The Real Life RD

helping you find peace with food and your natural body size

  • the RD & NP
  • Online Courses
  • Women’s Wellness
  • Speaking
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
Food Freedom, Intuitive Eating, Registered Dietitian, Self Care

Ways to Combat Diet Talk in College

May 8, 2018 By Robyn 21 Comments

Happy Tuesday everyone! Cody was writing here a couple times a month and since she recently stepped back from this work to spend time with her family more, we are going to have some guests posts from other people over the next month or so until we hire a new fabulous RD. So I hope you learn a lot from these other amazing women. Today, we have Rachel, a future non-diet RD passionate about spreading this message. Enjoy! 

Hey there, my name is Rachel, and I am a senior studying human nutrition and dietetics at the University of Maine in hopes of one day becoming a Registered Dietitian. I know many of you reading are college students or twenty-somethings, so today I hope I can offer a helpful perspective on eating intuitively and rejecting the diet mentality even though I am constantly surrounded by young people who are stuck in diet culture. Of course, diet culture is prevalent just about everywhere, but I have found it to be a fixation among college students. Maybe it’s because there’s a lot of pressure to be accepted and “fit in” and we’re all in that “figuring ourselves out” phase? Either way, it can be tough out there.

College is kind of a strange period because as students we’re busy with many things, but we also have lots of free time – and many college students use this down time to hang out with their friends. This short phase in our lives should be taken advantage of because it’s really the last chance we’ll have the freedom to enjoy seemingly endless amounts of time with people our own age before “real life” begins. However, I’ve found that it is sometimes a challenge to practice intuitive eating and letting go of the diet mentality when you are always around people who are very much still immersed in it. Anyone else with me?? But, with conscious and active effort, I believe it absolutely can be done. Here are some scenarios that I find myself in quite frequently and strategies I use to help navigate each one. I hope they are helpful for you too!

When the people you’re with are…

Having a Body-Shaming Conversation

It’s sad to say and to see, but reality at this point in time is that many college women equate thinness with beauty and are actively trying to change their bodies. Diet culture can be so compelling and that sucks. This can lead to endless conversations about wanting that “ideal” body. I’m sure you’ve heard a friend say something like, “I hate my stomach” or “I wish I had better looking arms.” It can be very easy to participate in this kind of talk and agree with your friends and say that you wish yours looked better, too. Instead of feeding into this negative talk, consider telling your friend that you like her just the way she is and think she is really _____ (insert compliment here that has nothing to do with her body) Or, if your friends comment negatively about someone else’s body, I would suggest either just not participating, or countering it by casually saying something like, “I think she/he looks fine the way she/he is, let’s talk about something more interesting.

Engaging in Exercise as a Way to Control Their Bodies: It’s common for college-age women to justify exercising as a means to ensure they don’t gain weight – I know I’ve heard people say that they only workout because they “know they should,” or because they think they need to “work off” a certain food they just ate. And, since we’re talking about college, I’ve heard many express feeling “gross” after a night of drinking and wanting to “make up for” the alcohol that was consumed. Those are hard places to be, fighting with all the “shoulds” but you don’t have to do that. You don’t have to exercise to “work off” something you just ate. You don’t have to exercise to earn your food. You don’t have to do a certain form of exercise because all your friends are doing it. Exercise for fun because you enjoy it, because it has the ability to enhance your health, makes you feel good, helps you sleep better, etc. But not because you need to micromanage your body size. You don’t need to exercise for aesthetic reasons or because you’re going to be eating an indulgent meal out or going drinking with your friends later. Instead, you could suggest to your friends a fun activity that incorporates movement but doesn’t necessary look like a “workout,” such as going for a hike, walk, or bike ride, trying out a dance class, or signing up for intramural sports. This takes the emphasis off exercising as a way to control our bodies and makes it more about just having fun with friends.

