Dieting Destroys Your Confidence

This is controversial in conversation, but it is clear in the research.

Numerous studies show how dieting decimates self-esteem, regardless of what someone weighs, how much they lose with dieting, or how much they regain after the diet.

My personal story started at age 9 with dieting to lose 2 pounds, just because dieting was what the women in my family did.

At first it felt empowering to have the (false) sense of self-control. But that soon turned to self-loathing as I “messed up” a day. Then the self-loathing turned to self-questioning of “Can I follow the diet tomorrow?”

Eventually, I began to expect failure.

And identify with the failure.

Here are two powerful (bad) lessons I learned -

One of the biggest lessons of a diet is that “You cannot be trusted with your basic needs.”

Another lesson of dieting is the “Your needs don’t matter. Hungry? Deal with it. Want a bite of a cookie? Deny your wants.”

Ouch. That is a horrible message to teach yourself.

What messages have you learned in your relationship with food?