Eating with Love

“I need to lock in for my summer body.”

“Don’t you know about The Great Winter Lock In?”

“My prom dress requires me to lock in ASAP.”

I hear statements like these more often than I should. This makes me sad on so many levels.

First, when people say that they need to “lock in” (in this context), it often means that they’re going to try to eat as little as possible. While it’s true that food shouldn’t be consumed in excess, it’s also concerning when people start to skip meals. We should be taking care of ourselves and having proper nutrition, not punishing our body. Of course, everyone is different and every body type has different needs. I have no professional expertise in dieting, but I’ve noticed that so many people think that eating less is a panacea that will automatically make them skinny. 

Second, I feel like a lot of people diet because they feel badly about their self image. This narrative needs to be changed. We should be eating well because we love ourselves, not hate ourselves. Eating disorders and body dysmorphia is tragically common. It’s difficult to always feel confident in your own skin when you have multiple outlets where you can constantly compare yourself to someone else. I wish society would make people feel empowered to take care of their body instead of feeling guilty that they don’t look like photoshopped supermodels on social media. This is a staggering generalization, I’m aware, but it’s a crisis I feel surrounded by both online and in person.

If I had an opportunity to broadcast a message to the whole world, I would encourage people to eat and treat their body with love. And to give themselves some grace.