Healthy Living vs Diet Culture: 5 Key Differences

Nikkiey: Real quick, the only ask I could ever have of you guys is to help spread the word so we can help more women lose body fat, build muscle, reach their goals, and feel insanely confident. And the only way we can do that is if you rate, review, and share this podcast. So the single thing I ask you to do is leave a review. It will take you 10 seconds, and it will mean the absolute world to me and may change the world of someone else.

And this one I just want to really drive home, because if you're following what diet culture means by being healthy, by eliminating things and restricting yourself, you are not living in moderation and balance.

What's up, everybody? Welcome back to The WarriorBabe Show with Nikkiey Stott, co-founder of WarriorBabe. On this podcast, we talk about mindset, methodologies, and tactics that will help you lose body fat, build muscle, be strong, and feel insanely confident. I'm your host, Nikkiey Stott, and welcome to episode number 57, where I want to chat with you guys about what it means to be living a healthy lifestyle versus what diet culture has deemed a healthy lifestyle.

I think this is going to be a really good conversation. It's going to be very controversial, and maybe it's things that you already know and things that you can just get behind. Because I see so many people do all of the diet culture things, and then they're just spinning their wheels. They're frustrated because they're not getting the results that they want, and they're stuck in this hamster wheel of on, off, on, off. They're living in that mentality of things that just don't work and aren't sustainable.

And then there are the ones that I see that are winning. They're living a healthy lifestyle. It's balanced in a sustainable manner. They've understood all of these things I'm going to share with you guys today that have to be factored into their life, beyond just following strict things. They're not on the hamster wheel. They're doing all these things in the right way, and they're living a healthy lifestyle versus what diet culture has deemed a healthy lifestyle.

So first and foremost, I just want to say that living a healthy lifestyle is being balanced in a sustainable manner. It's focused on nourishing the body, and it's focused on promoting overall well-being. I want that to stay in your brain, what I just said. Because you'll see, as I get to diet culture and what they've deemed healthy, it's far removed from that statement.

In contrast, society and diet culture promote unrealistic and harmful ideas of healthy eating, which lead to an array of disordered eating patterns and negative body image feelings. And you'll see that what I'm going to share about healthy living, the right way to do it, the balanced manner, opposes all of that. And I'm sure some of you are like, I already know this, Nikkiey.

But it's a good refresher and a good reminder. Because if you catch yourself doing anything on the negative side and you're spinning your wheels, this is going to wake you up. It's going to poke you a little bit to get on board with the other side of things, which is the right way to be living your lifestyle when you're trying to achieve your goals, build muscle, and all of the things that promote a healthy lifestyle overall. And before I dive into it, for everyone that is on the hamster wheel, spinning their wheels, frustrated, and repeating all these things:

Look, listen, diet culture has been around for decades. You may have grown up with this type of mentality, and it is not your fault. But things are changing, and living a healthy lifestyle is becoming more apparent. I want to spread this message to all of you: it's not your fault, you can change, and you can promote a lifestyle that is sustainable and realistic for you. So let's start doing that, because it's never too late, okay?

So there are five things I want to talk about in each of the two topics. I'm going to talk about five things that make healthy living healthy living, and then five things about what it looks like in diet culture and what they've deemed healthy living. But let's first talk about what healthy eating and lifestyle truly means, and then I'll get to the five things that society and diet culture often portray.

The first thing is, when you're living a healthy lifestyle, you're eating nutrient-dense foods. It's all about focusing on the quality of the food that you are eating rather than restrictive dieting or eliminating specific food groups. When you're focused on eating nutrient-dense foods, that means consuming a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, healthy fats, not eliminating carbohydrates, having complex carbohydrates, even some simple carbohydrates if you're pairing them with the right proteins and fats throughout your day.

The quality of what you're eating matters. For example, say I'm going to go eat a protein bar, which is okay, but I just want to use it as an example here. A protein bar isn't really nutrient-dense. Sure, it's going to help you hit your protein numbers for the day, but it's not backed with lean proteins. I talked about the difference between processed proteins and whole proteins in a way earlier episode.

Definitely check that out, because it'll make you ask, am I really eating nutrient-dense foods, or am I just packing my day with fake protein, essentially? Even when you're going out to dinner, you have the option to choose between a nutrient-dense food and a burger and fries. On the menu, there is some type of salmon, some type of fish, some type of chicken, some type of steak. So you have the choice to choose nutrient-dense foods. Or, if you fall into the category of what diet culture often portrays, it's not about the quality, because people are eliminating food groups and restricting foods because they think they're bad.