Placing Food Restrictions on Themselves:

I have witnessed one very prominent mentality among women in college: It is perceived that the less someone eats, the “better” they’re doing. We applaud more disciplined eating habits and smaller bodies at any expense. No matter what their mental/emotional/physical health might actually be. I’m sure you’ve heard a lot of talk about the need to cut calories, give up dessert, eat less “junk food,” “watch what I eat,” etc. This kind of talk has become so rampant in our society that many people don’t even notice it anymore. We are all swimming in diet culture unless we consciously start swimming upstream. And when you being swimming upstream as an intuitive eater, this kind of talk begins sticking out like a sore thumb.

We can navigate around this diet talk by setting good examples for our friends. When one of the above phrases or talk of needing to restrict a certain food comes up in conversation, you can, of course, say that you are not going to participate in cutting out said food or restricting your calories. Repeat to yourself, “That is not how I choose to care for myself.” or whatever resonates with you. Others being stuck in the diet mentality doesn’t have to affect your own food choices. Remember you get to choose what thoughts you engage with. When your friends are on a diet or demonizing certain foods, it can be easy to go along with them and, for example, not order something when eating out with them for fear of being judged. I know it’s easier said than done, but you can’t fall into the trap of feeling like you should go along with others. Think about your values. Does participating help you live in line with your values? As a part of navigating YOUR intuitive eating journey, you have to learn to make food choices based on how you feel in the moment, what is important to YOU and learn to disengage from other’s actions so you aren’t easy influenced. This might feel impossible right now, but as you get more stable in your own beliefs around food, your body and exercise I promise this will get easier.

Shaming Themselves for Over-Indulging

I mentioned above that many college women (and our culture as a whole) believe that the less one eats, the better. Since restriction inevitably leads to bingeing, many college students often find themselves going far in the other direction and sometimes eating well past fullness after having restricted and deprived themselves of certain foods. A far too common example of this among college students is when people who restricted themselves during the day in anticipation of “drinking their calories” end up diving head first into a whole pizza or other decadent food after a night out. This makes total sense given alcohol’s effect on blood sugar and how restriction works – if you don’t allow yourself foods sober, of course you’ll have some stressful eating experiences when your inhibitions are down from alcohol.

Overeating can then lead to feelings of guilt and shame and then, unfortunately, more body-shaming conversations and subsequent restriction. If you are witnessing your friends beating themselves up for over-indulging, let them know that it is okay and that it is a natural part of being human. Compassion is key. Overeating happens to all of us sometimes (it’s normal!) and the best thing we can do is encourage the person to not dwell on the experience but instead learn from it and move forward. It would also be helpful to encourage the person to not restrict what they eat to “make up for the damage.” Restricting only puts your body in a physiologically vulnerable place so you’re more likely to binge or have a stressful eating experience down the road. So, next time you or your friends over-indulge, don’t beat yourself up about it, don’t feel like you now have to restrict, and just remember that it happens sometimes – nobody is perfect. You’re human. It’s okay.

As a woman in college myself, I would be lying if I said it were easy to navigate intuitive eating and rejecting the diet mentality. It does take concerted effort to decide to not participate in diet culture. A lot of effort. So it’s okay if it feels hard and never ending at times. While it would be easier to just go along with your friends sometimes, remember that you are looking out for yourself and for others when you actively choose to combat the diet mentality and support others in intuitive eating. Sometimes it can feel like diet culture is too big and powerful for us to overcome, but each person who decides to not participate is definitely making a difference, especially in the college setting where this mentality is so rampant. So keep on keeping on!


YOU MAY ALSO LIKE...

  • Your Body Can Be Trusted If You Stop Fighting ItYour Body Can Be Trusted If You Stop Fighting It
  • Meal “Planning” When Life Feels MessyMeal “Planning” When Life Feels Messy
  • Living A Non-Diet Life in Today’s Diet CultureLiving A Non-Diet Life in Today’s Diet Culture
  • Is Sugar Actually Addicting and Inflammatory?Is Sugar Actually Addicting and Inflammatory?

