Welcome to
Beyond the Food Blog
A catalog of evidence-based articles written by Stephanie Dodier non-diet nutritionist, educator, and feminist business leader on all topics supporting the non-diet approach that will challenge everything you’ve been taught about food, health, and coaching.
Welcome to
Beyond the Food Blog
A catalog of evidence-based articles written by Stephanie Dodier Clinical Nutritionist on all topics supporting the non-diet approach to health.
Our Most Recent Articles
7 Ways to Eat Healthy Simply Without Diet Culture and Restriction
7 Ways to Eat Healthy Simply Without Diet Culture and Restriction
Are you tired of feeling trapped by restrictive diets and confusing wellness trends? As a clinical nutritionist and certified intuitive eating counselor, I’m here to show you that it’s possible to eat healthy without buying into diet culture or imposing harsh restrictions on yourself. In this post, we’ll explore seven empowering ways to nourish your body and mind, free from the constraints of traditional diet mentality.
The Problem with Diet Culture and Restrictive Eating
Before we dive into our healthy eating strategies, it’s crucial to understand why traditional diets often fail us. Diet culture promotes a one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition, often encouraging restrictive eating patterns that are unsustainable and potentially harmful. These approaches can lead to:
– Disordered eating behaviors
– A negative relationship with food
– Ignoring your body’s natural hunger and fullness cues
– Feelings of guilt and shame around eating
Let’s break free from these harmful patterns and embrace a more intuitive, sustainable approach to healthy eating.
1. Build a Healthy Relationship with Food
The foundation of truly healthy eating lies in developing a positive relationship with food. This means:
– Stopping the use of food as a weapon to manipulate your body
– Letting go of the idea that food is solely a tool to change your appearance
– Learning to trust and respect your body’s signals
By shifting your mindset, you’ll be able to make food choices from a place of self-care rather than self-punishment.
2. Honor Your Hunger: Eat Enough Food
Many women have a distorted view of what constitutes “enough” food.
To eat healthy without restriction, it’s essential to tune into your body’s natural hunger and fullness cues. This is a fundamental principle of intuitive eating, which encourages you to honor your body’s needs rather than following external rules.
3. Seek Satisfaction and Pleasure from Food
Here’s a concept that might feel revolutionary: it’s okay to enjoy your food! In fact, finding pleasure and satisfaction in eating is crucial for sustainable healthy eating. Try:
– Allowing yourself to eat foods you genuinely enjoy
– Being present and mindful during meals
– Savoring the flavors, textures, and aromas of your food
Remember, food is not just fuel – it’s also a source of comfort, celebration, and connection with others.
Think of steps 1-3 as your high school diploma in healthy eating of eating and 4-7 as your college degree.
4. Balance Your Macronutrients
Once you’ve mastered the basics of honoring your hunger and finding pleasure in food, you can start focusing on nutritional balance. Aim to include a mix of:
– Proteins
– Healthy fats
– Complex carbohydrates
The key is to approach this balance without guilt or rigid rules. Some meals might be perfectly balanced, while others might not – and that’s okay!
5. Embrace Imperfection in Your Eating Habits
Perfection is the enemy of progress, especially when it comes to healthy eating. Give yourself permission to be imperfect by:
– Letting go of “good” and “bad” food labels
– Allowing flexibility in your eating patterns
– Recognizing that one meal or day of eating doesn’t define your overall health
Remember, consistent habits over time are far more important than striving for perfection at every meal.
6. Diversify Your Diet with a Variety of Foods
Eating a wide range of foods not only ensures you’re getting a broad spectrum of nutrients but also keeps meals interesting and satisfying. Focus on:
– Incorporating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables
– Trying new whole grains and protein sources
– Experimenting with different herbs and spices
By embracing variety, you’ll naturally create a more balanced and nutrient-rich diet without feeling restricted.
7. Individualize Your Approach: Listen to Your Body
The ultimate level of healthy eating without diet culture is learning to truly individualize your food choices based on your body’s unique needs. This involves:
– Paying attention to how different foods make you feel
– Adjusting your eating patterns based on your body’s responses
– Trusting that you know your body better than any external “expert”
This step requires practice and patience, but it’s the key to developing a sustainable, personalized approach to nutrition that serves you for life.
Putting It All Together: Your Path to Intuitive, Healthy Eating
By following these seven steps, you can create a healthy eating pattern that’s free from the constraints of diet culture and unnecessary restrictions. Remember, this journey is about progress, not perfection. It’s okay to take small steps and gradually incorporate these principles into your life.
As you move forward on this path, you’ll likely find that:
– Food becomes less of an obsession
– You’re able to eat when hungry and stop when full
– Meals become a source of enjoyment rather than stress
Remember, true health encompasses not just what you eat, but also how you think about food and your body. By rejecting diet culture and embracing intuitive, restriction-free eating, you’re taking a powerful step towards overall well-being and a more joyful relationship with food.
Are you ready to start your journey towards healthy eating without diet culture?
You can access all of our services on our work with us page. We have a number of programs and service levels enabling us to serve most women:
Free Resources and Masterclasses: Get started and get to know us better!
Private coaching with Stephanie and her team Stephanie and her team of Certified Non-Diet Coaches are waiting to support you in a one-to-one setting with an individualized plan.
Non-Diet Coaching Certification for professionals ready to integrate the Going Beyond The Food Method™️ in their practice and for women wanting to become Certified Coach and build a business coaching other women beyond the food.
3 Steps to Making Money in a Coaching Business
Are you a woman entrepreneur looking to make good money in your coaching business without compromising your values? You’re in the right place. In this post, we’ll explore three essential steps to create a thriving coaching practice that feels aligned with who you are and what you stand for.
The Truth About Making Money in Coaching
Let’s start by addressing the elephant in the room: it’s okay to want to make money. In fact, it’s more than okay—it’s necessary. We live in a capitalist society where financial stability equates to safety and a better quality of life. So, let’s normalize the desire to increase our income.
The real challenge lies not in wanting to make money, but in figuring out how to do it in a way that feels good and aligns with our values. That’s where the concept of building a *GOOD* business comes into play.
What is a GOOD Business?
A GOOD business is one that:
– Serves people with high-quality coaching
– Generates a healthy income
– Aligns with your personal and professional values
By focusing on creating a GOOD business, you can make money in a way that feels authentic and fulfilling. Let’s dive into the three crucial shifts you need to make to achieve this balance.
Shift #1: From “Earning Money” to “Making Money” Mindset
The Employee vs. Entrepreneur Mindset
Many coaches transition from traditional employment to entrepreneurship carrying an “employee mindset.” This perspective can significantly hinder your ability to create wealth in your coaching business.
Key Differences:
– Employees earn a set salary
– Entrepreneurs create their own income
To succeed as a coach, you need to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset. This involves intentionally nurturing thoughts that generate feelings of:
– Confidence
– Courage
– Resilience
– Bravery
– Determination
These emotions are crucial when it comes to selling your services and growing your income.
Action Step:
Identify one limiting belief you have about making money as a coach. Replace it with an empowering thought that aligns with an entrepreneurial mindset.
Shift #2: From “As Long As” to “Even When” Mindset
The Danger of Conditional Thinking
Many coaches approach mindset work with an “As Long As” mentality. They’re willing to change their thoughts about money… as long as it works immediately. This conditional approach is similar to clients who are willing to try intuitive eating… as long as they don’t gain weight.
The Power of Unconditional Commitment
To truly succeed in your coaching business, you need to adopt an “Even When” mindset. This means committing to your goals and mindset work:
– Even when nobody books a consult
– Even when you’re not meeting your financial targets
– Even when you have zero clients
Action Step:
Write down three “Even When” statements that reinforce your commitment to your coaching business, regardless of immediate results.
Shift #3: Releasing the 6 or 7-Figure Business Ideal
The Parallel Between Business Revenue and Body Image
Just as many women struggle with the “thin ideal” in body image, coaches often grapple with revenue ideals in their businesses. Whether it’s the allure of a 6-figure or 7-figure business, these arbitrary benchmarks can create unnecessary pressure and shame.
The Reality Check
Consider this statistic: In 2019, 88% of women-owned businesses made less than $100,000 per year. This doesn’t mean these businesses weren’t successful or impactful. It simply highlights the need to redefine success on your own terms.
Deconditioning from Toxic Business Culture
To truly make GOOD money in your coaching business, you need to:
1. Recognize and release shame around your current revenue
2. Decondition yourself from toxic business culture that equates success with a specific income level
3. Define success based on your values and impact, not just your bank account
Action Step:
Reflect on this question: Are you subconsciously co-opting toxic business culture and taking action based on those beliefs? How can you redefine success in a way that feels authentic to you?