I'm going to get to labeling good or bad in a second. But what healthy living means is that you are going to eat nutrient-dense foods, period. Okay.

Number two, and this is why I love macronutrients so freaking much, you guys. You'll hear me preach macronutrients if you're new to the podcast. It's called The WarriorBabe Show. I talk about all of the things with nutrition, fitness, and mindset. But I love macros. Macros, to me, isn't another freaking diet, man. It is a skill set that will serve you for the rest of your life. You are learning what types of foods you are consuming on a daily basis.

You're looking at portion sizes when you put them onto your plate after you're weighing your food. You are enriching yourself with an entirely new look on food, as opposed to what diet culture has given you. So number two is moderation and balance. Healthy eating involves practicing moderation and balance in your food choices. It recognizes that all foods can be enjoyed in moderation. For me, at the end of every day, I have Dove chocolate.

If I followed what diet culture says, that would be eliminated from my diet, because of this next thing I'm going to say. You're eating these things in moderation without labeling them good or bad. It promotes flexibility and an inclusive approach to eating. When you really absorb what moderation and balance means, it allows you to be okay with going out to dinner with your family and not having to restrict some food group or eliminate carbs because you're doing keto.

Right? It allows you to go to parties and have occasional indulgences while maintaining overall nutritional balance. And this one I really want to drive home, because if you're following what diet culture means by being healthy, by eliminating things and restricting yourself, you are not living in moderation and balance. Okay? So please stop labeling something as good or bad. All food can be enjoyed. And when you're enjoying all of the foods, you're living in moderation and balance.

So that's number two. Number three is mindful eating. Living a healthy lifestyle encourages mindful eating practices, such as paying attention, and this one is really big, you guys, to your hunger cues and your fullness cues, and savoring food, sitting down at your dinner table with your family or going out with your family to a restaurant, and really practicing gratitude for the nourishment that this food is providing you. It's huge, man.

I used to live in restrictive dieting, because I was once that person too, and you may know that if you follow this podcast, from when I was bodybuilding. I was doing it for a purpose. But I remember having cheat meals and sitting down and being so fucking grateful for that meal, living in the pure nourishment of what it was providing my body. And I want you guys to practice that all of the time. I want you to sit down and say, this food is fueling my body.

Personally, you guys, I don't really look at food like, oh, this tastes great, this tastes awesome. Sure, that's a part of it. But part of me is looking at this food and thinking, this is fueling my body. This is nourishing my body. And I'm able to savor the food and be grateful for it. Going back to hunger cues and fullness cues: when you practice mindful eating, when you're living a healthy lifestyle and doing what healthy eating truly encourages, you pay attention to when you're hungry.

You will feel hunger cues. And that is such a beautiful thing to feel, because it means you are so in tune with your body. And then you'll know, okay, I'm starting to feel full, rather than, let's stuff my face and get super, super full. No, that's not what it's about, because it's just going to weigh you down. It's an energy sucker after that point. You're going to have these cues if you're practicing eating mindfully. You're going to know when you're hungry. You're going to know when you're full. It promotes listening to your body's signals rather than adhering to rigid rules and external cues.

Say you see food and you're so freaking hungry; that's an external cue. Or you're at a restaurant or a party and there's social eating; that's an external cue. Instead, you're mindful of why you have that urge, and this is what mindful eating is. You have a trigger, you're aware of it, you're not going to act on it. You're taking it inward for yourself, and that's how you practice mindful eating instead of being triggered by an external cue.

Or rigid rules, like X, Y, and Z: you have to eat this, and this, and this, you have to eat at this time and that time, yada, yada, yada. No. Okay, I have my allotment of what I need to fulfill in a day with my numbers. Whenever I'm hungry, I'm going to have my food. For me, I have a period of three to four hours; if I'm not eating within that, and it's not a rule, it's just what I've learned about my body, I know that I need to eat or I'm going to be hangry and my blood glucose is going to be dropping.

I'm going to feel dizzy and lightheaded. I'm going to be a savage. And you don't want that. But you're going to be able to learn those cues through mindful eating. Whereas with diet culture, it's just rigid rules, external cues, all of the things. Okay, so that's number three.

Number four is... hey, I just want to drop a huge appreciation to you guys listening to this show. It means a lot. I hope you're enjoying it, and there's so much more to come. If you are enjoying it, hit the subscribe button. I'd appreciate that tons. It would also help this podcast reach others who need to hear these messages too. Thanks so much, guys. Let's get back to the show.

Healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle give you an individualized approach. It acknowledges that everyone's nutritional needs and preferences are a thousand times unique. Like I just said, I don't really eat for taste. I eat for fuel. Give me food and I'm going to eat it. That's my personal preference, whereas somebody else may be different. It focuses on an individualized approach that considers your personal goals.