Filed Under: Food Freedom, Intuitive Eating, Registered Dietitian, Self Care

« 6 Things On My Mind
What Your Labs Really Mean »

Comments

  1. Andrea says

    May 8, 2018 at 6:41 am

    Such a great post! I’m not in college, however I am a teacher and work with all women and this is the constant thinking and conversation in the lunch room. Love the mantra “this is not how I choose to take care of myself.” I will be using that when the talk gets ugly.

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      May 21, 2018 at 3:04 pm

      Thank you, Andrea! I think that mantra could definitely be helpful for combatting that kind of talk when you are with your co-workers.

      Reply
  2. Hannah M Liistro says

    May 8, 2018 at 12:12 pm

    I love this post, Rachel!!! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      May 21, 2018 at 3:05 pm

      No thank you, Hannah!! <3

      Reply
  3. Sarah says

    May 8, 2018 at 12:53 pm

    Ahh Rachel!! THANK YOU SO MUCH for writing this! As a fellow college student, I totally relate to this and the struggle in trying to “swim upstream”. It is so encouraging to hear your heart and your advice! We got this, ladies!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      May 21, 2018 at 3:06 pm

      You’re so welcome Sarah, thank you so much for reading!! <3

      Reply
  4. Emily at The We Files says

    May 8, 2018 at 9:45 pm

    I am no longer in college but find that I have these conversations often. The “that is not the way I choose to care for myself” sentiment is incredibly valuable. Even if we’re only saying it internally when we see something diet culture-y or overhear a conversation, I think reminding ourselves of that is a powerful way to shape our own internal dialogue.

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      May 21, 2018 at 3:08 pm

      This kind of talk is unfortunately EVERYWHERE, and not just in college. But you’re so right, that reminder can definitely ground us and make us take a step back from the diet talk we here so regularly.

      Reply
  5. Monica says

    May 9, 2018 at 8:12 am

    Rachel, I absolutely love this post and I 100% relate. Im a senior nutrition student as well and its so hard to constantly be around people who attach such a stigma to “good foods”, “bad foods”, and not being the perfect size. I could go on and on but this is just so well written~ good job, keep on writing!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      May 21, 2018 at 3:10 pm

      Aww thank you so much Monica, I really appreciate it!! Yes, I’m sure as a fellow nutrition major you can definitely relate to people thinking that you demonize certain foods since you’re studying nutrition and that encounter many other stereotypes. I’m so glad you found this post helpful 🙂

      Reply
  6. Carey says

    May 9, 2018 at 11:24 am

    Oh my goodness this is just what I needed to hear! I’m a college student, so this really hits home for me. I think my friends talk more on some days about wanting to change their bodies than boys (which is crazy haha). There’s constant talk about wanting to lose weight, or how “fat” one’s gotten since college because of excessive drinking. I struggle knowing what to say because 1) I don’t feel like I need to lose weight like they do and my weight has stayed pretty much the same since I was 15 and 2) I don’t want to say anything that could offend them or make them think they need to change their bodies, BUT there’s only so many times you can reassure a person before it starts to get old. I’ve also found that some girls tend to brag about not eating anything all day, which is crazy because undernourishing yourself is not something to be proud of. Generally speaking, I think in college many woman go through lots and lots of body changes, becoming more womanly, and it saddens me that so many girls want to change their body instead of embracing the changes. Anyway, I really loved this post and the insight you gave. Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      May 21, 2018 at 3:19 pm

      Thank you so much for reading, Carey! I think we have had the same exact experience in college – I can totally relate to the part where you said sometimes your friends talk about losing weight more than they talk about boys! You’re right, it is really sad that so many girls are preoccupied with changing their bodies at this stage of life, but all we can do is continue to be positive around those people and encourage them to be happy with who they are and what their bodies are in the present moment. I hope the strategies I gave help!

