Nourish not Punish – Why Diets Don’t Work

Written by: Victoria Biddick

• NZ Associate Registered Nutritionist (ARNutr)
• BAppSc (Human Nutrition), BAppSc (Food Science)

The advice below is general advice, for any specific tailored advice relevant to any health conditions please talk to your health professional.

Writing this article has been challenging because it has made me reflect on my nutrition journey and the times I’ve restricted and punished my body and mind to conform to societal norms of attractiveness.

There are many triggers to body dissatisfaction, and body changes at each age and stage are pivot points that can make us vulnerable to a fragile body image. In the Western world, thin bodies and a youthful complexion are deemed beautiful. Many of us experience body dissatisfaction due to comparisons with media-promoted body ideals and social comparisons with friends and family. The most common consequence of this is dieting to change our body size (1).

The diet industry thrives on promoting the idea that quick fixes and restrictive eating plans are the keys to achieving the ideal body. While there might be some short-term success with this approach, it is not sustainable and is often followed by inevitable weight gain. This pushes us into a pattern of weight cycling, which involves losing weight, regaining it, and then dieting again (1).

But there is a better way! We need to eat to nourish, not punish our bodies.

This involves shifting to a self-care model that focuses on nurturing our bodies for health and wellbeing rather than weight loss and body change. Nourishing ourselves means paying attention to what foods make us feel good and listening to our body's hunger and fullness cues. This is the opposite of restrictive dieting, where we override our body’s signals to change and punish our bodies.

We asked three Everee Women about their personal experiences with diet culture and nourishing their bodies. Scroll down to the bonus content section to discover their inspiring stories and insights!

Why Diets Don’t Work

Diets involve eating less to lose weight and are a response to body dissatisfaction, being overweight or an eating disorder (2).

Many diets also fail to consider individual differences, making them less effective (3). Factors like metabolism, activity level, food intolerances, lifestyle, and genetics vary greatly among people. While some people do lose weight, most will regain the weight back, despite maintaining their exercise or diet programme (3).

If you've ever lost weight only to hit a plateau or regain it, you could be experiencing the phenomenon of set point theory (4). This occurs when the body adjusts its metabolism to maintain a specific weight range to prevent starvation. One of the ways it achieves this is by releasing extra hunger hormones and decreasing fullness hormones (4).

Weight gain after dieting can also increase body dissatisfaction which is associated with disordered eating patterns and reduced levels of physical activity (3). Many of us can become preoccupied with food and overeating, leading to periods of restrictive eating followed by binge eating and loss of control (1). For an awesome blog on food noise (food preoccupation )read this  Diet culture gaslights us about hunger – but that doesn’t mean we should gaslight people about food noise. — Dr Emma Beckett - Food & Nutrition Scientist

To maintain a healthy body weight, we need to shift our approach from short periods of highly restricted eating to gradual dietary changes that nourish our bodies and allow adjustment of our set point weight range. The focus should be on developing positive lifestyle habits that promote good nutrition for a lifetime, not for a brief time. A small amount of weight loss that can be maintained over a lifetime is better for our health too (3).

The Non-Diet Approach

The Non-Diet Approach is a weight-neutral, health centered eating philosophy created by Australian Dietician, Fiona Willer. There are other models  such as the 10 Principles of Intuitive Eating and Health at Every Size® (HAES®) Principles – ASDAH. The approaches aren’t about quick results but long-term, sustainable dietary changes that make us feel good and support our health and wellbeing (5).

How can I apply a Non-Diet Approach to my Daily Eating?

Some ways you can start to apply a non-diet approach in your day are:

1. Accept and Embrace the Non- Diet Nutrition Philosophy:

In Non-Diet Nutrition the focus shifts from external goals like body and weight changes to healthy behaviours that are achievable and make us feel great (5).

Putting it into practice:

• Set Health Focused Goals — Instead of aiming for weight loss, set goals that enhance your overall health. For example, eating more fruit and vegetables each day to provide our body with vitamins and fibre and improving our mood, rather than aiming to lose a specific amount of weight each week, or taking a walk in the park because it feels good, not just burning calories.

2. Accept and Embrace Body Cues

Reconnecting with our appetite through hunger and fullness awareness and trusting ourselves to act on body cues but also to explore if we are eating for reasons other than hunger.  