I live at maintenance the majority of my year, but maybe you need to cut some weight, so you're going to go into a cut. It personalizes your goals. It personalizes your background. It personalizes your medical conditions. Whereas diet culture wants to pack every human into one ideal diet plan, one size fits all, a quick fix that everybody can do, and then they're going to be on that hamster wheel.

They're probably going to make some progress, but it's not sustainable, long-lasting progress for that human, because you are individually different from every single person involved in that one diet that preaches that it works for everybody. So with healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle, what that truly means is, let me individualize an approach for you that takes into account your lifestyle, your personal goals, your medical conditions, your food intolerances, any allergies that you have.

I remember being inside these quick fixes, with a meal plan that everybody was following. There was yogurt on it, like Fage yogurt or Siggi's yogurt, something like that. And I'm like, man, what about somebody who has an intolerance to dairy? Now, there are some alternatives, but maybe that person doesn't like that alternative. You know what I mean? So having an individualized approach to your specific needs is huge.

That's what helps you promote a sustainable course of action for your entire journey. Okay, so that's number four. And number five, this is a big one, you guys. It may seem like, what, Nikkiey? It's not really that big. I know. But so many diet culture quick fixes and fad diets focus on just the nutritional piece of things: eat this, do this, consume this.

And a lot of people forget that they need to move their body. So the fifth one is physical activity. Having a healthy lifestyle goes beyond just diet. It includes regular physical activity. Especially, you guys, you need to take into account what I preach, which is building muscle. And if you are following these one-size-fits-all quick fixes and fad diets, their ultimate goal is to help you lose fat and lose weight. Their ultimate goal is not to help you build muscle.

So I just want to drill that into your head. Not only should you stop following those fad diets, but on top of everything I just spoke about, point five is incorporating strength training, movement throughout your day, and having a regular structured program to follow.

I talked about this a couple episodes back. You don't just follow random things. I don't want to go off on a tangent, because I want to keep it to this topic. You have a solid routine that you're following on a weekly basis, and you're doing that work. You're incorporating physical activity into your routine; not every single day, because you'll have rest days, but it's a major part of your plan and program. Okay. So physical activity is freaking huge.

It's so essential for overall health, your mental well-being, and maintaining a healthy physique, internally really, and externally if you're looking for the looks. But seriously, muscles are going to give you longevity. You will hear me say that all the time. So those are the five things to consider when it comes to healthy eating and living a healthy lifestyle in a balanced and sustainable manner that gives you realistic, sustainable methods of promoting overall well-being and nourishing your body.

So it was making sure you have nutrient-dense foods, and having things in moderation and balance, not limiting things entirely, and not labeling things as good or bad. Just incorporate the things and allow yourself to have the things that you want, but in moderation and balance. Like I said, I don't want to get off on a tangent, but I really want to drive this one home because it's so important, because people just restrict, restrict, restrict. And it's like, dude, if the majority of the time you are consistent and following your plan and your program, you're allowed to have things in moderation and balance.

You're even allowed to fit things into your numbers, as long as 80% of your food is coming from nutrient-dense foods and maybe 10% to 20% is coming from things that you enjoy. Like me, I have Dove chocolate every night before I go to bed, two of the four pieces if it fits into my plan. Or have some ice cream if you want. That is so important. Moderation and balance is so freaking important. Just make sure that nutrient-dense foods are the bulk of your day and the bulk of your week, and then have moderation and balance outside of that.

Number three was mindful eating. Number four was an individualized approach. And number five was physical activity. Okay. Now let's start ripping apart the freaking diet culture. Everything I just said, and the statement at the beginning about nourishing your body and promoting overall well-being, I want you to keep that in your brain as I go through my five points of the distorted messages included in diet culture and how different they are from living a truly healthy, sustainable lifestyle.

Number one is strict diets. Society promotes fad diets and restrictive eating patterns that eliminate entire food groups or severely limit your calorie intake on a daily basis. Going back to eliminating food groups, like carbohydrates: can we talk about keto right now? Because fuck keto. Seriously. Sure, people say it helps with medical conditions and all of that jazz, but so does eating normally and having a balanced diet on a regular basis.

I've said this in previous podcasts: some people are just ignorant about nutrition, and I get it. I was too at the beginning of my journey. They don't understand it. It's not really that complex. It just takes time to learn it and understand it. And you should understand it, because it's part of what you're giving your body. And your body is the one vessel that you have to live on this freaking earth for the rest of your life.