      Reply
  7. Haley says

    May 9, 2018 at 7:51 pm

    I love this! Diet talk is so common in college (and in other times of life, of course). As a student myself, I’m constantly trying to think of positive ways to encourage conversation that lifts us up and doesn’t perpetuate a diet mentality. Will definitely be putting some of these tips into practice!

    🙂

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      May 21, 2018 at 3:14 pm

      Yay, so glad you liked it and think the strategies will be helpful to you!!

      Reply
  8. Emily Swanson says

    May 9, 2018 at 7:57 pm

    I love your reminders of being gentle, being moderate about exercise, being the one who changes the conversation about intuitive eating and encouraging people that movement can be FUN, and that it doesn’t have to be about obsession or restriction. It’s such different refreshing thinking.

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      May 21, 2018 at 3:13 pm

      Thank you! Changing my relationship with exercise definitely didn’t happen overnight and is still very much a work in progress, but when I’m around my friends I definitely find these strategies to be helpful.

      Reply
  9. rachel says

    May 15, 2018 at 6:07 pm

    Love this post! Totally agree with the situations you mentioned and love how you deal with them!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      May 21, 2018 at 3:11 pm

      Thank you so much, Rachel!!

      Reply
  10. Carly Thunberg says

    June 26, 2018 at 11:04 am

    This is a really great post- and one I needed right now. I have just gotten home from a study abroad trip where I made sure to reject the diet mentality and had an amazing time. There were a couple nights with dessert and alcohol and coming home I have, inevitably, gained a little bit of weight. This is really hard for me, since coming from a restrictive eating disorder I fear weight gain but still want to enjoy myself every now and again.

    Is it possible to go out for some drinks every now and again without restricting yourself during the day and not gain weight? I’m still trying to find my body’s healthy set point, wherever that may be.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Guest Blog Post on TheRealLife-RD.com! | Rachel’s Real Food Life says:
    May 8, 2018 at 4:36 pm

    […] of a new blog post on Rachel’s Real Food Life this week, I’d like to direct you to TheRealLife-RD.com to check out my guest post titled “Ways to Combat Diet Talk in College.” In it, I walk […]

    Reply
  2. How You Can Be in College AND Care for Yourself says:
    August 31, 2018 at 8:47 pm

    […] You don’t have to listen to diet culture.  You don’t have to weigh yourself.  You don’t have to live in fear of the “freshman 15″/gaining weight (fun scientific fact: it is normal to gain weight; see here, here, here) […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

A non-diet dietitian and nurse practitioner helping women find peace with food, accept their natural body size and heal from hormonal issues and period problems.

More On Lady Hormones

How Birth Control Methods Affect Your Hormones, Period and Fertility

What Your Cervical Fluid Can Tell You About Your Reproductive Health

women's reproductive health

Women’s Reproductive Health 101

I have yet to experience postpartum myself, but I've had many clients and readers that have been through that season of life. Or perhaps you are currently living through the postpartum period. Every woman's body is different, therefore every woman's experience after giving birth will be different. What works for one woman, might not work for the next. While one woman might go through postpartum and adjust to newborn life quiet seamlessly, another woman might find it much more difficult. She might need the support of medication, therapy, extra help and many other things. One way is not better than the other - they are simply two different ways of navigating the postpartum period. I hope this post helps you better care for yourself, whatever that means for you. There's no right or wrong way to care for yourself as a mom or your new baby.

Postpartum Hormones: what’s happening in your body and how to care for yourself

* indicates required

Categories

Get in Touch!

