when your logical brain talks to your diet brain– 5 ways to shift your inner monologue

you may be years from your dieting days or just beginning to break up with food rules. either way conversations with your diet brain are exhausting. while it may cost $0 to be nice, my dietitian self says it is quite costly to be an ass to yourself. it zaps your time and energy!

instead of this moment: “i'm hungry, what sounds good to me right now?”

our diet brain can spiral us to these moments:

“why am I hungry?”

“i didn’t even workout out today”

“maybe just a small snack…”

“i don’t know, maybe I’m just thirsty?”

“i want XYZ but I probably shouldn’t”...”

while these situations are nuanced for each individual, here are a few of my go-to recommendations when reframing our inner monologue:

1. identify that you are not your dieting brain. You aren’t a failure for having these thoughts. navigating this is part of healing from diet culture.

2. get it out of your head: write it down, reach out to a professional, talk to a trusted friend or family member.

3. hit pause: tell your diet brain, “I hear you on that, and at this moment. i can see this conversation isn’t going anywhere.”

4. practice self-empathy: ask yourself if there is something that the diet brain is signaling. could it be a need for support? validation? comfort?

5. utilize the Way app! way is created by a team of mental health professionals and dietitians. the modules within the app walk you through your OWN diet brain thoughts and practices so that you can reframe them.