Are You the Product of Diet Culture?
Because I Used to Be, Too!
I used to believe that discipline meant deprivation. That skipping meals was “dedication.” That a hard cardio or workout session could erase whatever I “messed up” on the night before.
Looking back now, I wasn’t just living in diet culture, I was the product of it.
I restricted heavily.
I crushed myself with exercise or with cardio anytime I ate something “bad.”
I’d cut carbs drastically if I overate, not because it was smart, but because I felt guilty.
Every bite, every workout, every result was tied to a sense of punishment.
And the worst part? I truly thought that was the only way. I thought it was what others I wanted to look like did.
It wasn’t. And it’s not for you either.
What Is Diet Culture?
Diet culture is the lie we’re sold that tells us:
- You must be thin or shredded to be healthy or worthy
- Food has moral value, this is “bad,” that is “good” (even though I do believe there are crappy foods we shouldn’t overindulge in, it doesn’t make us bad people)
- You should feel guilty for eating
- You must earn your meals with exercise and a dessert is only “okay” if you worked out extra hard
- If you’re not suffering, you’re not doing it right
I lived that way for years. And the truth is, it didn’t make me healthier or happy, it just made me more obsessed, more exhausted, and more disconnected from my body.
How It Destroyed My Progress
- My Metabolism Took a Hit
I was under-eating and over-training. At first, I liked how I looked, but eventually everything stalled, and I felt crappy.
- I Lived in a Constant Guilt Cycle
A night out or a cheat meal would spiral into punishment. I’d “make up” for it with extra cardio or fewer carbs the next day. I thought that was balance, it was actually disordered. I would still lift, but maybe I’d lift harder, with more volume, then do cardio after.
- Fitness Became Punishment
I stopped enjoying lifting. The gym became a place to repent, not get stronger. I didn’t feel empowered; I was trapped trying to attain something that was not possible…perfection.
- I Never Felt Good Enough
No matter how lean or big I got or how “clean” I ate, I never arrived at the version of myself I thought I was chasing. There was always something left to fix. That’s the game diet culture plays — and no one ever wins. Even if I got complimented, it was never enough.
What Finally Changed
I got tired. Not just physically — mentally. I started asking:
What if I focused on performance instead of punishment?
What if food was fuel, not a reward or consequence?
What if performance, not being shredded, became the goal?
I focused on utility. This is where a hobby like Jiu-Jitsu really helped me. I needed to fuel my body or get choked on the mats. A form of punishment? Haha, maybe.
Here’s What I Did Differently and What Gray and I Help Others Do Now:
✅ I Ate to Fuel for Performance
I stopped chasing the restriction and started eating to support training, recovery, and energy. The irony? That’s when my physique improved. Learning to track played a big role here, it helped me stay accountable to eating enough.
✅ I Lifted Heavy & For Utility
I shifted focus toward performance and utility, and away from just “getting shredded.” For many women, the trap is endless cardio and HIIT classes. For men, it’s often the opposite, chasing size with no structure or purpose. The pressure looks different, but the root cause is often the same.
✅ I Prioritized Quality Calories and Protein
I got educated on what I needed to perform. I prioritized protein not just for satiety, but because I wanted to build muscle and feel strong doing it.
✅ I Gave Up the “All or Nothing” Mentality
Progress isn’t about perfection. It’s showing up, adjusting, and doing the next right thing, over and over with consistency.
✅ I Rested Without Guilt
Rest used to make me feel lazy. Now I see it as part of the process, the place where growth happens, both physically and mentally.
How We Help Clients Break Free from Diet Culture
Today, Gray and I work with people who are ready to heal their relationship with food, training, and their own bodies.
We’ve coached men and women, and while the challenges can look different, societal pressure around appearance, expectations, or how each gender is “supposed to train”, the damage is rooted in the same toxic system: diet culture.
We help clients:
- Reverse years of chronic under-eating and overtraining
- Build sustainable nutrition habits without guilt or restriction
- Transition from punishment-based workouts to performance-driven strength training
- Learn how to eat for energy, recovery, and results, not shame
- Rebuild consistency, confidence, and trust in their body
We don’t do one-size-fits-all plans.
We don’t shame anyone for where they’re starting.
And we sure as hell don’t glorify suffering.
We guide you with real, personalized strategies built on education, coaching, and support, not extremes.
Well…
If you’re tired of chasing results and ending up right back where you started, maybe it’s time to talk.
You’re not broken. You’ve just been following broken advice.
You don’t need to suffer to succeed.
You don’t need to starve to transform.
You don’t need to keep living in a cycle that never delivers.
Ready to Break Free from Diet Culture?
If this hit home, if you’re nodding along because you’ve lived this, we want you to know you’re not alone.
We’ve helped countless men and women escape the trap of diet culture and finally build something real.
📩 Send us a message HERE. Let’s talk about where you are, and where you want to go.
We’ll meet you where you’re at and help you move forward without fear, shame, or extremes.
This time, you do it your way. The strong way. The sustainable way.
Let’s get to work.