For most of my life, I was one of these women. I went on my first diet when I was 8-years old. It was a juice cleanse that I found in one of the countless diet books that lined the bookshelves in my family's living room. I remember waking up that first day thinking how grown up is this! I'm on a diet just like my mom. And I remember going to bed that night thinking I am starving and dreamed about the giant stack of pancakes dripping with syrup that I would eat the next morning. It was one of the first times I remember feeling preoccupied with food. But it certainly wasn't the last. 

I spent the next two decades of my life in an endless cycle of being on the wagon and off the wagon. When I was off the diet, I ate everything that I wouldn't allow myself to eat when I was on the plan. If I had a few french fries, I may as well polish off the whole plate because the day was already ruined. Besides, I would be back on course again tomorrow so I better "enjoy" them now while I can. I often ate until I was so full that it was hard to breathe.  

Then, one day, my life changed. I attended a mindful eating retreat where someone presented me with a simple fact: diets don't work. 

What do you mean diets don't work. Of course diets work. They work for everyone except me; I'm just not doing it right. I just need to try harder. 

But that statement rattled around in my mind; in fact, I just couldn't stop thinking about it. In all my years of dieting, I had never once thought to question the paradigm. But now that I had, it all made so much sense.

Working in "obesity research" at the time, I started to look at the data through a more critical lens. And to my surprise, I discovered that much of what I had been taught wasn't actually true!

I started practicing mindful eating and found that it changed not only my relationship with food but my relationship with myself. I started to relate to myself in a kinder, more accepting, and compassionate way. I found food freedom, but more than that, I found a greater sense of overall wellbeing. For the first time in my life, I felt at peace with myself and the deep shame that I carried for so many years lifted. 

I'm not sharing my story to say "I did it and you can too." We are each in unique circumstances and I had many privileges (including thin-privilege) that opened doors to healing. But I am sharing my story to say:  

If you are stuck in this vicious cycle, know that you are not alone.

Here’s the good news:

There is a way out!

When we learn to recognize diet culture, we can work to reject its harmful messages. We can place our anger where it rightfully belongs--not on our body but on the system that convinced us our body was bad in the first place. We can repair our relationship with our body and start to hear and trust the deep wisdom that it holds to guide our eating.  

And most importantly, we can stop thinking about food all of the time and get on with our lives. 

• It’s really not a diet. So many programs claim to be "anti-diet" but then prescribe a "lifestyle change" which is just a diet in disguise. The Anti-Diet Plan is truly a weight-inclusive and non-restrictive approach to eating that is simply about working with what your body naturally wants to do; no willpower, discipline, or deprivation required!
• We harness the power of mindfulness meditation. If you’ve tried other eating programs that didn’t incorporate mindfulness practices, this could be the missing link. Think of mindfulness as the antennae that amplifies the signals that our body is sending us. 
• We deal with the emotions. I know what you may be thinking: feelings, yuck! But we all know that our eating is about so much more than just the food. As a licensed psychologist and certified eating disorder specialist, emotions are my jam. The Anti-Diet Plan addresses the emotional part of eating and body image and brings a unique psychological perspective to understanding and transforming the big uncomfortable feelings that are an unfortunate side-effect of being human. 
• The Anti-Diet Plan is a step-by-step program that breaks things down in an easy to follow format. Many programs give general advice about what you should be doing (ie. vague edicts like "don't diet" or "listen to your body") but don’t really teach you how to do it. The Anti-Diet Plan not only gives you powerful tools that you can use to change your relationship with food and your body, but it also guides you through each step of the process with actionable practices, tools, and strategies. 
• We are strongly informed by the Health At Every Size® (HAES®) approach, defined by the Association for Size Diversity and Health (ASDAH) as "a  continuously evolving alternative to the weight-centered approach to treating clients and patients of all sizes. It is also a movement working to promote size-acceptance, to end weight discrimination, and to lessen the cultural obsession with weight loss and thinness. The HAES approach promotes balanced eating, life-enhancing physical activity, and respect for the diversity of body shapes and sizes."
• It’s a research-based program; that means we used the science of what works and what doesn’t to create a program designed to help you make the changes you are looking for.
• We focus on support. As a member of The Anti-Diet Plan, you gain access to our private Facebook community where Dr. Conason and her team can support you on your journey. If you bump up against resistances or challenges in the program, we’ll help you work through those obstacles and keep you moving forward to meet your goals. You'll also have the opportunity to connect with other Anti-Dieters working towards food freedom.