In a 2009 interview, Kate Moss, a British supermodel, once famously said, “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.” This controversial quote, often criticized for promoting eating disorders, appears to be experiencing a resurgence on TikTok through the trend known as “SkinnyTok.”
SkinnyTok isn’t for the faint of heart; it’s the body positivity movement’s worst nightmare. If you’re sensitive and easily triggered, SkinnyTok and this post may not be suitable for you. SkinnyTok caters to individuals on a weight-loss journey who are willing to endure tough love from influencers, even if it means getting their feelings hurt.
Sometimes, a little discomfort is necessary to inspire change in your life.
I’m not a health expert, nor am I promoting eating disorders. As someone who has struggled with a form of eating disorder for most of my life. I’ve spent years researching and experimenting with various weight loss programs, fitness regimes, and diets. I was a vegetarian for six years simply because the taste of meat repulsed me, and a vegan for eight months in the early 2010s when it was trending. I have tried everything under the sun besides giving up. Through all these experiences, I’ve concluded that consistency is key to success. No matter which weight loss program you choose, sticking with it over time is key to its success. You will learn from trial and errors.
However, one of the most important aspects of weight-loss is mental health. If you don’t address the emotional wounds that led to weight gain at some point in your journey, you’re likely to regain the weight. That’s why I advise those looking to lose weight to consider therapy if possible, and then get a gym membership and a meal plan. You don’t put a bandage on a wound that requires surgery. It is our emotional traumas that lead to food addictions, overeating, obsessive thinking patterns, and bad eating habits. SkinnyTok can help!
What is a SkinnyTok?
SkinnyTok is a trending weight-loss niche on TikTok, which I refer to as “nature’s Ozempic.” Influencers with substantial followings share their successful weight-loss journeys, emphasizing calorie deficits and minimal physical activity, such as walking at least 10,000 steps daily. However, SkinnyTok encompasses more than just a community focused on weight loss. Many influencers promoting this rigorous lifestyle are women who have recovered from eating disorders, claiming to have healed their relationships with food, particularly binge eating.
Their slender physiques and chirpy personality, which is vital for TikTok success are often presented as evidence of their recovery.
SkinnyTok is a community for individuals who have struggled with weight loss and, in some cases, eating disorders throughout their lives. While they may be well-versed in weight loss strategies, the critical shift they seek is in mindset and their relationship with food—a transformation that SkinnyTok aims to facilitate. This platform offers an alternative to medications like semaglutide, promising similar results without the need for weekly injections. However, achieving success through SkinnyTok demands significant discipline, self-motivation, and confronting harsh truths about one’s eating habits that can be challenging but necessary to hear.
Here are several candid, controversial mantras promoted by SkinnyTok influencers:
- “Stop rewarding yourself with food; you are not a dog.”
- “You eat for the body that you want.”
- “Want to be small? Eat small. Want to be large? Eat large.”
- “My favorite smoothie is called water. I get it with extra ice.”
- “Fat lasts longer than flavor.”
- “If you’re paying for a gym membership and not going, cancel it so you can afford bigger clothes.”
- “Stop picking up the fork and start picking up your feet.”
- “We are not going to sugarcoat it for you because you’ll probably eat that too.”
- “If you feel bloated all the time, that’s just fat.”
These statements reflect the uncompromising and direct approach that SkinnyTok influencers use to motivate their followers. While their bluntness may be off-putting to some, proponents argue that such tough love is effective in promoting discipline and accountability in one’s weight loss journey.
How Does SkinnyTok Help?
An eating disorder is a serious and debilitating condition. Constant, anxiety-filled thoughts about food can be overwhelming. An ideal world where people have a healthy relationship with food, food should serve as a source of nourishment and occasional pleasure, not an object of obsession. Individuals with eating disorders often experience a love-hate relationship with food, alternating between starvation and overeating.
Whether you are recovering from an eating disorder or currently struggling, SkinnyTok may offer support. Despite facing criticism, often from individuals less familiar with the platform, it effectively encourages users to attune to their bodies and view food primarily as fuel. Portion control is emphasized, aligning with the principle of caloric deficit essential for weight loss. Influencers advise stopping eating when satiated, even after just a few bites, and suggest that feelings of hunger are normal and don’t always necessitate immediate eating. Sometimes you just need to drink water.
Food often serves as a coping mechanism. Excess weight is a protective barrier against external stressors, where food acts as a self-soothing mechanism. While food may seem like a reliable comfort, it’s important to recognize its potential for addiction and harm. SkinnyTok aims to diminish food obsession, promoting the view of food as essential fuel rather than the central focus of life. Shifting your mindset about food is crucial for successful weight loss. Identifying emotional triggers linked to an unhealthy relationship with food and actively working on healing them while applying the principles advocated by SkinnyTok can be beneficial steps in your weight loss journey.
People who perpetually find themselves on a weight-loss journey often become consumed by the process. An unhealthy relationship with food may manifest as either resentment, leading to self-starvation, depression, anxiety, or eating disorders. As a Christian, I believe that our bodies are temples of God; therefore, we should treat them with the utmost care, respect, and dignity by nourishing them with healthy foods and honoring God in the process.
Fariza 