Do you still have negative body image habits that keep you stuck on the sidelines, afraid to fully live your life?
Many of my clients come to me ready to escape diet prison, but they’ve only scratched the surface. They haven’t yet addressed the deeper patterns that truly matter. And that’s okay—because everyone has to start somewhere.
Often, addressing surface-level habits is the gateway to deeper, lasting healing. To achieve a healthy body image, it’s essential to identify and let go of the embedded habits that keep you trapped in a cycle of chronic dieting, body shame, and dissatisfaction.
In this episode of Escape Diet Prison, I uncover 8 common negative body image habits that might be holding you back from true freedom, self-love, and confidence.
Negative Body Image Habits to Let Go Of
1. Weighing Yourself Daily
You might think weighing yourself is harmless or even necessary for your health. But it’s not—it’s a trap that keeps you locked in body-loathing mode.
I haven’t stepped on a scale in years, and my life is so much better for it. The number on that scale is not a measure of your worth or happiness. If you’re clinging to it, it’s time to let it go—throw it out and never look back.
2. Making Negative Comments About Your Body
Constantly criticizing your body reinforces shame and dissatisfaction. Negative self-talk about your thighs, arms, or belly keeps you stuck in a cycle of punishment and guilt.
Start replacing those comments with compassion and appreciation. It takes practice, but shifting your inner dialogue is a key step toward healing your body image.
3. Reading Magazines That Shame Your Body
So many magazines pretend to empower women while perpetuating impossible beauty standards. If you’re flipping through pages filled with fat-shaming headlines and airbrushed bodies, you’re feeding negativity into your life.
Laugh at those headlines, recognize the ridiculousness of those ideals, and leave those magazines behind.
4. Relying on Diet Books
Diet books promise salvation but deliver misery. They’re designed to make you feel inadequate, trapped in the cycle of dieting and keep you stuck in the negative body image habits you’ve had for years.
Here’s the truth: no diet book or weight-loss program will magically make you love your body. Toss them out and start living instead of dieting.
5. Counting Calories
Calorie counting isn’t a path to health or happiness—it’s a distraction from tuning into your body’s real needs. Listening to your hunger cues and honoring your satiation is far more effective for building a healthy relationship with food and your body.
6. Using Artificial Sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners may seem like a shortcut, but they keep you rooted in diet culture. Choosing artificial options over real sugar often stems from a fear of weight gain, reinforcing negative body image habits.
Opt for natural choices instead—they’re better for your health and your mindset.
7. Over-Exercising
Pushing yourself to the limit with exercise might feel productive, but it’s actually harmful. Your body needs rest to recover and thrive.
Scaling back on intense workouts doesn’t mean you’re giving up—it means you’re creating balance and a healthier relationship with movement.
8. Eating and Drinking Diet Products
Low-fat, no-carb, and diet-friendly products are all part of the problem. They keep you mentally tethered to diet culture and deny your body the nutrients it truly needs.
Choose full-fat, real versions of foods that nourish your body and mind.
Listen to the Podcast
In this episode, I dive deeper into these habits and provide actionable steps to overcome them. Breaking free from negative body image habits is a powerful step toward living a life of freedom, self-love, and confidence.
Share the Love
If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who needs it. Together, we can help more people escape diet prison and embrace a healthier, happier way of living.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:20 — 27.2MB) | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music | Email | RSS | More
