The Perilous Story of Dieting

“Hey guys, welcome back to my channel. Today, I am going to show you my 800-calorie daily diet. I use this diet when I need to define my curves and get my abs toned; it helps you with that hourglass waist, and skinny arms and gets rid of those hideous belly rolls so you can go ahead and have the right to use a bikini. Don’t forget that every step of this diet must be followed, meaning you are absolutely not allowed to eat carbs, fructose, glucose, saturated fats, trans fats, monosaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, preservatives, food coloring, solid foods…”

Thousands, if not millions of videos titled “How to lose 3 pounds in 3 days”, “Get rid of belly rolls for a hot girl summer”, or “How to get abs in 2 weeks” are out there on the internet, patiently awaiting for the next middle or high schooler who “needs” to lose weight.

“Needs”.

That BMI calculation may show you are on the right weight, but if that mirror doesn’t see those perfect curves, hourglass figures, skinny arms, and big booty, then you NEED to lose more weight. But then again, what’s the problem? It’s not like it’s going to kill people. The more weight you lose, the healthier you are….right? Right? I mean, the influencers on Instagram and YouTube look and act super healthy. They exercise, run, swim, and, everything else. They’re healthy…..or are they?

Are these skinny influencers really in good physical condition, or are they just hollow wood that’s been carved and on the verge of breaking? Truth is, following the dietary and weight-losing patterns imposed by many as a way to fit into what is acceptable nowadays is deadly, and I don’t mean it in an emotional way, I mean physically.

The National Health Service of England indicates that the ideal daily calorie intake is 2,000 calories for a woman and 2,500 calories for a man. Of course, there are many circumstances that may impact what is an ideal balance for one. However, in this dieting era, many are consuming less - way less - than they should, all in the promise of the “perfect” body.

As I looked in the mirror, I could not help but feel the tears burning in my eyes. Why did everyone around me look good? Why did they have a flat belly? Why were their arms skinny? Why were their thighs not touching? And most importantly, why were mine like that? These questions and the constant comparison that I could not help making every time I went out were what motivated me to starve myself in the pursuit of a body within the beauty standards.

That day, I woke up hungry (as always, since I had lunch and didn’t eat again until the next morning). I had juice for breakfast and waited for hours to eat a scarce lunch made up of sliced tomatoes and 3 Air-fried chicken fingers. Not long after this meager meal, I proceeded to do intense exercise for the next 2 hours…

I could feel myself giving in. I couldn’t feel my legs and my lungs were on the verge of exploding. I was lightheaded and my stomach grumbled like crazy. Still, I kept on going. After some more hours of trying to trick myself into not feeling hungry, I went to sleep. Well, at least that’s what I thought was going to happen. But life had some other plans for me; plans that would impact me forever and teach me a lesson.

I woke up in so much pain and so weak I couldn’t climb down off my bunk bed. My nails were going blue and my face pale. There I was at 4 AM in the living room being fed by my mother; except my mouth was so dry that I wasn’t able to swallow the crackers, not even with the help of a full bottle of water. Those three mere crackers finally reached my stomach with a lot of water, as I listened to my mom lecture me about eating and dieting; of course, I didn’t have the heart or courage to tell her that I had consumed only 450 calories in those 24 hours. Besides sparking a wave of immense anger within her that would come back to me, I knew she wouldn’t be able to work the other day worried about my eating habits. I didn’t need to tell her though; she figured it out herself after I rushed into the the bathroom and started vomiting nonstop. The feeling of victory I had gotten that day for eating less than 500 calories was washed away with the tears of pain, shame, and regret I felt that sleepless night.

Only after about 3 days was I able to reintroduce solid foods into my diet and start eating normally again.

This is one of thousands of stories out there of people who tried too hard to fit in. To become what it’s impossible. However, only a few girls are courageous enough to tell their tales to others and to not repeat this insanity. Many are ashamed of their reality and are led to believe that this is normal and will bring them their results.

This is not normal, and any result you receive will be at the cost of your own health.

Besides making you see that this is extremely unhealthy, sad, painful, and dangerous, I hope my story makes you understand that you DO NOT HAVE TO CHANGE WHO YOU ARE TO FIT INTO A DUMB NORM. Besides, the ones that seemingly changed, are just, as stated above, hollow wood that’s been carved and on the verge of breaking.

Out of 7 billion people in this world, there is only one (one!) you. You are and should feel unique. In the same way a jeweler wouldn’t want to change a rare-shaped emerald into a boring, common, rectangular one, you shouldn’t try to change your body to look like the thousands that fell into the trap of beauty standards…

Lots of love,

Gabby.