25 Percent Of Women Worry About Food Every Half Hour, So Kindly Shut Up About Your Newest Diet
Punishing yourself for what you eat isn't considerate to anyone.
We've all been there. We wake up after a fun night with friends and immediately notice the slight puffiness around our eyes, a little bloating on our stomach, or a pimple that has emerged during our slumber. Maybe you quickly reprimand yourself and promise to "do better" next time. Maybe you calculate your eating for the day to "get back on track." Maybe you call your mom and ask how magical lemon water actually is.
One way or the other, you feel guilty about the choices you made because of how they impacted your body in the teeny, tiniest way.
That puffiness and bloating and pimple will all go away in a matter of days, if not hours. A slice of pizza at 2 a.m. will not sabotage your health journey and send you spiraling backward. But the way you think about the "consequences" of food may do just that — it may lead to an overwhelming need to control, calculate, and worry about every calorie that you consume.
It may lead to an eating disorder.
It may lead to anxiety over eating in front of people.
Or it may simply lead to a relationship with food that leaves you paranoid, taking joyful moments out of your life and replacing them with unnecessary regret.
A survey found that 25% of women think about food every half hour.
The survey went on to describe these thoughts as fearful, controversial, and negative. Women are not dreaming about the chocolate chip cookie they're going to have after work — they're debating on if it will be "OK." They aren't listing restaurants for their vacation next week — they're strategizing how to stick to their macros while still enjoying the trip. They aren't looking forward to the sad green juice they'll gulp down for lunch, they're hoping it won't leave them hungry. Women are thinking about food in a way that isn't a temporary mindset, but one that lasts and worms its way into every element of their day.
This "consequential mindset" is a one-size-fits-all dilemma — you can be size 00 or size 24 and still think about how that mozzarella stick will stick to your thigh tomorrow. It doesn't matter if you're a marathon runner or a Netflix binger, how you look at food and the way it may impact your body can plague anyone's mind, quickly overwhelming their thoughts and causing them to inspect every part of themselves in a mirror.
SEE ALSO: What Having An Eating Disorder Is Really All About
In what could be considered the most iconic scene in an already iconic classic, "Eat, Pray, Love," Julia Roberts' character says:
"I'm so tired of saying 'no,' and waking up in the morning to think about every single thing I ate the day before."
As we should all know by now, Julia Roberts is rarely wrong. While "Eat, Pray, Love" came out in 2010, the message still breeds truth today.
Did you ever think about how much mental space you’d free up if you never thought about weight ever again?— Sophie Vershbow (@Sophie Vershbow) 1564162894.0
The thing is, we don't even know we're doing this. Dieting, "good foods," sharing how much weight we've lost...it's all so ingrained in society as part of "girl talk" that we naturally share anything and everything. We complain about one thing and discuss a cleanse, a food group to cut out, and ingredients to "be aware of," only to go about our day with a body positivity sign raised high.
We don't know we're doing it, but we do know our gal pal has an eating disorder.
We don't know we're doing it, but we do know our roommate is self-conscious about her stomach.
We don't know we're doing it, but we do know our coworker might have second thoughts about her dinner plans.
75% of American women show behaviors that are associated with eating disorders, body dysmorphia, or an unhealthy relationship with food.
53% of women on diets are at a medically healthy weight but are still trying to lose more.
27% of women said they would be "extremely upset" if they gained even five pounds.
You can bet that our constant, negative chatter about what food will do to our arm flab is not doing anything to help these statistics go down. Complaining to your friends about that breakout, that pound, or that "step back" in your week isn't making ANYONE feel empowered or good about food. It's bringing the attention back to that problematic mindset we've all grown tired of.
In other words, shut up.
Women empowering women is about making moves to lower stats about unhealthy relationships with food, starting from the discussions you have and how YOU talk about it. Don't tell your friends that they look great while reprimanding yourself for the ice cream you had last night. Go with your gut, recognize food as the fuel your body needs to conquer the world, and then spend your newfound free time doing just that.
2019 Is The Year For Acknowledgement, Acceptance And Respect
It's 2019, people.
With 2018 coming to an end, it's time to think about how to make 2019 better. We are slowly but surely becoming a world where we're more accepting of people, no matter their background, who they love, or how they live their life. However, there are still plenty of instances where this is not the case. 2018 may have not been the best year for progress, but progress is progress, and 2019 is just one step closer.
2019 can be one more step in the progress of acknowledgment, acceptance, and respect by normalizing the way people live. This is the year to normalize...
1. Boys playing with "girl" toys and vice versa
It's time to accept that kids just want to play with whatever they want. Kids are just kids and they see something they like, just let them be! It shouldn't matter that little billy is playing with a doll or Susie wants a hot wheels car. They're just toys!
2. Not treating women like objects
2018 was huge for women and the #Metoo movement. This year, let's keep that up. Believe women's stories, and stop treating them like objects. High school girls shouldn't have to cover their shoulders, women are more than sexual objects, and it's time to treat them better. It's not about it being someone's mom, sister, daughter, or wife. It's about it being someone, and a person is not just an object for someone else to use.
3. Trans people using the restroom they identify with
Trans people are not using the bathroom to peak on anyone. They just need to pee! It's time to stop throwing a huge fit over someone using the bathroom that they feel comfortable with. Let trans people use the bathroom that they identify with, nothing else will come of it except bladder relief.
4. Not forcing physical affection on people
It shouldn't matter if it's a family member, friend, and close family friends, if someone doesn't want to give them a hug or a kiss, they shouldn't have to. It's time to stop forcing physical affection on people, especially kids. If they don't want to, don't force them to!
5. Mental health needs are real
2019 is the year to be there for those who suffer from mental illness. Mental health needs are very real. If you need a break from stress, take it. If you know someone is struggling, try to be there for them. If you see yourself going down a bad path, help yourself. Mental health problems aren't new and these generations aren't 'soft', it's just time to accept that they exist.
6. Men crying and non-toxic masculinity
It's not that hard to be a decent human being and show a more non-toxic side of masculinity. Although there's a huge stigma around it and men get laughed at for not living up to toxic masculinity instead, this is the year to encourage the nontoxic side much more. Oh, and let men cry! Everyone is allowed to show their feelings, even men.
7. Boys wearing makeup
Let boys be who they are. If a boy wants to wear makeup, who are you to stop them or judge them? It's time to accept that boys can look damn fine in makeup just as well as women.
8. People come from different countries and have different skin color
This is a major obvious one. Accept that people aren't always from the same country as you and aren't the same color as you. Everyone's lives are different, and that includes how people spend their days as a person of color. Although this shouldn't be on this list of things to "normalize" in 2019, it has to be. Accept people for who they are instead of judging them on it.
9. Different body types
Yes, everyone has a different body type too. It's time to accept that not everyone is a size zero, one, or two. Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes and it shouldn't take this long to respect that. Hopefully, this is the year to embrace this with more plus-size models as well.
10. Homosexual relationships in public
And lastly, it's 2019 folks! It's time to understand the fact that love is love, it's not a phase, and that homosexual relationships of any kind are just as valid as straight ones. With that being said, two men kissing or two women holding hands together shouldn't be looked down upon. It's about time that those in gay relationships are able to show their affection just like anybody else and not get commented on or bothered.
You're in charge of how you make 2019. Make it right!