So get to know nutrition, and know that if you do everything I said about living a healthy lifestyle sustainably, having nutrient-dense foods and eating things in moderation and balance, and you can tell I get fired up talking about this stuff, you can still help with the things you're dealing with. Okay, so please...

Ladies, are you feeling frustrated with body changes you're experiencing during menopause? It's time to take control. If you're between 45 and 65 years old and tired of struggling with body fat and muscle loss, WarriorBabe is here for you. At WarriorBabe, we've helped over 18,000 women just like you lose body fat, build toned muscle, and understand their bodies better with personalized plans based on hormone and thyroid testing and more. Imagine knowing exactly what your body needs to see real results, and results that last. Don't wait anymore.

Take charge of your health and join our community of strong, empowered women. Visit warriorbabe.com/apply today to start your transformation. That's warriorbabe.com/apply. All right, let's get back to the show.

These fucking fad diets, man, they get to me. Not only strict diets, but eliminating food groups and severely limiting your calorie intake on a daily basis to 1000 calories or 1200 calories. These approaches are typically short term, typically unsustainable, and they lead to nutrient deficiencies. First of all, you can't eliminate carbs for the rest of your life. People do it periodically with keto, and then they always go back to carbohydrates because it's just not sustainable.

And by eliminating food groups, you're eliminating the nutrients your body needs. So you have nutrient deficiencies, and then you pair that with binge eating episodes and an unhealthy relationship with food. So please tell me how that is living a healthy, sustainable lifestyle, with all the things I said a healthy lifestyle means. It isn't. It's a distorted fucking message.

The next one is a weight-centric focus. Many of the messages out there equate your health with a specific body size or weight. I mean, shit, let's talk about the doctor's office. You go into the doctor's office and they measure your BMR or whatever it is, and then they categorize you as overweight or underweight or all of the things. That number is so heavily influenced by muscle. If I went into a doctor's office and they measured my BMR, I have a higher number because I have more muscle mass. So because I have more muscle mass, I'm unhealthy? Shit's whack, man. The data and all of the old ways of measuring are just a little skewed.

So having a weight-centric focus is so detrimental. It disregards the complexity of your health and ignores the fact that health can be achieved at various body sizes and various weights. Again, I weigh 155 pounds. I started my journey at 140. So because I gained 15 pounds, does that mean I'm overweight? No, it's because I put more muscle mass on my body. So this whole weight-centric focus shit... yeah, I'm getting fired up.

I'm getting so fired up. Not only with everything I'm saying here, but it leads to body shaming. It leads to weight stigma. It leads to poor self-esteem. Having you focus just on how much you weigh is so detrimental to your well-being, and I already talked about all of the things that promote well-being. It's so detrimental to the way you look at yourself and the way you compare yourself to other people. So please know that it is not about your weight.

It is not about what you weigh when you step on the scale. It doesn't matter what the doctor's office is telling you if your number is off. It is all about how you feel in your body and making sure you're doing all of the things I mentioned about living a healthy lifestyle, okay? It ain't about having a weight-centric focus. So fuck that message.

Number three is a quick fix mentality. I talked about this a little bit, but the messages out there offer a lot of quick fix solutions for weight loss and achieving a certain body shape, such as people diving into freaking detoxes and cleanses or miracle supplements. I remember filming something about lemon juice. Putting lemon juice into your water every morning does not mean it has magical unicorn powers that are going to help you lose weight. Cool, put lemon juice in your water if you want.

But just lemon juice, and that's it? If that's all you're doing in the day and you're not really eating much throughout the day, then maybe, yes, you will lose weight. But again, it's not realistic. It's a quick fix. And quick fix solutions only focus on losing weight, which I already talked about. I'm all about building muscle, so all of those things are counterproductive to what I preach. And these quick fixes are rarely evidence-based.

They don't have much scientific evidence to back up the message they're providing and the tactics they're giving people. And they can be so harmful to your physical and mental health. So please stop with the quick fix mentality. Stop wanting to put your body into a microwave and have a toned body come out in 30 seconds. That shit ain't going to happen. And if it does happen, it's going to be harmful to both your physical and your mental health. Please get obsessed with the long game of what it actually takes to get the results you want with your body in a healthy, realistic, and sustainable fashion.

So that's number three. Number four, I talked about this a little bit with healthy living and doing it in a way that nourishes your body and promotes well-being: it's labeling food as good or bad. That's something the freaking diet culture and society's messages do really well. They're really good at categorizing. And then it gets into your brain: this is a bad food, this is a good food. Carbs are bad.

