How to Navigate Diet Culture in Sports
Athletes often face a unique kind of pressure when it comes to nutrition. Between the race to meet performance goals and the diet culture that works its way into sports spaces, it often feels like there’s no escape from all of the noise. If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re fueling correctly or you’ve felt overwhelmed by conflicting advice, you’re not alone.
At the upcoming Skadi Athlete Summit on January 11th-12, experts like Alex Larson, Hannah Silva-Breen, Kaitlyn Pscodna, and Marley Blonsky will shine a light on how athletes can cut through diet culture and replace old narratives with a balanced approach to nutrition—one that supports both performance and mental well-being. Here’s your step-by-step guide to navigating diet culture in sports and building a sustainable relationship with food.
Step 1: Recognize the Impact of Diet Culture
Diet culture is pervasive, even in athletic spaces. It tells you that thinner is better, performance is tied to appearance, and food is something to control rather than enjoy. But this mindset often leads to underfueling, disordered eating, and burnout.
Signs You’re Caught in Diet Culture’s Grip:
Obsessive thoughts about weight or food choices.
Guilt or shame around eating certain foods.
Prioritizing appearance over performance or health.
As Marley Blonsky often reminds our community, "You’re an athlete at any size." Breaking free from diet culture starts by shifting your mindset and rejecting harmful narratives about your body and worth.
Step 2: Focus on Functional Fueling
Food is fuel—it’s the energy source that powers our training, recovery, and life outside of sport. When we see food through this lens, it becomes easier to view meals and snacks as partners in your athletic success. At the upcoming summit, Registered Dietitian Alex Larson will unpack all of this with us so we truly understand what carbs do for our bodies (& our performance).
Tips for functional fueling:
Prioritize carbohydrates as the body’s primary energy source, especially before and after demanding workouts.
Incorporate proteins for muscle repair and recovery. Think eggs, lean meats, tofu, or legumes.
Don’t fear fats! Healthy fats like avocado, nuts, and olive oil are critical for hormone balance and stamina.
Being strategic about fueling isn’t about restriction—it’s about giving your body everything it needs to thrive.
Step 3: Honor Hunger and Fullness with Intuitive Eating
Intuitive eating is a flexible, sustainable alternative to rigid meal plans or calorie counting. Registered dietitian Eden Morris, alongside intuitive eating experts like Hannah Silva-Breen, will highlight how athletes can rebuild trust in their bodies by tuning into hunger and fullness cues.
How to Practice Intuitive Eating:
Eat when you’re hungry, not when a meal plan says you must.
Skip the diet labels—no food is inherently “good” or “bad.”
Notice how different foods make you feel during training to adjust your intake as needed.
When we listen to our body’s signals, we optimize performance and take a step toward healthier, guilt-free eating habits.
Step 4: Address Underfueling and REDS
Underfueling is a common but dangerous issue in endurance sports, often fueled (pun intended) by diet culture. Kaitlyn Pscodna will explain that underfueling can lead to a condition called Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDS—what has formerly been called the Female Athlete Triad), where energy intake doesn’t meet output, affecting bone health, recovery, and mental well-being.
REDs Warning Signs to Watch For:
Irregular menstrual cycles.
Recurring injuries like stress fractures.
Prolonged fatigue or poor recovery.
If you begin to recognize any of these symptoms, it’s critical to re-evaluate your diet with a certified health care professional. More energy might be the missing piece for both health and progress.
Step 5: Dismantle Harmful Narratives
Harmful phrases like “lighter is faster” or “you don’t look like a real athlete” are ingrained in the athletic world. But they’re outdated and exclusionary. Marley Blonsky reminds us to challenge these myths and create spaces where all bodies are celebrated.
How to Challenge the Myths:
Replace external validation with internal goals. Focus on how you feel and perform, not how you look.
Call out coded language in coaching, such as remarks that conflate weight loss with success.
Advocate for inclusion at events, team environments, and in media representing diverse athletes.
Shifting the narrative begins with athletes like you demanding better—better language, better support, and better inclusivity.
Step 6: Resist Comparison Culture
Thanks to social media, comparison is the thief of joy for many athletes. Seeing meticulously curated posts about others’ diets, bodies, and training plans can make you second-guess your choices.
Protect Your Mental Space with These Tips from Hannah Silva-Breen:
Limit your screen time or unfollow accounts that trigger comparisons.
Focus on your unique path—no one else’s training or body will look exactly like yours.
And remember Marley’s words—your pace, size, or competition goals don’t determine your worth as an athlete.
Step 7: Seek Guidance From Trusted Experts
You don’t have to figure it all out alone. Seeking support from registered dietitians, sport psychologists, and inclusion advocates is a powerful step toward cutting through misinformation and finding what works for you.
What to Look For in an Expert:
Evidence-based practices rather than trendy advice.
Weight-inclusive perspectives that honor diversity.
A collaborative approach to achieving your health and athletic goals.
The Skadi Athlete Summit features leading figures like Alex Larson and Kaitlyn Pscodna, offering direct access to expertise on nutrition, mental health, and performance.
Step 8: Make Peace With Your Body
At the end of the day, your body is more than a tool for athletic success—it’s your home. Hannah Silva-Breen advocates for adopting a performance mindset focused on what your body can do rather than how it looks.
How to Practice Body Neutrality and Respect:
Celebrate milestones like endurance gains, not just aesthetic changes.
Nourish yourself with care, remembering your body is your partner in sport.
Be patient—transitioning away from diet culture takes time, but the results are worth it.
Ditch Old Narratives at the Skadi Athlete Summit
Want to say goodbye to the pressures of diet culture? The Skadi Athlete Summit, happening January 11–12, is a judgment-free zone that unpacks topics like intuitive eating, underfueling, and outdated industry standards.
🌱 Learn from experts like Alex Larson, Marley Blonsky, Eden Morris, and Kaitlyn Pscodna.
🌟 Connect with a like-minded community that celebrates inclusivity and understanding.
📩 Subscribe to our newsletter for updates on the event. Scroll down just a tiny bit and you’ll see a spot to drop your first name and email address. We’ll take care of the rest!
Diet culture doesn’t have to hold you back. It’s time to step into a future where nutrition supports your athletic and personal growth—without shame, confusion, or fear. We’ll be your guide at the Summit. Save the date! 🚴♀️🥗🎉