Embracing a New Approach to Making Money in Your Coaching Business
By implementing these three shifts, you’re setting the foundation for a coaching business that not only generates good income but also aligns with your values and brings you joy. Remember, making money doesn’t have to come with shame, guilt, or overwhelm. It’s about creating a business that serves others while honoring your worth and well-being.
Key Takeaways:
1. Develop an entrepreneurial “Making Money” mindset
2. Commit to your business “Even When” times are tough
3. Define success on your own terms, free from toxic business ideals
Are you ready to make GOOD money in your coaching business? It’s time to embrace these shifts and create a practice that feels authentic, impactful, and financially rewarding.
Remember, making good money in your coaching business is not just possible—it’s your right. By aligning your money-making strategies with your values, you’re not only setting yourself up for financial success but also creating a business that truly makes a difference in the world.
Want to transform your approach to making good money in your coaching business?
You can access all of our services on our work with us page. We have a number of programs and service levels enabling us to serve most women:
Free Resources and Masterclasses: Get started and get to know us better!
Private coaching with Stephanie and her team Stephanie and her team of Certified Non-Diet Coaches are waiting to support you in a one-to-one setting with an individualized plan.
Non-Diet Coaching Certification for professionals ready to integrate the Going Beyond The Food Method™️ in their practice and for women wanting to become a Certified Coach and build a business coaching other women beyond the food.
The Secret to Achieving a Health Goal for Women
The Secret to Achieving a Health Goal for Women
As women, we’re often bombarded with messages about self-improvement and the need to “fix” ourselves. This constant pressure can make setting and achieving health goals feel daunting, especially when we’ve been conditioned by diet culture. But what if I told you there’s a better way? A way that empowers you to set health goals without falling into the traps of diet culture and patriarchy? Let’s explore how we can revolutionize our approach to achieving goals as women.
The Diet Culture Dilemma in Goal Setting
Before we dive into the secret of achieving health goals, we need to address the elephant in the room: diet culture. Many of us have been led to believe that an anti-diet approach means abandoning all health goals. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
The real problem isn’t setting health goals; it’s how we think about them. Diet culture has infiltrated our self-concept, affecting how we approach not just food and body image, but also our careers, relationships, and yes, goal setting.
Breaking Free from the “Fix It” Mentality
Society often encourages women to exist in a perpetual state of self-improvement. We’re constantly told what’s wrong with us, with the promise that fixing these “flaws” will lead to happiness and self-confidence. This mindset teaches us to undervalue ourselves and hold ourselves back.
As a result, many women associate goals with reminders of their “not good enoughness.” We see goals as a way to fix our perceived deficiencies, avoid pain, and seek approval. Unsurprisingly, this approach feels terrible and often leads to goal avoidance.
Achieving a Goal for Women: The Liberated Goal-Setting Process
So, how can we set health goals that empower rather than diminish us? The answer lies in the Liberated Goal Setting Process. This approach combines a weight-neutral perspective on health with a fresh take on goal setting. Here are the key components:
1. Constraint: Focus on One Goal at a Time
In our fast-paced world, it’s tempting to pursue multiple goals simultaneously. However, this often leads to overwhelm and burnout. The Liberated Goal Setting Process emphasizes focusing on one goal at a time. This constraint allows you to channel your energy and attention more effectively, increasing your chances of success.
2. Clean: Embrace Imperfect Action
Many women avoid setting goals because they fear they won’t achieve them perfectly. The “clean” aspect of this process involves understanding that the point of a goal is never perfection. Instead, it’s about building the habit of taking consistent, imperfect action toward something you want to create.
3. Courting: Develop a Relationship with Your Goal
Goal-setting isn’t just about the end result; it’s about the journey. The “courting” phase involves developing a deep relationship with your goal. This means learning to trust yourself throughout the process, celebrating small wins, and using setbacks as learning opportunities.
Reframing Health Goals for Women
Now that we understand the Liberated Goal Setting Process let’s explore how to apply it specifically to health goals:
Creating Instead of Fixing
Instead of setting goals to fix perceived flaws, focus on creating something new. Ask yourself: “What do I want to create in my life?” This shift in perspective can transform goal-setting from a draining experience to an exciting opportunity for growth.
Using Goals to Expand Your Self-Concept
View your health goals as containers for acquiring new skills, habits, and ways of thinking. Each goal becomes an opportunity to expand your self-concept and challenge your limitations. As you work towards your goal, pay attention to how you’re growing and changing as a person.
Achieving a Goal for Women: Making Health Goals Safe for Women
Combining the Liberated Goal Setting Process with a weight-neutral approach to health makes setting health goals safe and empowering for women. Here’s how:
1. Choose goals that align with your values, not societal expectations.
2. Focus on behaviors and habits rather than outcomes like weight loss.
3. Celebrate non-scale victories and internal changes.
4. Practice self-compassion throughout the process.
The Power of Self-Belief in Achieving Goals
As women, we often underestimate the importance of believing in ourselves. How much time do you spend convincing yourself that you can be successful? Becoming a woman who decides what she believes in, without seeking permission from others, is a powerful step in achieving your goals.
Coaching Women to Believe in Themselves
If you’re a coach working with women, you have the opportunity to guide them in believing in themselves through their health goals. Help your clients:
1. Identify limiting beliefs that hold them back.
2. Reframe negative self-talk into empowering statements.
3. Visualize success and the person they’ll become through achieving their goals.
4. Develop resilience in the face of setbacks.
Reconciling Health Goals with the Anti-Diet Approach
For those who have embraced the anti-diet approach, it’s important to understand that setting health goals doesn’t contradict these principles. The key is in how you approach those goals:
1. Focus on adding healthy behaviors rather than restricting.
2. Set goals based on how you want to feel, not how you want to look.
3. Prioritize mental and emotional health alongside physical health.
4. Use goals as a tool for self-discovery and growth, not punishment.
Conclusion: Empowering Women Through Goal Setting
Achieving health goals as a woman doesn’t have to be a battle against yourself. By reframing how we think about goals, embracing the Liberated Goal Setting Process, and focusing on creation rather than fixing, we can transform goal-setting into an empowering and exciting journey.
Remember, the secret to achieving a health goal for women lies not in the goal itself, but in how we approach it. By believing in ourselves, embracing imperfection, and viewing goals as opportunities for growth, we can create lasting change that feels authentic and empowering.
Are you ready to revolutionize your approach to health goals? Start by choosing one area of your health you’d like to improve, and apply the principles we’ve discussed. You might be surprised at how different goal-setting can feel when you approach it from a place of self-love and curiosity rather than criticism and fear.
Let’s rewrite the narrative around women’s health goals, one empowered step at a time.
Need help learning how to achieve a health goal? Or Coach others with health?
You can access all of our services on our work with us page. We have a number of programs and service levels enabling us to serve most women:
Free Resources and Masterclasses: Play Bigger: A 4-part Masterclass series to help you learn the process of making Good Money in a way that feels damn good!
Non-Diet Coaching Certification for professionals ready to integrate the Going Beyond The Food Method™️ in their practice and for women wanting to become a Certified Coach and build a business coaching other women beyond the food.
How to Start with Body Image Healing
Are you ready to embark on a journey of body image healing? As a body image coach, I’ve guided countless women through this transformative process. Today, I’m sharing my insights on how to start with body image healing, offering a fresh perspective that goes beyond conventional wisdom. Let’s dive in and explore a path to body neutrality that can truly liberate you from the constraints of diet culture and societal pressures.
The First Step: Asking the Right Question
When it comes to body image healing, many people think it’s all about learning to love every inch of their bodies. But I’m here to challenge that notion. The first and most crucial step in this journey is to ask yourself a powerful question:
Why do you have a body?
Take a moment to sit with this question. Let it sink in. Your initial response might surprise you, and that’s okay. This simple yet profound inquiry sets the stage for a paradigm shift in how you view your body and its purpose.
Moving Beyond Traditional Body Image Coaching
In our programs, we take a unique approach to body image coaching. Instead of focusing directly on the body itself, we use the Cognitive Behavioral Model to address the root of body image issues: beliefs and thoughts. This approach allows us to go beyond the size of your pants and dive into the core of how you perceive your body’s role in your life.
The Truth About Your Body’s Purpose
Here’s a revolutionary idea that might shake up everything you’ve been taught: Your body’s purpose isn’t to be loved or beautiful. I know, this might sound counterintuitive, especially if you’ve been immersed in the world of body positivity. But hear me out.
Women weren’t given bodies to be beautiful objects or to seek constant approval and love. The truth is far more empowering:
Humans have bodies to experience life. Yes, women too.
Your body is the incredible vehicle through which you navigate this world. It allows you to:
– Move and explore
– Feel emotions
– Think and create
– Connect with others
– Laugh, cry, and express yourself
– Nourish yourself
– And so much more
Understanding this fundamental truth is the cornerstone of body image healing. It shifts the focus from how your body looks to what your body enables you to do and experience.