Putting it into practice:

• Check in with yourself before you eat — Hunger cues are your bodies signal to you to refuel but how often do we eat for reasons other than hunger? Ask yourself, am I eating hungry? Or another reason such as boredom, stress, or sadness.
• Mindful eating — Focus on your meals by avoiding eating in the car, at your desk or while looking at your phone. Make time to appreciate your meal by sitting down to eat, this allows you to be more in tune with your body and its signals.
• Acknowledge your fullness — You don’t have to finish your plate of food! Take notice of your hunger levels and try to stop eating before you get too full.

3. Accept and Embrace All Foods

Try and think about food neutrally, i.e., there is no good and bad food. When we try and avoid certain foods, we often want them even more and end up overindulging when we get a chance to eat them!

Putting it into practice:

• Avoid labelling foods — Challenge the food police! Try not to categorise foods as "good" or "bad." All foods can fit into a balanced diet in moderation.
• Give yourself permission to eat the foods you love and enjoy — When certain foods are no longer prohibited, they become less appealing, and you may find you eat a more reasonable amount.
• Focus on nutrients, not calories — Think about the nutritional value of foods rather than just their calorie content. This can help you make more balanced choices without feeling restricted.
• Enjoy your food — Allow yourself to enjoy the foods you love. Pleasure is an important part of eating and can help you feel more satisfied.

4. Accepting and Embracing Body Shape

Learning to accept our bodies at every age and stage is an important foundation for self-esteem. It's about embracing our bodies, acknowledging their strength and capabilities, and celebrating our achievements rather than fixating on appearance.

Putting it into practice:

• Surround yourself with positivity — Engage with people and media that promote body positivity and diversity. This may mean detoxing your social media feed to remove accounts or people that make you feel bad about. Read more on how to do this here Love Yourself - At Every Age and Stage
• Challenge negative thoughts — When negative thoughts about your body arise, counter them with positive affirmations and facts.
• Celebrate your body's abilities — Appreciate what your body can do, whether it's walking, dancing, or simply breathing (5).

5. Accepting and Embracing Joyful Movement

The focus is on finding physical activities that you genuinely enjoy and that make you feel good, rather than exercising solely to burn calories or change your body shape. This approach encourages a positive relationship with physical activity and helps you stay active in a sustainable and enjoyable way (6).

Putting it into Practice:

• Explore Different Options — Try various physical activities like dancing, hiking, swimming, cycling, yoga, or team sports to find what you enjoy.
• Focus on Fun — Choose activities that are fun and engaging to make exercise feel like play.
• Incorporate Movement into Daily Life  — Look for opportunities to move, such as taking the stairs, walking or biking to destinations, or having a dance break.
• Pay Attention to How You Feel — Select activities that make you feel energized and happy.
• Join a Group or Class — Participate in group activities or classes to make movement enjoyable and build a sense of community.
• Invite Friends and Family — Share your love of movement with others to make it more fun and help you stay accountable (6).

Not sure where to start?

If this sounds like a philosophy you’d like to follow, but you are not sure where to start, we highly recommend seeking the support of a registered nutritionist or dietician who is a Non-Diet Practioner. They can support and guide you through the process of reconnecting with hunger and fullness cues, eating enough food and addressing any barriers that are holding you back from nourishing your body.

“If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.”

Dolly Parton

Reflecting on our nutrition journey can be challenging, but it also opens the door to a more compassionate and sustainable approach to health and wellbeing. By embracing a Non-Diet philosophy, we shift our focus from restrictive eating and body dissatisfaction to nourishing our bodies and minds with kindness and respect.

Let's celebrate our bodies for their strength and capabilities and surround ourselves with positivity and support. We all play a role in rejecting diet culture and the societal norms that promote unrealistic body ideals, to empower ourselves and others to embrace our uniqueness and self-worth.

Here's to a future where our new normal is to nourish, not punish.

References

1. Ogden, J. (2019). Health Psychology (6th ed.) McGraw-Hill Education.
2. Ogden, J. (2018). The Psychology of Dieting. Routledge
3. Bacon, L., & Aphramor, L. (2011). Weight science: evaluating the evidence for a paradigm shift. Nutrition Journal, 10(1), 1-13.
4. Ganipisetti, V., & Bollimunta, P. (2023). Obesity and Set-Point Theory. Treasure Island.
5. Willer, F. (2013). The Non-Diet Approach Guidebook for Dietitians. Lulu.com.
6. The Up-Beet Dietitians. (n.d.). What is joyful movement? Retrieved March 19, 2025.