Diet culture makes a lot of promises. The biggest one? 

That losing weight will make you happier, healthier, and more confident. 

We see this fantasy promised everywhere, from Instagram reels to billboards while you’re driving down the highway. But the truth is that weight loss doesn’t always deliver on this promise. 

Let’s explore the dark side of weight loss and how to zoom out to see the bigger picture, honor your health, and feel better in your body. 

What actually happens after weight loss 

First, there’s an initial high. I like to think of this as a honeymoon period. This period comes with a lot of compliments and attention, and we generally feel in control and on top of the world. 

Then the honeymoon ends. The compliments stop, old insecurities return, and life’s stressors pop back up. That thing you hoped would happen when you lost weight – like getting a promotion or finding a long-term relationship – may not appear. You might start to worry that there may be something else wrong with you because everything was supposed to work out when you lost weight, right? 

On top of that, maintaining weight loss often requires unsustainable restriction. This can fuel anxiety, obsession, the binge-restrict cycle – in other words, feeling like you’re at war with your body.

The fantasy about weight loss – the one where you’ll feel happier, healthier, or more confident – often ends up feeling like a mirage in the desert. 

Let’s debunk the most common weight loss myths 

First, let’s break down the reality behind the weight loss myths diet culture has been perpetrating. Get ready for this one because I’m about to challenge some deeply-held beliefs. It may be hard to read, but I’m here to help you heal your relationship with food and your body so you can actually live the happier and healthier life you dream of. 

MYTH: “I’ll feel more confident.” 
TRUTH: Confidence comes from self-trust and respect, not your clothing size or the number on the scale. 
I love these body image journal prompts to help you feel more confident in your body.

MYTH: “My health will automatically improve if I lose weight.” 
TRUTH: Health behaviors, like eating, movement, stress, sleep, and accessing healthcare, matter more than weight. I once had a client who had been led to believe that weight loss alone would cure her diabetes. But after losing 30 pounds, she went back to the doctor and still had the disease.

MYTH: “I’ll finally love my body.” 
TRUTH: Body image struggles don’t disappear with a smaller body; they often just shift. For example, I’m hearing from a lot of people who are on GLP-1 medications who have lost a lot of weight, but it didn’t magically fix their body image. 

MYTH: “I’ll be happier.” 
TRUTH: This one gets me. Here’s the deal: happiness is multifactorial. Research shows weight loss doesn’t guarantee lasting improvement in mood or quality of life. In fact, research also shows that intentional weight loss correlates with higher rates of anxiety, depression, and worse body image. 

On the other hand, research shows intuitive eating correlates with improvements in anxiety, depression, and body image, proving that how you feel in your body and about your body isn’t solely determined by your weight. 

The real cost of pursuing weight loss 

Diet culture tells us over and over again what we’ll gain by pursuing weight loss. But the reality is it costs far more than we realize. 

• Missing out on vacations, birthdays, and eating with friends. 
• Constant obsession with food and exercise, body checking, and thinking about food. 
• Create guilt, shame, depression, anxiety, and fear of regaining the weight.

And that’s not including the physical toll weight loss takes on the body. There is a physical cost to losing weight, including: 

• Metabolic slowing
• Hair loss
• Muscle loss
• Digestive issues
• Nutrient deficiencies 
• Headaches
• Cardiac issues 
• Injuries from over-exercising 

Weight loss, dieting, and restrictive eating can literally impact every single organ system in your body in one way, shape, or form. It can affect your hormones. You can lose your period, you can lose bone density. 

Then there’s the emotional toll. The guilt when you eat the cupcake, the shame that you didn’t get on the treadmill, the fear that you’re going to regain the weight you’ve lost. This can consume your entire life.

How to shift the “How can I lose weight?” question

Instead, try shifting the question from “How can I lose weight?”, ask yourself “What am I hoping weight loss will give me?” Grab your journal and write this out. 

Give yourself space to explore your deeper needs. What are you hoping weight loss will give you? Do you want a sense of belonging, energy, confidence, peace, and joy? 

Be kind to yourself here and don’t judge the answers. These answers give us a distinct opportunity to not only identify these needs, but to fulfill them without waiting on a number on the scale. 

This may take a few journaling sessions, so don’t rush the process. Let yourself be honest, and get support if you need a hand. 

Real-life examples of how weight loss’ promises don’t always deliver

I want to share a few examples with you because it’s so easy to get in our own heads and think, “Yeah, Katy, but this doesn’t apply to me.” (Totally normal, by the way.) Let’s dive in. 

Real-life clients

I had a client who suffered from joint pain for most of her adult life. She entirely blamed it on her weight and went so far as having bariatric surgery in hopes she’d be out of pain. She went on to lose 100 pounds, but it didn’t fix her pain…because the pain wasn’t being caused by her weight in the first place. I felt the gut punch when she said, “Well, maybe now my pain will be taken seriously.” 

Celebrities Who’ve Spoken Openly About Body Image Struggles

I don’t want to comment on people’s bodies, but I do want to share some stories about people who have talked openly about food and their relationship with their body. 

• Despite being in a conventionally thin and fit body at different points in their career, Demi Lovato has shared openly about eating disorders, relapse, and how body image struggles didn’t disappear when their body changed.
• In her Miss Americana documentary, Taylor Swift admitted that she used to restrict her food and overexercise, despite being in a smaller body, and that the pressure to “look a certain way” caused deep struggles.
• Kesha talked about her eating disorder and the intense body image pressures in the music industry, even when she was thin and “fit the mold.”
• Jessica Simpson wrote in her memoir about struggling with body image and dieting since childhood, even when she was at her smallest and praised for it.
• Lady Gaga has spoken out about her history with bulimia and the constant scrutiny of her body, regardless of her size.

If thinness really guaranteed happiness and peace, Taylor Swift wouldn’t have struggled with starving herself when she was thriving in her career.

Key Takeaways

The truth is, weight loss doesn’t hold the magic key to confidence, happiness, or health. What does? Building trust with your body, caring for it with compassion, and stepping away from diet culture’s lies. That’s where true freedom lives.

Remember, you are worthy just as you are.

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