The Problem with “Loving Your Body”
Now, let’s address the elephant in the room. As a coach, I believe it’s unethical and even oppressive to teach women that they must love their bodies. Here’s why:
1. It sets an unrealistic expectation
2. It still places value on appearance
3. It doesn’t address the root of body image issues
Instead of striving for constant body love, which can be exhausting and often unattainable, I propose a different approach: body neutrality.
Embracing Body Neutrality
Body neutrality is the key to liberating yourself from diet culture and patriarchal beauty standards. But what exactly is it?
Body neutrality recognizes that:
– You don’t have to love every part of your body all the time
– Your worth as a person is not tied to your appearance
– Your body is a functional tool, not an ornament
The goal of body neutrality is to accept your body for what it is – nothing more, nothing less. It’s about becoming an ally to your body, respecting it for its capabilities rather than its aesthetic qualities.
Why Body Neutrality Works
Body neutrality is powerful because it:
1. Relieves the pressure to constantly feel positive about your body
2. Focuses on function over form
3. Challenges societal conditioning about women’s bodies
4. Leads to body respect, a more sustainable and empowering mindset
By adopting body neutrality, you’re actively resisting the harmful messages that patriarchy and diet culture have ingrained in us – messages that tell women their bodies exist to be pleasing, compliant, and a measure of their worth.
Practical Steps to Start Your Body Image Healing Journey
1. Reflect on the question: “Why do I have a body?”
2. Identify beliefs you hold about your body’s purpose
3. Challenge thoughts that tie your worth to your appearance
4. Practice gratitude for what your body allows you to experience
5. Focus on how your body feels rather than how it looks
6. Surround yourself with diverse body representations
7. Engage in activities that connect you with your body’s capabilities
Remember, body image healing is a process. It takes time to unlearn years of conditioning and develop a new relationship with your body. Be patient with yourself as you navigate this journey.
The Impact of Body Image Healing
As you progress in your body image healing journey, you’ll likely notice positive changes beyond just how you feel about your appearance. Many women report:
– Increased confidence in various areas of life
– More mental energy for pursuits beyond appearance
– Improved relationships with food and exercise
– Greater overall life satisfaction
These benefits underscore why starting your body image healing journey is so crucial. It’s not just about changing how you see your body – it’s about transforming how you experience life itself.
In Conclusion
Remember, your body is not an ornament – it’s the vehicle through which you experience the richness of life. By shifting your focus from appearance to experience, you open the door to true body image healing and a more fulfilling relationship with yourself.
Starting your body image healing journey might feel challenging, but it’s a path worth taking. Embrace body neutrality, challenge harmful societal messages, and reconnect with your body’s true purpose. You have the power to rewrite your body story – and it begins with asking yourself that one crucial question: “Why do I have a body?”
Do you need help getting started with healing your body image?
You can access all of our services on our work with us page. We have a number of programs and service levels enabling us to serve most women:
Free Resources and Masterclasses: Get started and get to know us better!
Private coaching with Stephanie and her team Stephanie and her team of Certified Non-Diet Coaches are waiting to support you in a one-to-one setting with an individualized plan.
Non-Diet Coaching Certification for professionals ready to integrate the Going Beyond The Food Method™️ in their practice and for women wanting to become Certified Coach and build a business coaching other women beyond the food.
Fatphobia Coaching and Gaslighting: How I Overcome Fatphobia as a Fat Woman
Fatphobia Coaching and Gaslighting: How I Overcame Fatphobia as a Fat Woman
As a fat woman, I’ve heard it all. “Just change your thoughts about the layer of fat on your body.” “Don’t worry about what other people think of you.” These well-intentioned but misguided pieces of advice aren’t coaching – they’re gaslighting. And they’re a prime example of how fatphobia permeates our society, even in spaces meant to be supportive and empowering.
Today, I want to share my personal journey of overcoming fatphobia and how I learned to navigate a world that often seems designed to make people in larger bodies feel less than. This isn’t just my story – it’s a call to action for coaches, mentors, and anyone working with fat individuals to understand the complexities of fatphobia and how to truly support their clients.
Fatphobia Coaching and Gaslighting: Understanding Fatphobia and Gaslighting
Before we dive deeper, let’s clarify what we mean by fatphobia and gaslighting. Fatphobia is the fear, stigma, and discrimination against people with larger bodies. It’s a systemic issue that affects nearly every aspect of life for fat individuals.
Gaslighting, on the other hand, is a form of psychological manipulation where someone denies another person’s reality, making them question their own perceptions and experiences. In the context of fatphobia, gaslighting often looks like dismissing the very real challenges and discrimination fat people face daily.
When someone tells a fat person to “just love yourself more” or “ignore what others think,” they’re essentially denying the reality of living in a fatphobic society. This isn’t helpful – it’s harmful.
Coaching Fat Women Can Be Challenging
As I mentioned earlier, coaching people who are marginalized by systemic oppression can be incredibly challenging. Without the right skills and tools, even well-meaning coaches can inadvertently cause harm to their clients.
Let me illustrate this with my own experience. As a woman living in a large body, I’m acutely aware that people form opinions about me based solely on my appearance when I enter a room. For years, I internalized this and believed that I was the problem. I tried diet after diet, attempting to conform to society’s unrealistic and oppressive standards.
Eventually, I decided to say “f*ck off” to the system and accept my body. But this wasn’t an easy journey, and it certainly wasn’t as simple as just changing my mindset.
Fatphobia Coaching and Gaslighting: The Pitfalls of Simplistic Body Positivity
My first attempt at body acceptance came through an online body positivity course. The coach’s main message was, “If you love yourself enough, it will get better.” Spoiler alert: it didn’t work.
This approach, while well-intentioned, falls into the trap of gaslighting. It puts the entire burden on the individual to change their thoughts and feelings, without acknowledging the very real societal pressures and discrimination they face.
A New Approach to Overcoming Fatphobia
Realizing that simplistic body positivity wasn’t the answer, I decided to tackle the problem of fatphobia differently. Here’s how I approached it:
1. Stop Gaslighting Myself
The first step was to acknowledge the reality of fatphobia. Yes, it exists. Yes, it’s unfair. And yes, it impacts nearly every aspect of my life – from healthcare access to job opportunities to social interactions. Denying this reality wasn’t helping; accepting it was the first step towards real change.
2. Accept the Long-term Nature of the Challenge
I had to come to terms with the fact that fatphobia isn’t likely to disappear entirely in my lifetime. While things may improve, it will continue to impact me. This realization was crucial in shifting my focus from trying to change society to learning how to navigate it effectively.
3. Choose How to Respond
With this acceptance came a choice: how did I want to live the rest of my life? Did I want to pretend fatphobia doesn’t exist, hide away, and live a small life? Or did I want to learn how to experience fatphobia differently and live fully despite it?
4. Practice Self-Consent
I made a conscious choice to change my approach. This involved practicing self-consent – acknowledging that I didn’t have to do anything I didn’t want to do, including conforming to societal expectations about my body.
5. Build Safety for My Choice
Change is scary, especially when it involves going against societal norms. I acknowledged my fear and the challenges ahead, building a sense of safety and support for myself as I embarked on this journey.
6. Change My Thoughts About Fatphobia
Finally, I began the process of changing my thoughts about fatphobia. This wasn’t about denial or forced positivity. Instead, it was about acceptance and empowerment. I did the thought work from a place of acknowledging reality while also recognizing my power to shape my response to it.
Fatphobia Coaching and Gaslighting: The Power of Intersectional Coaching
This approach to overcoming fatphobia is rooted in what’s known as intersectional coaching. It’s a holistic framework that acknowledges how an individual’s various identities – including body size, race, gender, and more – impact their reality.
Intersectional coaching is the truest form of empowerment coaching because it doesn’t deny or minimize the challenges faced by marginalized individuals. Instead, it provides tools and strategies to navigate these challenges effectively.
This approach is at the heart of the Non-Diet Coaching Certification, which I now offer to other coaches. It’s why Certified Non-Diet Coaches never gaslight their clients, no matter the circumstances. We acknowledge the reality of fatphobia and other systemic issues while empowering our clients to live fully and authentically.
In Conclusion
Remember, overcoming fatphobia isn’t about denying its existence or forcing yourself to “just think positively.” It’s about acknowledging the reality of living in a fatphobic society, choosing how you want to respond, and empowering yourself to live fully despite societal prejudices.
My journey from internalized fatphobia to empowerment wasn’t easy, but it was worth it. And if I can do it, so can you. Whether you’re struggling with fatphobia yourself or you’re a coach looking to better support your clients, remember: real change starts with acknowledging reality, not denying it. From there, anything is possible.
