to do with any kind of industry based on changing your appearance, add disclaimers and trigger warnings, give people the option to read on or scroll to the next picture. Give those fighting for control a little of it back. By all means discuss numbers if that’s what your followers and community are looking for, but do so responsibly for those of us still trying to unlearn them and find health. Advertise what you must to pay your bills, but consider how you would feel if someone was selling that product to your child, your sibling or your mother. Let us know the down side to the things that you are promoting, not everything is perfect, no shake can create perfection and no one ever finds that perfection they are searching for because the industry will always keep moving the bar.

Eat healthy because it fuels you to play with you kids, to work, to climb a hill, to hang out with your friends not because someone told you that’s how you should do it. All food is good food, some may be more nutritious but lets face it, some taste better than others.

Be kind to your body, be kind to yourself and dont waste your time trying to be something you weren’t designed to be.

take care,

love and hugs,

Hayleigh xo

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