They Are All BS: Keto, Paleo, WeightWatchers, Herbalife, Low-carb…

I said F*ck You to the diet culture and here is what happened

There is a great chance you are currently on a diet, considering a diet, or tried 101 diets.

In my particular case, I am an ex-professional dieter. I was obliviously subjected to my first weight-loss diet when I was three years old because my pediatrician decided I was too chubby. At age 10, I was put on a weight-gain diet because my parents decided I did not eat enough. My mom, a devoter dieter, introduced me to the diet culture in my teens.

We all get that fresh-exciting-feeling when you get home with our brand new diet plan and groceries to match it, don’t we?.

That’s exactly how I felt when my mom and I started Weight Watchers when I was 15. We would look up recipes together, add up points at the end of the day, and weigh ourselves every morning. My mom was trying to be thinner. Now when it comes to me… I am not sure what my goal was.

I guess I had just entered the diet trap.

It was all fun-times, up until I started to deal with the irritability, guilt, worry, and stress about food all the time. A little after the month mark, I was crying in the bathroom with severe constipation and got hemorrhoids as a result — not joyful at all.

Let me give you a summary of my diet history:

I have finessed low-carb, high-carb, low-protein, high-protein, and low-fat diets. I did Herbalife for a few months. I had an obsessive phase on counting macros with myfitnesspal. I attempted to have net negative calories every day and almost starved myself. As might be expected, I tried vegan for a week or two. In brief, they all went well until they got bad.

I have taken detox/cleanses (teas and juices), apple cider vinegar, hot water with lemon in the morning. I bought various laxatives, diet pills, diuretics, and Chinese herbs for weight loss. I even injected myself with HCG!!! as approved by a “doctor.”

*Note: I have never been overweight. That gives you a good idea of how much this industry is here for the money!

In terms of exercise, I CrossFit for two years, tried running 4 miles a day for a few months, exercised two times a day, done yoga, gym classes, and have had a few personal trainers.

I am sure that you, as well, have fallen into a lot of these diet wholes — if not all. Ultimately, we will agree on two things.

1. ALL DIETS ARE BS!
2. I WISH I COULD GET ALL THAT MONEY BACK!

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Many of these BS regimens helped me hit my body and weight goals. Some motivated me and helped me build more solid self-esteem. Some opened a community for me. But they also make me feel absolutely miserable. I was preoccupied with food and body weight 24/7.

Sure enough, the diet culture manipulated me and disconnected me from what my body needed and wanted.

Because of my stupid diet beliefs, I could not make intuitive decisions regarding my body and nutrition. It did not matter if red meat was killing my digestive system; I had to follow my Keto diet because, for some reason, dieting was a crucial piece of my life.

Weight loss and fitness ruled my world, period.

The best diet I have ever done is “MY BODY, MY MOUTH, MY RULES,” and it includes the following:

• I try to nourish my body at consistent times.
• Whenever I feel hungry at a random time, I drink water, self-assess for anxiety, and have a small snack if attainable.
• Foods I eat include fats, carbs, proteins, sweets, vegetables, and fruits — all in moderation.
• Things I watch for (because they are bad for MY system): dairy, super fried foods, red meat.
• I know I went over my natural fullness level when I get stomach discomfort and fatigue after a meal. I take that as a lesson to be more mindful next time. But I nevermore shame myself. Did I have a good time? Yes. OK! Let’s move on with life.
• I eat similar meals every week on the weekdays. That gives my metabolism and digestive system a sense of security and consistency (No, I will never starve you again) and gives me time to think of what I really desire to eat over the weekend. Burger, pizza, ice cream? Yes, to all, as long as I want it and do it in moderation.
• Yes, I do intermittent fasting. Not because I force myself to do it, but because it is how my body functions best. I never track it, never worry about it.
• I move my body every day. My body CRAVES movement, and yours too. Our bodies are a super powerful machine that needs to move. I do a stretch in the morning and a 20–45min “work out” at noon (e.g., tennis, a run, weight lifting, or another stretch)

I said F*ck You to the diet culture and never looked back. The outcome?

• My bodyweight is stable — give or take 3–4 lbs. My BMI remains in the normal range, with NO effort.
• I no longer struggle with crazy cravings, sadness over food, binge episodes, and self-hate.
• I no longer have guilt or shame around food.
• I do not follow any social media influencers promoting diet culture or ridiculous fitness plans.
• I trust that food is my fuel, not my enemy.
• Nobody is getting my money to rule what I should do with my body.
• I am happier than ever!

Daniela Marin | Licensed Therapist|Founder of HealingRight