Carbs are not bad. Chocolate is bad? Chocolate is not bad. Society definitely categorizes foods as good or bad. And this creates associations in the way you choose what foods to eat. And dude, this just fucks with so many people's minds. It leads you to feel guilt. It leads you to feel shame. It's like, oh man, I just had that burger and fries, so shame on me.

Now I just screwed up everything. Dude, you didn't screw up everything. Moderation and balance. Let's just get back to the plan tomorrow and for the majority of your time. So good or bad, fuck the mindset that that shit leads you to. It leads to unhealthy relationships with food, the guilt, the shame: I fucked up, I failed. That is so bad mentally. And it's not actually that you fucked up.

It's not that you should hold shame or guilt toward yourself. It's like, cool, okay, I did it, I enjoyed it, now I'm going to get back to the plan. It's so important to view food as more neutral: I'm enjoying it and I'm having balance. All of those types of mindsets are way better than labeling it as good or bad.

And the last one is external validation. Society does a good job of emphasizing external appearance as a measure of health and your worth. What I mean by that is, you look at somebody who may be fit and you're in constant comparison with the way they look. Then you have body dissatisfaction with yourself, and an unhealthy focus on aesthetics. Let's use somebody who may be taking steroids. You look at that person and think, wow, they're fit, they're strong, they're working out, they're doing all the things.

But you're focusing more on the aesthetics rather than the overall well-being of that person, because that person is not living in a state of well-being internally. So external validation, I just want you all to be aware of it, especially when it comes to social media and comparing yourself to other people you see online, when they may not be truly doing the right things for themselves. They may not be eating enough, yet they look good. They may have some type of relationship with food that you don't know about.

Or the example I just gave, steroids, with that person online that you may be following. Let's just throw it out there: the Liver King. It even happened in my friend groups. Everyone was like, he ain't using, he just does all the things consistently on a regular basis. And sure, he does things on a consistent, regular basis. And I was the one person who said, he is definitely using. And when it came out, I had that moment like, I told you so.

And he had so many things wrong with him. People dove into his lab work and his sleep, and how inflamed his body was, and all of his organs were just not happy. So that goes to show you, with a lot of diet culture, external validation just leads you to constant dissatisfaction because you're comparing yourself with other people. What I want to say is, stop focusing on the aesthetics and focus on your overall well-being.

And the way you can focus on your overall well-being is all of the things I said about healthy eating and living a healthy lifestyle in a balanced, sustainable manner that focuses on nourishing your body and promoting overall well-being. Because those five things, strict diets, weight-centric focus, quick fix mentality, labeling foods as good or bad, and external validation, are what society and diet culture often promote as insanely unrealistic and harmful ideas of healthy eating.

That leads so many people to be on the hamster wheel, wondering why they're not getting results, having distorted eating patterns, and having negative body image and comparison going on. So please make sure you are living your lifestyle with the first five things I spoke about: nutrient-dense foods, moderation and balance, mindful eating, and an individualized approach. Make sure you're following an individualized approach. If you're not, I highly encourage you to check out WarriorBabe.

In our VIP program, we have 30-plus coaches on our team. You will be able to work individually with one of our coaches, and she will take into account all of the things that matter for you, your personal goals, your lifestyle, your background, your food intolerances, your allergies, your medical conditions, all of the things, and help program a plan that is suitable for you. The information about WarriorBabe is below this podcast, by the way, so check it out after you're done listening. And then physical activity. So all of those things help promote your overall well-being, and fuck everything I said about diet culture.

If you're in the bucket of any of the things I said, or you're feeling any of the ways I described, then let's switch it. What can you do today, tomorrow, this weekend, next week, that will put you in the bucket of the five things that promote healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle? I hope the podcast helped you guys. I had a lot of fun sharing this stuff with you, especially when it comes to diet culture. I get revved up about it because I just want women to know more about it.

So please share this podcast with somebody who also needs to hear this, and help them put themselves in the bucket of eating right and living a healthy lifestyle and get them away from these messages and this society of diet culture. Like I said at the beginning of the podcast, I know you guys grew up with this stuff. So okay, cool. Now you're becoming more aware of the right things to be doing by listening to this podcast and future and previous episodes. It's never too late to change. So take some action today that puts you into the better bucket.

Even if you're already in the bucket, what can you do better? What's going to help you be better? All right, guys, peace out. Love you guys. See you in the next episode.

Hey, guys, real quick. If you're interested in taking your body to the next level, losing body fat, building more muscle, and feeling more confident, do it alongside one of our 30-plus professional coaches. Work one-on-one with her to eliminate all of the guesswork you may have. All you need to do is the work she tells you to do to get to those goals of yours. To learn more, click the link below this podcast and apply to our VIP program right now.