How to Eat Intuitively When Your Partner is Dieting

You’ve done it! You’ve committed to never diet again, to ditch diet culture and to truly learn to trust your inner wisdom as your guide to eating.

Congratulations. I know this was a big commitment!

And I also know how hard this can be if your partner or significant other has decided to jump on the New Year diet bandwagon.

So, how do you stay true to your desires and goals, while your partner is weighing and measuring food, avoiding carbs, and talking about it being a “good” or “bad” day? And worse yet, if they are telling you what YOU should or shouldn’t be eating or doing in relation to your food, body or clothes that you wear.

I’m going to break it down for you in 3 simple steps.  

1.Communication is Key!

The success in any relationship comes down to communication and respect. Ask your partner if they can set aside time to speak with you, that there is something important you want to discuss. When that time comes, explain that you want to share some things about your past that they may not know or realize. While your partner may know about your past or present food struggles, they may not know to what extent it has impacted your life.

Be open and be specific. Share about your dieting history, explain how dieting has made you feel, and the shame you’ve experienced each time you’ve regained the weight you lost.

2.Gently Educate About Intuitive Eating:

It’s possible your partner doesn’t understand what Intuitive Eating is. Or, they have misconceptions about it. This is not unusual. There’s a lot of misinformation on the internet about Intuitive Eating. Many people think if you stop dieting and embrace Intuitive Eating, you don’t care about your health.

This is a fallacy.

Explain to your partner that you are actually TAKING CARE of your health, both physically and mentally, by no longer dieting.

It’s important to have compassion for your partner as they have been swimming in the same diet culture toxic waters that you have. Lucky you, you are swimming out of these waters, but your partner may not be ready. At the very least, you’ve planted seeds, and have each agreed to respect each other’s journey.

3.Set Boundaries:

It’s possible that after the conversation, your partner will be convinced to join you on your Intuitive Eating journey. That’d be great! But the reality is, they may not be ready for it. And that’s okay too! The important thing is for you to set boundaries.

Here are some examples:

• No talking about good and bad foods
• No comments about what I am eating, or what you’re not eating
• No diet talk, at all!
• No body talk, whether that be body bashing or comments about weight loss

Consider what other boundaries you’d like to make. Make a poster board, and hang it in the kitchen/dining room, or any room where these conversations might happen!

At the end of the day, it’s always nice to have the support of your significant other. Give them time and space to learn, just like you’ve done. My guess is that over time, they will be right along side you eating intuitively!

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