Follow Me!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

I talk a lot about moving, eating, and living intuitively so you can be well hormonally and live a fulfilling life in line with your values

The Real Life RD on Pinterest

  • Instagram Find: Viktoria's Awe-Inspiring Kids Rooms Filled With Pretty Design - NordicDesign
  • 10 X DE MOOISTE KINDERKAMERS VAN INSTAGRAM OKTOBER
  • Wooden Rainbow Lamp Wooden night light Kids room decoration | Etsy
  • This cute little walk-in wardrobe for kids is too cute of an idea! Loving the white tones with a pop of teal drawers
Follow Me on Pinterest
We veered from our usual Friday night homemade piz We veered from our usual Friday night homemade pizza (minus the dough, we leave that to @albemarlebakingco) because we are eating pizza tomorrow with some friends - instead I called my mom and asked her how she makes her chicken fingers and we fried up a big ole batch of chicken nugs 🙌🏻🤤 along with a sheet pan full of sweet potato fries and a simple arugula salad dressed with parmesean, olive oil and s&p. Oh and my moms honey mustard recipe for dipping. It’s SO DANG GOOD.  Over the past 6ish months we’ve been practicing (and practicing and practicing bc it doesn’t come naturally) unplugging from technology and slowing down and resting and just being for one day a week. Some call it Shabbat. Some call it Sabbath. Maybe you call it something different. All I know is IT IS SO GOOD FOR MY WEARY SOUL and the day I look forward to ALL WEEK. Sundown on Friday to sundown Saturday. Nothing but rest. For us that means hiking (or something outside) and napping and reading and being with friends and eating really good food. And drinking some really good wine or craft beer. Sometimes whiskey. 😛  And because I know I’ll get asked about the chicken finger recipe and also because it’s too good not to share and Momma Coale said I could, here ya go:  Cut chicken breast into thin strips or small pieces (I prefer nug size bc the breading to chicken ratio is perfection). Salt and pepper those babies really well. Then dredge them in all purpose flour, then egg, then panko - just like you would bread anything else. Then fry them up in a light oil - I use avocado oil because that’s our everyday oil. You could also use canola or peanut oil. Just fill a pan with an inch or so of oil on medium high heat. They only take 2-3 minutes per side. You can always temp them to make sure they are at least 165 degrees F to really make sure they are done. Dunk in all the sauces and enjoy!  Happy weekend!
I am not a craft mom. My version of crafts is baki I am not a craft mom. My version of crafts is baking because 1) my toddler actually engages with it and 2) we have tasty things to eat in the end.  Wanna know how long crafts last in our house? Approximately 23 seconds. Maybe 51 on a good day. So we just stopped crafting a long time ago and instead started baking.  And when I need my toddler to stay in one place, I turn on the faucet. I am still utterly amazed at how long water can entertain a small human. And it’s FREE. 🙌🏻 well, mostly..  Send me all your favorite baking recipes because we are on a roll over here 👩🏻‍🍳
Just left my mom vacation. 💆🏻‍♀️ I do Just left my mom vacation. 💆🏻‍♀️  I don’t know what this says about me. Anybody else find the dentist weirdly relaxing? For the most part, I love being with my two tiny humans all day, but BLESS does it feel good to lay in a chair for 60 minutes with my eyes closed and do nothing except hold my mouth open.
🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻 two babies are asleep at the same time in their beds (and not on me) for the FIRST TIME IN 7657 DAYS and dear lord I could cry tears of relief straight into this latte and bowl of chocolate chips bc I woke up this morning exhausted and weary and told Nick I didn’t want to parent today 🤣 Not even calling this self care. It’s sanity right now. And even if it lasts 5 minutes it will be 5 minutes of freaking glory. p.s. yes that brick is crooked bc v uneven floors are part of the charmed package of this old house
Learning over and over again in this season that f Learning over and over again in this season that feels unsettled and chaotic and longgggggg that sometimes, you just need the viewpoint of a toddler to remind you that the seemingly insignificant things & moments really are....straight up magical. And that yes, these mundane days are packed full of goodness & beauty if I keep my eyes fixed on what actually matters.
Spent two hours at Lowe’s this morning and wow, Spent two hours at Lowe’s this morning and wow, wowww 🤯 Asked at least six people where to find something and their opinion on all the options bc holy decision fatigue. Nursed my newborn on the floor of the paint aisle. And BLESS my new contractor friend Matt I found in the lumber section that pushed my cart around and helped me avoid the mistake of buying exterior wood for some DIY bathroom shelves.
