Exploring Tik tok trends: “Girl Dinner” edition

And yes, I hope y'all did sing the "girl dinner" jingle in your head as you read the title…

Welcome!

I'm a therapist here in Arizona that has the pleasure of supporting humans of all ages in their beautiful journey through life.

My specialty is in walking alongside humans as they navigate the different facets of eating disorders, disordered eating, and body image concerns.

Naturally, when I saw this trend on TikTok in which humans are posting what their dinners consist of paired with the catchy rhythm “girl dinner,” I explored what thoughts came up for me personally as I work in this space and am in recovery myself from eating disorders. Here are some thoughts; take what fits for you and leave the rest!

I invite us all as we engage with different platforms of social media to put on our critical thinking caps, especially as we unpack the girl dinner trend. Social media is a space filled with creativity, joy, learning, and laughter.

It also can bring up comparison, grief, and triggering feelings and emotions.

This trend brings to attention dinner time, highlighting humans posting their dinner choices, which consist anywhere of popcorn to a glass of wine.

There's a lot of argument that popcorn isn't dinner. That cheese and crackers aren't dinner. That it lacks the nutrients needed to be considered a meal.

Sure. And…

What if this person is struggling with an eating disorder and they were brave enough to feed themselves something?

What if this person is neurodivergent and that's a safe sensory food for them?

What if this person is depressed or anxious and that is the only appealing item of nourishment to their appetite at this time?

What if this person is grieving? They are sick? Navigating chronic illness?

We don't know what a human is going through. Thus, this trend is an interesting space to check in with ourselves as the viewer and assumptions that may come up for us. It also opens up a beautiful space as the content creator to reflect upon what our intention is in posting our “girl dinners.”

What am I sharing, needing, presenting with this post?

This trend is similar to the known “what I eat in a day” era in which again, comparison can run rampant.

Comparison continues to perpetuate the idea that there is a hierarchy of the right way to eat, the right way a body should be. The correct way. Comparison is rooted in perfectionism, which is rooted in weight stigma, capitalism, racism, ableism, and healthism.

When we compare ourselves, we are using assumptions of someone to either place ourselves below or above someone, which builds that hierarchy.

Shifting our perspective to a lens of curiousness, self-awareness, and mindfulness when viewing social media content allows space for learning and creativity rather than judgment, shame, and comparison.

And as always, the only detox I'll ever support - a social media detox ☺️

The gift of intuitive eating is that we have the beautiful ability to choose foods to nourish us - mind, body, soul. If that feels like popcorn and ice cream for you in that moment, great!

I open the invitation for us to observe intent. If my intent is I'm wiped after the week and that's what I can manage, beautiful! Am I usually including variety and flexibility regularly? Awesome.

If the intent is to punish, shame, or manipulate our bodies, can we also look at that with a lens of curiousness?

Eating experiences are different for every individual based on so many aspects. I'd also like us to be mindful of the gendered messages that can exist with the girl dinner trend.

Perpetuating the idea that individuals who identify as female or women are to minimize and eliminate any sort of hunger or appetite, that nourishing our bodies is not ladylike is incredibly harmful. I encourage us to challenge how we perhaps look at nourishing our bodies in different spaces related to gender.

“You eat a lot for a girl!” “Watch your figure” “We don't eat that; that's for your dad/brothers/others…”

Let's be mindful of continuing this old narrative and embodying freedom from diet culture for all gender representations.

Thanks for coming to my Ted talk on TikTok.

And as always, reach out if needing support! You are worth it.