Ready to Take the Next Steps and Dismantle Fatphobia?
If you’re inspired by my journey and want to learn more about overcoming fatphobia or providing empowering, intersectional coaching, there are several ways to get involved.You can access all of our services on our work with us page. We have a number of programs and service levels enabling us to serve most women:
Free Resources and Masterclasses: Get started and get to know us better!
Private coaching with Stephanie and her team Stephanie and her team of Certified Non-Diet Coaches are waiting to support you in a one-to-one setting with an individualized plan.
Non-Diet Coaching Certification for professionals ready to integrate the Going Beyond The Food Method™️ in their practice and for women wanting to become Certified Coach and build a business coaching other women beyond the food.
How to Coach Eating Behaviors
Do you feel trapped in an endless cycle of dieting, restrictive eating, and guilt? You’re not alone.
In this article, you’ll learn a compassionate, non-diet approach to developing a healthier relationship with food and your eating behaviors. Say goodbye to rigid rules and hello to sustainable strategies that align with your values and goals.
Many of us struggle with emotional eating, binge eating, or restrictive patterns that leave us feeling frustrated and disconnected from our true hunger cues. This vicious cycle can take a toll on our physical and emotional well-being, leading to feelings of shame, low self-esteem, and a preoccupation with food. But there is a way out – a path towards a more balanced, intuitive approach to eating.
Coaching Eating Behaviors: What to do instead?
The Cognitive Behavioral Coaching method enables you to explore your motivations, triggers, and patterns surrounding food. It helps cultivate self-awareness, mindfulness, and self-compassion, empowering you to make choices that truly nourish your mind, body, and soul. Prepare to break free from the diet mentality and embrace a healthier, more fulfilling way of living.
Instead of restrictive diets or one-size-fits-all rules, the CBC method encourages a more holistic and personalized approach to developing a healthy relationship with food. It’s about understanding your unique motivations, triggers, and patterns, and finding strategies that work for you – not against you.
Coaching Eating Behaviors Using CBC Coaching
The CBC approach is rooted in the principles of cognitive behavioral coaching, which recognizes that our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are interconnected. By exploring and understanding these connections, we can identify areas for change and develop more constructive patterns.
Step 1: Understanding How Human Behavior is Generated
The first step in the CBC process is to gain insight into the fundamental drivers of human behavior. Our actions are influenced by a complex interplay of thoughts, emotions, physiological states, and environmental factors. By developing self-awareness and mindfulness, clients can begin to observe these influences without judgment, creating a foundation for lasting change.
Step 2: Investigate the Environment
Our physical and social environments play a significant role in shaping our eating behaviors. This step involves exploring the various cues, triggers, and situations that may contribute to unhealthy patterns. For example, a client may notice that they tend to overeat when stressed at work or when socializing with friends who encourage indulgence. By identifying these environmental factors, we can develop strategies to create a more supportive and conducive environment for healthier choices.
Coaching Eating Behaviors: 6 coaching questions
1. “What does a healthy relationship with food mean to you?”
This deceptively simple question encourages clients to reflect deeply on their values, priorities, and desired outcomes beyond just weight loss or adhering to food rules. A healthy relationship with food means different things to different people – it could mean feeling energized, nourishing their body with foods they enjoy, or setting an example of balance for their children. By defining what success looks like for them, clients can stay motivated and focused on their personal goals.
2. “How do your current eating behaviors align (or misalign) with your values and goals?”
Our actions often stem from deeply ingrained habits, emotions, or coping mechanisms that may no longer serve us. This question prompts clients to examine the alignment between their eating patterns and the things that truly matter to them. Perhaps emotional eating is causing feelings of guilt that conflict with their value of self-care. Or nighttime snacking might be hindering their goal of having more energy during the day. Exploring these disconnects can provide powerful motivation for change.
3. “What situations or emotions tend to trigger unhealthy eating patterns for you?”
Understanding personal triggers is crucial for interrupting unhealthy cycles. Clients may identify stress, boredom, loneliness, or even positive events like celebrations as common triggers for overeating or making poor food choices. Once these triggers are identified, we can co-create coping strategies and alternative behaviors to address them in a healthier way.
4. “How can you practice self-compassion when you experience setbacks or slip-ups?”
Change is rarely linear, and setbacks are an inevitable part of the process. This question encourages clients to treat themselves with kindness and understanding, rather than harsh self-criticism or shame. Self-compassion might involve reassuring self-talk, remembering that one lapse doesn’t undo all progress, or simply taking a moment to breathe and reset.
5. “What small, manageable steps can you take to move closer to your desired eating behaviors?”
Big, sweeping changes can often feel overwhelming and unsustainable. This question helps clients break down their goals into smaller, actionable steps that feel achievable. It could involve strategies like meal planning, trying new recipes, or finding alternative coping mechanisms for difficult emotions. Celebrating these small wins builds confidence and momentum.
6. “How can I best support and encourage you throughout this process?”
Every client is unique, with different needs, preferences, and circumstances. By asking this question, I ensure that my coaching approach is tailored to meet them where they are. Some may benefit from more accountability and structure, while others may need a softer, more self-compassionate style of support. Individualized coaching is key to lasting success.
Step 3: Show Why It’s Not About the Food
While food choices play a role, our relationship with eating often goes much deeper than what’s on our plate. This step involves exploring the underlying thoughts, beliefs, and emotional drivers that influence our behaviors around food. For some, food may serve as a coping mechanism for stress, loneliness, or difficult emotions. For others, deeply ingrained beliefs about body image, self-worth, or societal ideals may contribute to restrictive or binge eating patterns. By uncovering and addressing these root causes, we can begin to shift our relationship with food on a more profound level.
Step 4: Change the Thoughts/Beliefs
Once we’ve identified the unhelpful thoughts or beliefs driving unhealthy eating behaviors, the next step is to reframe and restructure these patterns of thinking. Cognitive-behavioral techniques, such as challenging cognitive distortions, reframing negative self-talk, and cultivating more compassionate inner dialogues, can be powerful tools in this process. For example, a client who believes they “don’t deserve” to eat certain foods might work on replacing that thought with a more balanced and self-accepting perspective. As our thoughts shift, so too can our behaviors and emotional responses to food.
Coaching Eating Behaviors: Key Takeaways
- Ditch the diets and embrace a kinder approach to eating that’s all about self-discovery, not self-denial.
- Get real with yourself about your motivations, triggers, and patterns around food so you can make choices that truly nourish your mind and body.
- Be your own bestie and practice self-compassion when you stumble – change is a journey, not a destination, and you’ve got this!
How we can help
You can access all of our services on our work with us page. We have a number of programs and service levels enabling us to serve most women:
Free Resources and Masterclasses: Get started and get to know us better!
Private coaching with Stephanie and her team Stephanie and her team of Certified Non-Diet Coaches are waiting to support you in a one-to-one setting with an individualized plan.
Undiet Your Life group coaching program is for women to learn how to eat intuitively, become body-neutral, and learn self-coaching at their own pace while being supported in a group setting by Stephanie and her team of Certified Non-Diet Coaches.
Which diet is best for your health?
I was inspired to write this article based on a community member question, “Which diet is best for my health? I need to lose weight to be healthy… right?”
I hope this article helps you determine what is the best diet for you! (Hint: It may not be what you think.) Here’s what we’ll cover in this article:
What does it mean to be healthy?
Does “obesity” cause one to be unhealthy?
Is health beyond dieting and weight loss possible?
What is a weight-neutral approach to health?
Sustainability and health beyond dieting
Who is an ideal candidate for weight-neutral approach to health?
Why It’s Hard to Change Your Beliefs About Weight and Health
The prevalent diet culture conditioned us to believe that thinner is better in all aspects of life including our health. Therefore, dieting is the answer to health so there has to be a “best diet” … right?
We’ve always heard that thin equals healthy, and that dieting is the way to a thinner body. It’s the same indoctrination that leads us into thinking that a thinner body is more attractive because it is associated with health.
What does it mean to be healthy?
We all grew up with the idea that health is the absence of illness. But the World Health Organization has a definition of health that’s different from what we’re all used to. WHO defines health as “a complete state of physical, emotional, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
Good health is essential to being able to handle stress and live a long and active life. It doesn’t just refer to the absence of disease, but also to the ability to recover from illness, to adapt to life challenges in general.
Does “obesity” cause one to be unhealthy?
The keyword here is CAUSE. Before we can answer the question, we must first understand the difference between correlation and causation. For example, smoking is correlated with alcoholism, but it doesn’t cause alcoholism. However, smoking causes an increased risk of developing lung cancer.
For example, a research found that obesity does not affect the risk of having coronary heart disease and stroke “Metabolic status is relatively stable despite rising BMI”. (However, it does increase the risk of developing diabetes)
But if the question is, “Is obesity associated or correlated with health risks?” the answer would be yes. If the question is “Is obesity causing disease?” the answer would be no. That’s where the big difference lies.
