In a world in which we're surrounded by diet culture, it can be so easy to scrutinize our bodies. To criticize them - maybe to the point of saying that we "hate" them out loud. Which always feels awful, and further harms our relationship with our bodies. If you can relate to this, it's not your fault. Diet culture tells us that we're not good enough as we are. That there's something wrong. This can lead to dieting - which we know doesn't work for most people in the long-

Many of us have been there. We're eating a scrumptious meal - when someone nearby suddenly says to us, "You're still hungry?!" Or how about, "You're so good. Your meal is so healthy!" Or, maybe someone doesn't say anything, but gives that look of disgust which sends the message that what you're eating or the amount of food that you're eating is bad, gross, or wrong. None of which is acceptable. Yep. Being surrounded by diet culture frequently results in judging others b

You are worth so much. But if you're struggling with your relationship with food and your body, it doesn't always feel that way does it? In fact, it can feel down right scary when a big part of your self worth comes from the size of your body and your overall appearance. Bodies do change. How we look shifts throughout life. It can be so easy to compare ourselves to others in different areas of life. We are human after all. When I first begin working with new clients as

Hi, everyone! I hope you're all doing as well as possible this spring! After having returned from celebrating my dad's B-Day in one of our favorite places - South Haven, Michigan - I'm writing about a topic that comes up a lot. My experience as a Registered Dietitian and a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor is that it's pretty common for clients to have a history of obtaining physical activity only when dieting. For these individuals, once the dieting comes to an end, so

As I wrote in my last blog post, "Diet Culture: Examples of its Influence in Our Society," diet culture presents its influence in so many areas of life. Among many things, diet culture can result in experiencing size discrimination (weight stigma). Weight stigma can then lead to internalized weight stigma - in which the person being discriminated against believes the labels that have been placed upon them. Both weight stigma and internalized weight stigma may be harmful to

If you've been following my blog, you know that I've mentioned "diet culture" in multiple blog posts, and that I previously struggled with disordered eating - followed by doing some internal housekeeping and becoming a non-diet dietitian and a health coach who specializes in Intuitive Eating and uses a Health at Every Size (HAES) perspective. You know that I frequently talk about why dieting doesn't work for most people, and how focusing on our behaviors - versus a number on

If you're trying to give up dieting once and for all - or are thinking about it - I am so very happy for you! Dieting can contribute to emotional, mental, and physical harm - some of which includes an increased risk of worsened cardiovascular health through yo-yo dieting/weight cycling - no matter the size of the body, and an enhanced risk of developing an eating disorder. When it comes to weight loss - which is the main reason that many people go on a diet - 95% of the peop

Here's a roundup of my favorite non-diet podcasts to serve as an additional tool for supporting you during the holidays and beyond - on

For years our society has been bombarded with unrealistic expectations about how we should look. We're also regularly told what we should eat, and that in order to be "healthy," we should go on a diet and lose weight. We are surrounded by diet culture. As I've mentioned in the past, I previously dieted off and on for decades - prior to doing some internal housekeeping, and eventually becoming a non-diet dietitian who assists clients with making peace with food and their bod

Today I share some of the benefits that are associated with certain health-promoting behaviors. Health-promoting behaviors can empower your

Here's why I encourage my clients to implement realistic health-promoting behaviors - that feel right to them - for the sake of health v