When Body Positivity Isn’t Cutting It: A Dietitian’s Reality Check with Compassion

Let’s get one thing clear: we’re all for body acceptance. We love a world where women aren’t apologising for eating bread or spiralling in change rooms over a tag. But lately, something’s felt off. The body positivity movement — once a crucial antidote to diet culture — has, in some corners, started ignoring something equally important:

• That it’s okay to feel uncomfortable in your body.
• That it’s okay to want to feel better — stronger, lighter, clearer.
• That your body deserves care, not just affirmations.

Because what happens when you're told to love your body as is, but you don’t? What if you're exhausted, inflamed, bloated, or foggy — and the only advice you’re hearing is to “just love yourself harder”?

That doesn’t feel very positive, does it?

Here’s the truth — with love and science:

👉 You can respect your body even when you’re not feeling confident in it
👉 You can acknowledge discomfort without attaching shame
👉 You can reject toxic diet culture and make empowered health choices
👉 You can want change — not out of punishment, but from a place of care

Where It Gets Muddled

1. “Wanting to feel better means you hate your body.”
No, it means you're listening to it. There’s nothing wrong with wanting more energy, better sleep, or less joint pain. That’s not self-rejection — it’s self-awareness.

2. “All bodies are healthy.”
All bodies are valuable. All bodies are worthy. 

But that doesn’t mean all bodies are well. If your body is flagging distress signals — persistent fatigue, bloating, pain, or concerning blood results — ignoring those signs isn’t self-love. It’s silence.

3. “I don’t need to change anything — just love myself more.”
We adore self-love. But real love sometimes means making uncomfortable choices: like going for a walk when you'd rather scroll, or feeding yourself nutrients instead of just feelings. Sometimes love looks like discipline — not punishment.

Let’s Talk About the Middle Ground

There’s space between obsessing over your body and abandoning it entirely. We call that space body respect.

That means:

• Moving your body because it supports your mind, not because you’re trying to shrink it

• Nourishing yourself because you deserve to feel good, not because you “should”

• Looking at your health with honesty, not fear or shame

• Making choices that serve your future self, not just your next craving

The Nutrition Circle Way

At The Nutrition Circle, we’re not here to shame you or sell you a detox. But we are here to hold space for honesty — the kind that helps you feel better in your skin, not just make peace with feeling stuck in it.

We look at the why behind your food habits, your energy dips, your bloating, your brain fog. Because your body is always communicating — and you deserve to understand what it’s saying.

Final Thoughts (Your Pep Talk)

You don’t need to become a protein-tracking gym junkie. But you also don’t have to settle for feeling foggy, flat, or unmotivated.

You’re allowed to want more for your body — not from a place of shame, but from a place of hope.

Let’s get honest. Let’s listen to your body. Let’s feed it like it matters — because it does.

Your body is not your enemy. It’s your home. And you deserve to feel really damn good living in it.

Want to feel better without losing your mind?
Book in with us at The Nutrition Circle. We’ll bring real talk, real support, and probably a snack suggestion that isn’t a sad rice cake.