Here’s where it gets interesting – one-third to three-quarters of people classified as obese are actually metabolically healthy. Being metabolically healthy means having your blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose levels, and other metabolic markers within the normal range. That’s me and millions of “overweight” women.
Is health beyond dieting and weight loss possible?
Yes, and scientific research proves it!
A 2016 study by researchers at UCLA studied 40,420 adult participants in the most recent U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Researchers looked at the participants’ health as measured by six accepted metrics (not including BMI). These metrics are blood pressure, cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose, insulin resistance, and C-reactive protein.
The study found that 47% of people classified as overweight by BMI and 29% of those qualified as obese were healthy based on at least five of those other metrics.
Meanwhile, 31% of normal-weight people were unhealthy by two or more of the same measures.
What is a weight-neutral approach to health?
A weight-neutral approach to health is based on the idea that your health status or risk level can’t be determined solely by your weight.
It acknowledges that your weight is determined by a complex set of genetic, metabolic, physiological, cultural, social, and behavioral determinants. Many of these factors are either difficult or impossible to change.
Instead of focusing on a weight-oriented outcome, weight-neutral programs teach you to take charge of the factors within your control. These factors include your thoughts and behaviors. Taking charge of these factors will help you improve your well-being, regardless of your weight.
Research have demonstrated the weight-neutral approach to health have significantly decreased body dissatisfaction, disordered eating, and depression. They’ve also increased sustainable, enjoyable self-care behaviors such as eating and moving well in the long term.
The Going Beyond The Food Method️ is a weight-neutral and non-diet health framework composed of eight core elements. Our health framework is grounded in holistic principles and functional medicine approach to health. It’s a five-step process that includes mindset, emotional regulation, mindfulness, body neutrality, and intuitive eating.
The method️ is based on four core pillars: Body Wisdom, Body Trust, Body Respect, and Body Neutrality.
Sustainability and health beyond dieting
The single most powerful advantage of a weight-neutral and non-diet approach like the Going Beyond The Food Method️ is sustainability. It helps you develop the ability to sustain health-promoting behaviors throughout your life.
Certainly, when it comes to health, consistency is significantly more powerful than short-term results.
A 2015 study systematically reviewed a weight-neutral and no-diet approach to health. It determined the overall effects on factors including weight, biochemical measures, food, activity, behavior, body image, and mental health.
- Weight stability (in 5 yrs)
- Improved biochemical markers
- Cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure, CRP
- Sustained healthy behaviors & Improvement in:
- Dietary quality
- Psychological states
- Disordered eating patterns
- Self-esteem
- Depression
Who is an ideal candidate for a weight-neutral approach to health?
Truly anyone! Individuals who’ll benefit most from this approach are:
- Chronic dieters
- Women who are overly concerned with weight and shape (a.k.a. body image issues)
- Those who are repeatedly trying to lose weight and restricting food for two years or more
- Women who have had enough of dieting and regaining the weight that they lost
- Women who are intuitive eaters
Why it’s hard to change your beliefs about weight and health
Your reptilian brain is the reason why it’s not easy to let go of beliefs. It’s the most primal part of your brain that has the survival instinct. It seeks to protect you from danger. Because the diet culture has programmed your reptilian brain into believing that fat people aren’t healthy, you’ve since associated health with thinness.
That’s why your approach to health must also include mindset and thought reprogramming tools to help you change your core beliefs and negative self-talk. That’s what we do first inside our Conquer & Thrive community… been there done that as they say.
You can view the methodology in more details here.
Get started with the weight-neutral approach to health
To help you get started with the weight-neutral approach to health and make peace with food and your body, I have created a free audio guide for you to know exactly what to do when you stop dieting, emotional eating, binge eating and body image issues. Claim your way to freedom now!
What does it mean to be healthy?
Good health is essential to being able to handle stress and live a long and active life. It doesn’t just refer to the absence of disease, but also to the ability to recover from illness, to adapt to life challenges in general.
Does “obesity” cause one to be unhealthy?
The keyword here is CAUSE. Before we can answer the question, we must first understand the difference between correlation and causation. For example, smoking is correlated with alcoholism, but it doesn’t cause alcoholism. However, smoking causes an increased risk of developing lung cancer.
Is health beyond dieting and weight loss possible?
Yes, and scientific research proves it!
A study found that 47% of people classified as overweight by BMI and 29% of those qualified as obese were healthy based on at least five of those other metrics. Meanwhile, 31% of normal-weight people were unhealthy by two or more of the same measures.
What is a weight-neutral approach to health?
A weight-neutral approach to health is based on the idea that your health status or risk level can’t be determined solely by your weight.
It acknowledges that your weight is determined by a complex set of genetic, metabolic, physiological, cultural, social, and behavioral determinants. Many of these factors are either difficult or impossible to change.
Who is an ideal candidate for a weight-neutral approach to health?
Truly anyone! Individuals who’ll benefit most from this approach are:
>> Chronic dieters
>> Women who are overly concerned with weight and shape (a.k.a. body image issues)
>> Women who are repeatedly trying to lose weight and restricting food for two years or more
>> Women who have had enough of dieting and regaining the weight that they lost
>> Women who are intuitive eaters
Why it’s hard to change your beliefs about weight and health
Your reptilian brain is the reason why it’s not easy to let go of beliefs. It’s the most primal part of your brain that has the survival instinct. It seeks to protect you from danger. Because the diet culture has programmed your reptilian brain into believing that fat people aren’t healthy, you’ve since associated health with thinness.
Overcoming Negative Body Thoughts
When I first set out in search of non-diet interventions that could change the course of my relationship to food and overcoming negative body thoughts, I came across a study about the impact of body satisfaction on healthy behaviors, including food & exercise. That blew my mind.
I will share that with you in this blog post that focuses on body image and how it impacts your relationship to food. I will also tackle the concept called body neutrality and how it is different from body positivity; as well as intuitive eating. I’ll also share with you a free tool that I created to get you started with body neutrality and intuitive eating so you can enjoy your full life now… regardless of your body size. Here’s what you’re going to learn from this article:
Overcoming negative body thoughts
Body neutrality versus body positivity
Body neutrality and intuitive eating
Overcoming negative body thoughts
A 2013 study published by the Journal of Obesity study found no link between body weight and the way women feel about themselves.
Yet, the findings show a link between how women feel about themselves and the healthy activities they engage in. Meaning, the better they felt about their bodies, the more likely they were to take care of themselves by eating well and being active. This allows them to create a positive cycle.
Likewise, dissatisfaction with their bodies discouraged the women from taking part in certain activities, eating properly to fuel their bodies, and could eventually lead to weight gain.
“Body satisfaction or dissatisfaction isn’t correlated with body weight,” the research concluded.
That blew my mind. That meant overcoming negative body thoughts and making peace with my body size could actually improve my health behaviors, eat better and ultimately be healthier now… unconditional of my body size.
That’s how body neutrality was born.
What is Body Neutrality and how it helps in overcoming negative body thoughts
Body Neutrality empowers you to embrace yourself as you are, including the parts you don’t like about yourself.
Its focus is to avoid self-hate while simultaneously relieving you from the pressure of having to love your body.
The goal is to respect and accept your body for what it is – and that’s it.
Body Neutrality recognizes that not everyone is going to love every part of themselves all the time because that’s an unrealistic expectation, to say the least.
The reality is that some days you’re going to look in the mirror like, “Damn it, yeah, thank you, legs for letting me travel. Thank you, arms, for allowing me to type this inspirational post and thank you, belly, for creating life!”
And then, there’ll be those days where you stand in front of the very same mirror, focusing on that cellulite you hate or the wrinkle that suddenly seems so obvious.
Body neutrality versus body positivity
Embracing Body Neutrality over Body Positivity allows you to experience negative feelings about yourself, but without the pressure that comes with having to be positive all the time.
In other words, it’s a middle ground between positivity and negativity (shaming) – that’s neutrality.
Body Neutrality is the safe bridge between body shaming and body positivity. It’s about being grateful for your body and everything it does for you because it does a lot. You are alive right now.
So, Body Neutrality is centric on the process of accepting your body.
Body Neutrality & Intuitive Eating
For many of us, we’ve had years of suffering through body shaming. Along the way, we’ve picked up coping behaviors to neutralize the pain associated with body image struggles.
Being the victim of body shaming, most of it from our own mind, is difficult, to say the least. So, no wonder that many of us have become, along the way, emotional eaters or binge eaters.
Combine the suffering that comes along with body shaming with the notion that food is the gateway to “loving our life and body,” food has become this enemy that we need to control in order to end the suffering.
Healing our relationship to food is necessary in order to make peace with our body. Intuitive eating is the way in which you can achieve both: body neutrality and peace with food.
Moreover, intuitive eating teaches you to respect your body.
Intuitive eating teaches you to respect your innate body messages. This includes hunger and fullness to have a healthy and respectful relationship with your body. This is what we teach the women inside our Conquer & Thrive community so they can live and enjoy their full life right now… unconditionally!
The bottom line
You can’t hate yourself to health or peace. Love always wins. Always.
Acceptance doesn’t mean giving up. It means seeing what is and adopting a non-judgmental perspective. Accepting allows you to improve and grow instead of obsessing about why it’s wrong and stress over the results.
Need help to get started with Body Neutrality and Intuitive Eating?
I have created a free audio guide for you to get started with body neutrality and intuitive eating and finally overcome negative body thoughts so you too can be on your way to freedom!
How to overcome negative body thoughts?
A 2013 study published by the Journal of Obesity study found no link between body weight and the way women feel about themselves. Yet, the findings show a link between how women feel about themselves and the healthy activities they engage in. Meaning, the better they felt about their bodies, the more likely they were to take care of themselves by eating well and being active, allowing them to create a positive cycle.
That meant overcoming negative body thoughts and making peace with my body size could actually improve my health behaviors, eat better and ultimately be healthier now… unconditional of my body size.
What is Body Neutrality?
Body Neutrality empowers you to embrace yourself as you are, including the parts you don’t like about yourself. Its focus is to avoid self-hate while simultaneously relieving you from the pressure of having to love your body. The goal is to respect and accept your body for what it is – and that’s it.
Body neutrality versus body positivity
Embracing Body Neutrality over Body Positivity allows you to experience negative feelings about yourself, but without the pressure that comes with having to be positive all the time. Body Neutrality is the safe bridge between body shaming and body positivity. It’s about being grateful for your body and everything it does for you because it does a lot. You are alive right now.
Body Neutrality & Intuitive Eating
Healing our relationship to food is necessary in order to make peace with our body. Intuitive eating is the way in which you can achieve both: body neutrality and peace with food. Intuitive eating teaches you to respect your innate body messages such as hunger and fullness to have a healthy and respectful relationship with your body.
Where do you start to make peace with food?
Throughout my research, I’ve discovered that there is more to overeating, emotional eating and even binge eating than just food.
Most patients & students with food struggle will have body image struggle, negative mindset, overthinking behaviors. They are overwhelmed with an emotional roller coaster, lack confidence with food choices, low self-esteem. Moreover, they put their life on hold until they “lose the weight once and for all”.
This article talks about how to start to make peace with food and your body. In addition, I share how you can end the diet cycle to empower you to be your own expert. Here’s what you’re going to learn from this blog post:
How I started to make peace with food
Free resource to get started to make peace with food
How I started to make peace with food
Eight years ago, that was me. I consulted with a variety of specialists and experts hoping they would find what was “wrong” with me and that I could finally find the solution. Each appointment or purchase resulted in a few hundred $ and a new diet or protocol.
I would follow the guidelines, and yet I was always back to the starting point within weeks and months. This went on for years…
You see… There’s nothing wrong with me that could be fixed with a diet or protocol. The approach made everything worse. It compounded the side effects, made me gain more weight and have a deeper emotional relationship to food.
There’s nothing wrong with you. In fact, emotional eating, overeating eating and weight gain are part of the diet model. The diet and weight loss industry wants you to believe there’s something wrong with you because that belief keeps you coming back. Likewise, it keeps you feeling broken… keeps you feeling unworthy. That’s what we call the diet culture.
What is Diet Culture?
Diet Culture is defined as the worship of thinness and equating it to health and moral virtue. If you’ve been part of this culture, you might have spent your whole life thinking that you’re broken just because you don’t look like the “thin ideal.”
Diet Culture promotes weight loss as a means of attaining what it perceived to be a higher status—the thin ideal. Certainly, it oppresses people who don’t match up with its supposed pictures of health and attractiveness.
It compels you to spend a massive amount of time, energy, and money trying to shrink your body, even though intuitive eating research clearly shows that almost no one can sustain intentional weight loss for more than a few years.
The good news is, it’s just a cultural movement. Belonging to a cultural movement is completely optional and something that you can say “no” to. Most importantly, you have the power to make the choice to be free from this oppressive culture.
How to break the diet cycle to make peace with food?
Breaking the Diet Cycle is possible and will come as a result of healing our relationship to food with acceptance and compassion. Moreover, it can be achieved by seeking to heal our relationship to food, respecting our natural hunger and fullness cue and accepting our bodies.
Intuitive Eating is a proven and well-researched self-care eating framework that teaches us to have a healthy relationship to food, therefore, empowering you to trust your ability to meet your needs, distinguish between physical and emotional hungers, and ultimately, develop body wisdom.
Intuitive Eating is the most effective approach to recover from years of dieting. In fact, that’s what changed my relationship to food and body and allowed me to start living my full life right away without having to lose weight.
This is what I teach women inside our Conquer & Thrive community so they, too can make peace with food and their body, and start living their full life now. Yes, it’s possible!
Free resource to get started to make peace with food
To help you get started to make peace with food and your body, I have created a free audio guide for you to know exactly what to do when you stop dieting, emotional eating, binge eating and body image issues. Claim your way to freedom now!
How I started to make peace with food
Eight years ago, that was me. I consulted with a variety of specialists and experts hoping they would find what was “wrong” with me and that I could finally find the solution. Each appointment or purchase resulted in a few hundred $ and a new diet or protocol.
The approach made everything worse. It compounded the side effects, made me gain more weight and have a deeper emotional relationship to food.
What is Diet Culture?
Diet Culture is defined as the worship of thinness and equating it to health and moral virtue. If you’ve been part of this culture, you might have spent your whole life thinking that you’re broken just because you don’t look like the “thin ideal.”
How to break the diet cycle to make peace with food?
Breaking the Diet Cycle is possible and will come as a result of healing our relationship to food with acceptance and compassion. It can be achieved by seeking to heal our relationship to food, respecting our natural hunger and fullness cue and accepting our bodies.
Free resource to get started to make peace with food
To help you get started to make peace with food and your body, I have created a free audio guide for you to know exactly what to do when you stop dieting, emotional eating, binge eating and body image issues. Claim your way to freedom now!
This Is Why You Struggle With Food
Whenever I meet new women and tell them about my mission of spreading awareness about how women can end their struggle with food and be at peace with food and their body without being on a diet. That we can be healthy without being thin and we can access optimal health and happiness unconditionally, women always say, “Wow, is that possible?” to which my response is…
“Yes. It’s actually our birth right, sister. You and I weren’t born to be on diet and hate our bodies.”
And then the conversation always turns to…. “Well, it’s different for me, Stephanie” or “I’m so “screwed” up when it comes to food not sure it can ever change” or “I’ve tried before”.
My answer: “First sister, there’s nothing wrong with you. The problem is not you, it’s what we’ve been taught about food and our bodies. The problem is the diet model, not you.”
This article tackles why you struggle with food and teaches you how you can make peace with food and your body. Also, I share how you can end the cycles of yo-yo dieting and empower you to be your own expert. Here’s what you’re going to learn from this blog post:
What’s the antidote to the eating pendulum swing
Innate body wisdom
You see humans were born with this innate wisdom that allows us to know what, when and how we should eat. If you have children, you know that… babies cry when they’re hungry and refuse to eat when they are full. They naturally know how to regulate their eating and accepting of their body. All of us women were once like that too, that is until we went on our first diet.
We were intuitive eaters and neutral with our bodies. Diet and diet culture did a “number” on our relationship to food and our body.
Research is clear that dieting has three main side effects:
- Short term weight loss and long term weight gain
- Major stressor to our mind and body
- Distort our relationship to food and body image
Why do we struggle with food?
I hope you’re ready for this because once you see it, you can’t unsee it.
You see, most women have been hypnotized by the societal narrative that says it’s NORMAL for women and even HEALTHY to be on a diet. (I was too for 25 years more.)
If you read that sentence and right away your brain says “Well, some diets are healthy”, if that’s you that’s a good sign that you are hypnotized, too.
I really, really, really want to get you to understand that diets do not work. But in order for me to do that, I need to show you something:
That was my life for 25 years…. dieting and then overeating. Cravings all the food I restricted to lose weight to regain the weight lost.
Diets don’t work
Studies after studies the results are clear: 95-98% of dieters regain all of their weight within 1-5 years Just like I did. Maybe just like you?
Diets don’t work because of how reptilian brain reacts to food restriction and deprivation. Our brain perceives dieting as a threat to our well-being and engage in a protective reaction. Cravings, emotional eating, overeating aren’t due to a lack of willpower or discipline rather a biological reaction.
Why does our eating swing like this? Simply our body is responding to the period of starvation (dieting) with a period of feasting. And no, we can’t get away from this primal survival behaviors hence why 95%of dieter experience it.
What’s the antidote to the pendulum swing?
Love. Respect and Trust.
Just as a pendulum won’t abruptly stop at center, you won’t either. You will probably swing back and forth between restriction and chaos a few times before your pendulum (mindset, feelings, thoughts, behaviors) gently settles into the middle. Is it uncomfortable? Yes, it can be. But not as uncomfortable as spending the rest of your life swinging wildly.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Honour your hunger even when you’re afraid of what that means. Strive for satisfying meals even when your brain is shouting “don’t eat those carbs!” Learn to listen to your body’s natural hunger and fullness cues. Remember no food is off-limits, so there’s never an emergency to finish eating what’s on your plate.⠀⠀⠀⠀
That’s what I call Going Beyond The Food. Helping women make peace with food and body. Ending the cycles of yo-yo dieting and empowering women to be their own expert. You being the boss of YOU. Learn how we do this by joining our Conquer & Thrive community.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
And know this calm and collected approach to eating is all possible for you, when you’re ready to stop restricting. 💗
Why do we struggle with food?
Most women have been hypnotized by the societal narrative that says it’s NORMAL for women and even HEALTHY to be on a diet. In short, we were socialized to be on a diet.
Why diets don't work
Diets don’t work because of how reptilian brain reacts to food restriction and deprivation. Our brain perceives dieting as a threat to our well-being and engages in a protective reaction. Cravings, emotional eating, overeating aren’t due to a lack of willpower or discipline rather a biological reaction.
The antidote to the pendulum swing
Love. Respect and Trust.
Just as a pendulum won’t abruptly stop at center, you won’t either. You will probably swing back and forth between restriction and chaos a few times before your pendulum (mindset, feelings, thoughts, behaviors) gently settles into the middle. Is it uncomfortable? Yes, it can be. But not as uncomfortable as spending the rest of your life swinging wildly.
Innate body wisdom
Humans were born with this innate wisdom that allows us to know what, when and how we should eat. If you have children, you know that… babies cries when they’re hungry and refuse to eat when they are full. They naturally know how to regulate their eating and accepting of our bodies. All of us women were once like that too that is until we went on your first diet.
Anti-Diet Training for Health Coaches
One of the frequent questions from health coaches who encounter my work in the non-diet approach for the first time is this:
How do I make money as a non-diet coach?
I get it. I had the same question 6 years ago when I first came to the world of anti-diet health coaching. If we don’t tell people what to eat, when to eat, and how to eat, what will they pay us for? Right?
Clients seeking services from a non-diet health coach have a lot they are willing to pay for: primarily ending their struggle with food and body. Helping them relearning to eat following their own eating cues instead of a “health coach” looking over their shoulder lol! Undoing all the body-shaming that “weight loss coaches” have created within them, being able to trust their own choices when it comes to health, undoing the critical mean girl voices in their head, etc…
The list could go on, but simply: undoing the work of diet culture. That’s how you make money as a non-diet health coach. If you have been through the process of unlearning diet culture yourself, you’ll know exactly what I mean. If you haven’t yet, it’s normal you don’t get it and this is the first place you need to start: doing the work of unlearning diet culture yourself.
Anti-diet training for health coaches
Starting an anti-diet coaching business
What I wish I knew before starting my non-diet health coaching business
The anti-diet approach mentorship program
Anti-diet training for health coaches
The process of becoming an anti-diet health coach starts with your own healing from years of restrictions, cleanses, detoxing, overthinking, shame and guilt. We have plenty of resources on anti-diet training for health coaches to help you take this first step along with professional training.
We have created a number of free non-diet approach training resources to help you begin learning more about this revolutionary health approach. Join my non-diet professional community by requesting our non-diet professional starter pack.
I would suggest you also subscribe to anti-diet podcast .
Starting an anti-diet coaching business
Starting an anti-diet coaching business (also referred to by some as an intuitive eating business is simple. It is the same as starting any other business: You create a product, in the anti-diet health coaching business this would be a coaching package, and you go out into the world and sell this product.
As soon as you start working with clients, you will know just how powerful your product truly is. Research is clear about the benefits of health coaching: Significant improvements in one or more of the health-promoting behaviors when interacting with a health coach. You will see the changes in your clients quickly and your confidence in your business will grow rapidly.
My anti-diet business journey
My first business in the world of health coaching was actually a nutrition clinic in Toronto Canada. Five years ago, I transitioned my health coaching business to the non-diet model and I shared the details of my business transition to the anti-diet model in season 1 of the Pro’s podcast series.
I’d like to give you an inside view into my anti-diet health coaching business more precisely what I wish I knew before starting my anti-diet health coaching business.
As I say in every episode of the Going Beyond The Food podcast: Ready? Let’s do this!
By the way, if you would like to access more details, hear my personal story that created each one of these learning head over to our podcast and listen to Season 2 Episode 2 – My Non-diet business journey episode or listen directly below:
What I wish I knew before starting my non-diet health coaching business
- It’s about helping others, not turning a profit. Profit will come naturally as you help others and live your life in your zone of genius.
- You can make a great living as an anti-diet health coach in a career helping others deeply despite what anyone says.
- 6 P’s: Proper Planning Prevent Piss Poor Performance. You need to be strategic about your business and organize yourself. What you should do is not always what you wish you could do.
- Learn how to coach people. Coaching is not – this is how I did it so that’s the way. What worked for me is not what will work for my client. Coaching is a skill.
- Create goals and apply consistent action. Show up consistently day in and day out in your business. Take one action at bare minimum daily.
- Asking for help is ok. Your client asked for you, so should you.
- Use technology so you can maximize your time being a coach. Technology can help, but don’t forget that health coaching is about the people.
- Trying to be everything to everyone is a straight road to failure. Pick a niche and become the world expert at it.
- Growing a business is not linear. There will be more downs than ups. Successful businesses don’t happen overnight. It takes time.
- Be unapologetically YOU. Don’t copy what other non-diet coaches are doing. Your clients want to work with you.
The anti-diet approach certification program
The Non-Diet Coaching Certification is a space where you can receive support guidance to become the best non-diet professional. It’s a program geared to refine your non-diet professional skills set and teach you the skills you need to build a successful business that can impact thousands of women. It will help you develop as a powerful leader and help other women come back to their power. You will learn how to harness your ability to support and help other women. As a result, you can impact thousands of other women and dismantle diet culture.
Anti-diet training for health coaches
We have created a number of free non-diet approach training resources to help you begin learning more about this revolutionary health approach. Join my non-diet professional community by requesting our non-diet professional starter pack.
I would suggest you also subscribe to anti-diet podcast and start with episode 199 and follow through up to the latest one.
Starting an anti-diet coaching business
Starting an anti-diet coaching business (also referred to by some as an intuitive eating business) is simple. It is the same as starting any other business: You create a product, in the anti-diet health coaching business this would be a coaching package, and you go out into the world and sell this product.
My anti-diet business journey
My first business in the world of health coaching was actually a nutrition clinic in Toronto Canada. Five years ago, I transitioned my health coaching business to the non-diet model and I shared the details of my business transition to the anti-diet model in season 1 of the Pro’s podcast series.
What I wish I knew before starting my non-diet health coaching business
1. It’s about helping others, not turning a profit.
2. You can make a great living as an anti-diet health coach.
3. 6 P’s: Proper Planning Prevent Piss Poor Performance.
4. Learn how to coach people.
5. Create goals and apply consistent action.
6. Asking for help is ok.
7. Use technology so you can maximize your time being a coach.
8. Trying to be everything to everyone is a straight road to failure.
9. Growing a business is not linear.
10. Be unapologetically YOU.
Ready to take the next steps
The anti-diet approach mentorship program
You can access all of our services on our work with us page. We have a number of programs and service levels enabling us to serve most women:
Free Resources and Masterclasses: Get started and get to know us better!
Private coaching with Stephanie and her team Stephanie and her team of Certified Non-Diet Coaches are waiting to support you in a one-to-one setting with an individualized plan.
Undiet Your Life group coaching program is for women to learn how to eat intuitively, become body neutral, and learn self-coaching at their own pace while being supported in a group setting by Stephanie and her team of Certified Non-Diet Coaches.
Non-Diet Coaching Certification for professionals ready to integrate the Going Beyond The Food Method™️ in their practice and for women wanting to become Certified Coach and build a business coaching other women beyond the food.
Good Money Business Mastermind A business mentorship and a collective of ambitious, driven and empowered anti-diet culture providers and coaches on a mission to dismantle diet culture and make GOOD money doing it!