.
I’m giving all our bathrooms a DIY makeover and I couldn’t be more of a rookie. So shoutout to all my Lowe’s buddies and YouTube 😜 You’re making this happen.
We are now officially homeowners. WUT? We didn’t We are now officially homeowners. WUT? We didn’t plan to close on a house 10 weeks after having a baby, but here we are. And we are so, so grateful.  And I’m also terrified. We’ve moved three times and lived in three different states since we got married three years ago. After six years spent living in New York City and Boston, moving back to Charlottesville was really, really hard for me. I cried a lot those first six months because my heart ached for the northeast and for city life. I wanted to pack up and go back to Boston ASAP. It felt so different and so quiet here and at times, very lonely. Even though it felt like the next right step, I second guessed our decision A LOT.
.
But here we are 10 months later ready to continue investing in this neighborhood we’ve come to love. And this community of people that have become so dear. Ten months later and it feels so, so right. And although committing to settling down here for a good bit feels really scary to me, it also brings so much peace to know we aren’t moving again anytime soon. We are here to plant and grow. And raise our babies in this house as we make it a home. It’s also really fun to have one of your best friends be your realtor. We love you @kelli.teter.nesting 🤗
.
Now, to see if we make it out of this kitchen renovation all in one piece 🤪
my go-to breakfast these days is two fried eggs in my go-to breakfast these days is two fried eggs in ghee with sautéed spinach (also in ghee) and an english muffin with more ghee + some sort of jam on half for that sweet & savory combo. we discovered these local english muffins (from The Bread Basket) and they are doughy and delicious and we are obsessed.
.
I’ve found that I need a solid source of protein and lots of fat for breakfast to keep me full while breastfeeding this time around vs with Cal, I was so into big bowls of pb & chocolate chip banana oatmeal. just goes to show our bodies know what they need and change cravings accordingly. also, just a psa: go pick up the maple butter from @traderjoes bc it is bonkers 🤤 and lastly, shout out to my husband bc a lot of mornings he is making this bfast for me while I nurse & try to pull myself out of bed - don’t for a moment think I’ve got it together 🤪
I’ve had many thoughts rolling around in my brai I’ve had many thoughts rolling around in my brain of if/how to use this platform in a way that aligns with how I want to live my life. I’m finding it tricky to discern that when 90% of my use on this app is for professional purposes. But I’m not sure if even professionally, it makes sense for me. Because I feel more aligned with what matters to me when I’m not regularly present here.  I’m not really sure what things will look like moving forward, but for right now I’m here to share with you that I somehow found some spare minutes between newborn & toddler life to write a post with some semi-coherent thoughts on life lately. 🤪 You can head there by clicking the link in my profile.
I’ve been completely disconnected from social me I’ve been completely disconnected from social media and that’s been vital for me during this tender postpartum period of transitioning from a mama of 1 to 2. But today, I’m bopping on briefly to share how Teddy entered this wild world with you - if you’re into a lengthy, detailed birth story, the link in my profile will lead you to the blog post 💙
Theodore “Teddy” Lars Nohling joined our famil Theodore “Teddy” Lars Nohling joined our family at 12:48am on Wednesday after a quick and swift labor & birth at home 💙 Thank you Father for another healthy baby boy & your abundant, tender love for us. What an undeserved gift.
Very grateful to be carrying another baby past his Very grateful to be carrying another baby past his due date, but also....LET’S GO DUDE. Still over here eating dates (check out the @ebbirth article on the research showing dates can help ripen (aka soften) your cervix, reduce the need for medical intervention in labor and can overall, improve birth outcomes) drinking red raspberry leaf tea and sleeping as much as possible with a 19 month old running around. And also trying to survive July in VA without public pools or splash pads bc it is BLAZIN HERE (and I’m a wuss with the heat 🤪)

Copyright © 2021 · The Real RD· Blog Design by Little Blue Deer


Terms and Conditions | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy