How can you get out of the diet culture clutches to change how to view health? Why are you working against your biology when you diet excessively? Can you commit to finding out what your personal health looks like? In this podcast episode, Dr. Cristina Castagnini speaks about men and eating disorders with Jonny Landels.

MEET JONNY LANDELS

Jonny helps people quit diets and get off of the yo-yo train for lifelong health. As a certified nutritionist and certified master health coach, he has accumulated over 5,000 hours of 1-2-1 client consultations and helped over 237 people individually with their health and fitness goals.

Jonny uses a combination of Intuitive Eating Counselling and Online Strength Training and Exercise coaching to help his clients end their mental battle with food and themselves while getting fit and strong.

Visit Johnny's website, and connect on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

FREEBIE: Free Guide to Break Free from Food and Body Obsession!

IN THIS PODCAST

  • You’re working against biology with dieting
  • Industry weight loss tips are designed to fail you
  • Health at every size
  • The Western way is not always the best way

You’re working against biology with dieting

The most common routine that happens when you diet is that your body reacts to the change. If you eat differently, exercise more, or make a big habit change, you probably will lose a bit of weight, which you may think is due to the diet working. However, after some time, your body adjusts to the change, and you stop losing weight. If the diet is particularly damaging or restrictive, you may find that you end up either staying the same weight or gaining even more again as your body tries to compensate for the restriction because it is unnatural for your body to lose weight.
What we need to remind people is that every study that’s been done on the intention of weight loss [has shown that it’s] it’s only ever been short-term, and it stops either at the plateau or before the weight regain start to surge up, and we see bariatric surgery and weight loss drugs [trying to be used] as well. (Jonny Landels)
There’s a new theory of Weight Set Point Regulation, which happens regularly, where people begin to lose weight and the rate of weight loss decreases because the body takes up compensatory mechanisms to slow the weight loss down. This is because, to the body, too much weight loss is seen as dangerous, and a lack of food resources, and the body tries to keep you healthy by inhibiting further weight loss which can also lead to health problems.

Industry weight loss tips are designed to fail you

The fact that it’s an industry should be a big red flag that you notice; it is a place where companies, influencers, and products make lots of money. The only way that they could keep making money is if they keep creating new products and services to sell you, and the only way that they could do that is if each product fails, allowing space for the next one.
Every [diet] has worked for a time, and then there’s been a regain despite best efforts, and it’s not my lack of effort, willpower, or discipline. It’s not that I’m on the wrong approach, it’s that the approaches themselves are geared not to work. (Jonny Landels)
The more that you buy into these ideas, the more money, energy, self-esteem, and health you lose while someone else gets richer. Understanding this process is crucial for your recovery from an eating disorder and letting go of being stuck inside the diet industry. You need to realize that health, fitness, and beauty do not have a specific shape.

Health at every size

Health looks different for everyone. Your bodily size does not have a direct correlation with your health in general. Of course, if someone is in either extreme, that is a different conversation, but generally, there is no “correct” size when it comes to health. Each body is different, and they will look different even when they are healthy. No bodies can or should look the same to be called healthy.
This ridiculous idea that we’re all supposed to be the same size and shape or that we’re all supposed to sit within a [BMI range] … It’s absolutely baffling. (Jonny Landels)

The Western way is not always the best way

Even though the world is currently guided mostly by the global West like Central America, and Europe, their ways are not the best ways. They might be the most popular or well-known, but there are many ways to reach the same destination. Every country has a different way of eating, with different spices, fruits, and vegetables, ways of preparing them, and relationships to food that are culturally different and significant.
All these other nations have all of these other foods and cultural ways of eating that [are] completely excluded in the Western world of, “This is the perfect diet”, when actually there are … hundreds of ways to eat. (Jonny Landels)
The science around nutrition is complex and varies a lot. There is no “right way” to eat.

USEFUL LINKS

MEET DR. CRISTINA CASTAGNINI

  I am a licensed Psychologist and Certified Eating Disorder Specialist. While I may have over 20 years of clinical experience, what I also have is the experience of having been a patient who had an eating disorder as well. One thing that I never had during all of my treatment was someone who could look me in the eye and honestly say to me "Hey, I've been there. I understand". Going through treatment for an eating disorder is one of the hardest and scariest things to do. I remember being asked to do things that scared me. Things I now know ultimately helped me to get better. But, at the time, I had serious doubts and fears about it. If even one of my providers had been able to tell me "I know it's scary, but I had to go through that part too. Here's what will probably happen...." then perhaps I would not have gone in and out of treatment so many times. My own experience ultimately led me to specialize in treating eating disorders. I wanted to be the therapist I never had; the one who "got it". I will be giving you my perspective and information as an expert and clinician who has been treating patients for over 2 decades. But don't just take my word for it...keep listening to hear the truly informative insights and knowledge guest experts have to share. I am so happy you are here!

THANKS FOR LISTENING

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