Non-Diet Approach for Health Coaching
When I first started in my nutrition practice the term “non-diet approach” didn’t even cross my mind. “Anti-diet approach” didn’t even exist. Unbeknown to me, I was practicing the “diet approach to nutrition” simply because that’s what was taught in health & nutrition school.
Fast forward close to 10 years now, a lot have changed. The non-diet approach is growing rapidly, so has the anti-diet approach and intuitive eating is booming.
So, let’s discover what is the non-diet approach.
Core values of the non-diet approach
The pillars of the non-diet approach
Non-diet approach training for professionals
What is the non-diet approach?
The non-diet approach to health coaching & nutrition is the exact opposite of dieting. It recognizes that food, eating and body weight aren’t the problem to be fixed. It’s a weight-neutral approach to health instead of focusing on a weight-oriented outcome. This approach focused on all the other factors that can impact one’s health beyond body weight. In other words, the ultimate goal is to support the patients to become their own experts at their bodies.
The Going Beyond The Food Method™️ is our proprietary methodology that helps women to recover from diet culture and learn the non-diet way of life. Firstly, our 4 pillars are Body Wisdom, Body Trust, Body Respect, and Body Neutrality. Secondly, our framework is composed of 5 steps process: Intuitive eating, Body Neutrality, Self-Coaching, Emotional Intelligence, and Mindfulness.
Core values of the non-diet approach
The non-diet approach to health coaching and nutrition holds key core values: Fundamentally, it recognizes that diets do not work. It’s holistic in nature. It is focused on the Why not the What, it’s focused on finding solution that are based on love and compassion. Moreover, it believes that all humans and bodies are worthy.
Diets don’t work
A 2016 study by researchers at UCLA studied 40,420 adult participants in the most recent U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Researchers looked at the participants’ health as measured by six accepted metrics (not including BMI). These metrics are blood pressure, cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose, insulin resistance, and C-reactive protein.
The study found that 47% of people classified as overweight by BMI and 29% of those qualified as obese were healthy based on at least five of those other metrics.
Meanwhile, 31% of normal-weight people were unhealthy by two or more of the same measures.
A number of research studies show that weight loss is not necessary to improve physical health. Studies have also found that fitness is more predictive for mortality than weight. This study defined ‘fit’ as 3-4 hrs per week of walking.
Note: “Fit” is not synonymous with “thin” or “lean.” That’s Diet Culture. Being fit means being in good health, especially because of regular physical movement.
Furthermore, trying to change your health status simply by losing weight has not only proven to be an ineffective approach but also carries potential negative side effects to your health. The focus on intentional weight loss via dieting can be harmful. Multiple studies demonstrate negative side effects of dieting behaviors. The three most documented negative effects are weight cycling, disordered eating, and weight stigma.
The non-diet approach for health coaching is holistic
The World Health Organization defines health as “a complete state of physical, emotional, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” The non-diet approach is a weight-neutral approach to health is based on the idea that your health status or risk level can’t be determined solely by your weight.
Instead it recognized that humans are more than a physical body: mental, emotional, spiritual and physical human bodies.
Its focus is on the WHY instead of the WHAT
The non-diet approach looks at the root cause of the behaviors. For example, when considering nutrition it considers why the individual is eating instead what the individual is eating. What we eat, how we eat and when we eat come second to why we eat.
Compassion versus fear-based threat
The non-diet approach will help the client switch his approach to health behavior to one of compassion for self. It will help form a relationship of respect towards one’s body helping the client to make choice based in love for body and self instead of fear (fear of disease, fear of weight gain, fear of other people opinion, etc…)
All humans are worthy; All bodies are worthy
The non-diet approach is grounded in the fact that all humans are worthy therefore all bodies are worthy. The non-diet recognizes the danger to one’s health when face with any stigma, discrimination or prejudice.
Therefore, the non-diet approach must be anti-discriminatory: anti-fatphobia, anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-transphobia, anti-classist, non-binary, etc.
The pillars of the non-diet approach for health coaching
When practicing the non-diet approach to health and nutrition with clients, practitioners must follow a sequential order in their approach. Although adaptable in nature, some fundamental pillars must be in place
1. Investigation of belief and history
The first step is for the practitioner to have a clear understanding of the current state of their clients/ patients relationship to food and body. A number of assessments are available: Intuitive eating assessment, Body Acceptance Assessment and Dieting Impact Inventory.
Next, the practitioner will help the client understand how they go to be where they are right now using a dieting timeline. It’s very important for the patient to understand that it’s not their fault but instead diet culture.
2. Mindset & Unlearning Diet Culture
The next phase of the non-diet approach is the most important: unlearning. Unlearning the diet mindset, dogmatic beliefs about food and exercise, the thin ideal, etc..
When we trained professional inThe Going Beyond The Food Method™ our practitioners are trained in a Cognitive Behavior Therapy approach called Self-Coaching. This will be the tool they will teach their client to help them unlearn Diet Culture.
3. Attunement & Reconnecting
As the client progress in unlearning diet culture the next steps will be to help patient to reconnect with their body via body sensation. Using various mindfulness approach our graduates of our non-diet certification have a number of tools available to them to teach their client attuned with their body.
The first set of sensations we focus on with the clients are eating cues: hunger, fullness and satisfaction. Gradually, clients will be able to trust their own ability to read and interpret their innate body sensations.
4. Emotional Intelligence & Processing
As the client gets more attuned to her own innate body wisdom, the focus will shift to building skills set to process emotions & feelings. One of the most effective tools for this step is deconstruction of the eating behavior using two questions: What am I feeling? and What do I need?
The outcome of these pillars is to build emotional intelligence and shift the individual engagement with their emotions from Reacting to Responding.
5. Empowerment & Relearning
The non-diet approach is truly beyond the food and this next pillar is the reason behind this powerful transformative process.
To help build empowerment, the process of habituation will be use to help client regain power over fear foods. Gradually reclaiming their power at first with food and naturally expanding their empowerment to other part of their life using their inner wisdom.
6. Respect & Liberation
In this last step practitioner will support client in the process of rebuilding a relationship of respect with their own body. Engaging in body image healing using body neutrality and Health At Every Size approach to help build an inventory of health promoting behaviors.
At this point in the process client is also ready to re-engage with food using a gentle nutrition philosophy and with exercise using a joyful movement approach.
Non-diet approach training for professional
We have created a number of free non-diet approach training resources to help you begin learning more about this revolutionary health approach. Join my non-diet professional community by requesting our non-diet professional starter pack.
You can also listen to our non-diet podcast.
The non-diet approach mentorship program
The Going Beyond The Food non-diet approach mentorship program is a space where you can receive support guidance to become the best non-diet professional. It’s a program geared to refine your non-diet professional skills set and teach you the skills you need to build a successful business that can impact thousands of women. It will help you develop as a powerful leader and help other women come back to their power. You will learn how to harness your ability to support and help other women. As a result, you can impact thousands of other women and dismantle diet culture.
Non-Diet Approach FAQs
The non-diet approach to health & nutrition is the exact opposite of dieting. It recognizes that food, eating and body weight aren’t the problem to be fixed.
It’s a weight-neutral approach to health instead of focusing on a weight-oriented outcome. This approach focused on all the other factors that can impact one’s health beyond body weight. In other words, the ultimate goal is to support the patients to become their own experts at their bodies.
The non-diet approach to health and nutrition holds key core values: Fundamentally, it recognizes that diets do not work. It’s holistic in nature. It is focused on the Why not the What, it’s focused on finding solution that are based on love and compassion. Moreover, it believes that all humans and bodies are worthy.
1. Investigation of belief and history
2. Mindset & Unlearning Diet Culture
3. Attunement & Reconnecting
4. Emotional Intelligence & Processing
5. Empowerment & Relearning
6. Respect & Liberation
We have created a number of free non-diet approach training resources to help you begin learning more about this revolutionary health approach. Join my non-diet professional community by requesting our non-diet professional starter pack.
You can also listen to our non-diet podcast.
The Going Beyond The Food non-diet approach mentorship program is a space where you can receive support guidance to become the best non-diet professional. It’s a program geared to refine your non-diet professional skills set and teach you the skills you need to build a successful business that can impact thousands of women.
Welcome!
I’m Stephanie Dodier
I am a non-diet nutritionist, educator, and feminist business leader challenging everything we’ve been taught about food, health, and coaching.
I help health professionals confidently coach food and body without co-opting diet culture.
Join me in leading the health coaching revolution!
Ready? Let’s do this!
FREE ASSESSMENT TOOL
Let’s start coaching client with confidence!
Use this free intake forms kit and evaluate your client with food, body image and mindset and set the foundation for transformative coaching relationships, rooted in trust and client empowerment.
JOIN OUR COMMUNITY TODAY AND RECEIVE OUR NEWSLETTER!
