HAES does not claim every size is healthy. It claims you can pursue health at your current size without weight loss as the primary goal. If you quit smoking but gain 10 pounds, you are healthier. If you get treatment for depression and eat regularly, you are healthier. HAES chooses the behavior over the number. How to Start Your Body Positive Wellness Journey Today Ready to leave the diet mentality behind? Here is a 7-day roadmap to transition your mindset.
No. Shame is a terrible motivator. Decades of research (The Diabetes Prevention Program, The Women’s Health Initiative) show that weight stigma causes stress, which raises cortisol, which leads to inflammation and worse health outcomes. Intuitive eating improves psychological health and often leads to the adoption of healthier behaviors like cooking vegetables—not because you have to, but because they taste good. HAES does not claim every size is healthy
Unfollow anyone who makes you feel bad about your body. Follow accounts like @mynameisjessamyn, @yrfatfriend, and @bodyposipanda. If you get treatment for depression and eat
A body positive wellness lifestyle focuses on inputs (actions) rather than outputs (weight). You measure success by how you feel, not by how you look. Here are the core pillars: Intuitive Eating (IE) is the anti-diet. Developed by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, IE involves 10 principles that reject the external food rules of diet culture. Here is a 7-day roadmap to transition your mindset
Take back power from diet culture. Eat the cookie. Eat the bread. Notice that one food doesn't ruin your health. Notice that you don't immediately gain 10 pounds. This reduces the psychological "scarcity" that leads to bingeing.