❌ “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels”
❌ “A moment on the lips, lifetime on the hips”
❌ “If you are hungry, you’re probably just thirsty”
❌ “Don’t eat after ____”
What is this bullshit?
These are sayings we have all heard and many of you have told me your were taught these diet mantras from your almond mom.
The term stemmed from a clip of Yolanda Hadid, the mother of Gigi Hadid, a famous American model, who told Gigi to only “eat a few almonds and chew them really well” when Gigi told her she was feeling weak after “eating like half of an almond”. Then, it made history after it became a TikTok trend (if you hang out on TikTok, let’s be friends: my handle is @FoodVoiceRD).
I recognize an almond mom as a parent or caregiver that is consumed by the diet trap–a belief system that says is someone is dieting they are fixing their issues, promoting health, improving their life, and will be more popular or even safer in the world. This is a trap that the diet industry tries to suck us all in and many almond moms or caregivers will pull us with them because they believe it will protect you. It is also a projection of their own fears for themself.
There are 5 reasons why the almond mom role is an issue:
- It teaches someone that you can’t trust your hunger and fullness–and can’t trust your intuition
- It teaches disordered eating–not everyone who diets gets an eating disorder yet everyone with an eating disorder has dieted
- It teaches that certain bodies are better than others
- It teaches that one can and should control their body to attain that status
- It teaches that one can and should control their body for other people’s enjoyment
If you are one or had one, check out part 2 and 3 of this series. But keep in mind you need self-compassion and time to repair your complicated history with food. If you can’t do it for you, do it for the people you influence in your life.
