Figuring out how to stay fit and healthy can be incredibly confusing given the toxic discourse surrounding health online. Health and fitness influencers flood social media platforms with unprofessional and contradictory advice that can lead to unsatisfactory results and disordered eating habits. One video tells you that you need to cut out carbs while another says that you need to start fasting or buy the ‘fat-burning pills’ and processed protein bars that they have been paid to promote. Some will say that cardio is ineffective and you need to lift weights instead while others will preach the exact opposite.
When I was younger and more impressionable, I watched a Youtube video that convinced me to cut my carb intake and focus on eating mostly protein. I was a growing girl as well as an athlete and the woman on my screen was twice my age. This was terrible advice and made me feel awful; eating carbs allowed me to feel energized and satisfied, and there was no reason for me to be taking suggestions from someone with no expertise and drastically different nutritional needs.
The truth is that none of these people know you or your body, and you should not be taking advice from strangers on the internet who are not dietitians or doctors. Health should not be measured by what you look like but rather by what you feel like. If you hate running but feel good in your skin after pilates or taking long walks then do that! There’s no need to force yourself to do something that makes you feel bad just because another claimed it made them feel good. Act intuitively about your health.
The more advice we take from other people about our own bodies the less we know and understand about what actually works for us as individuals. It is important to be mindful of the advice we take and receive because what works for one person does not necessarily work for the next. Refrain from making comments on how little or how much you eat each day. Eat for your health and eat for your pleasure. Do what feels best to you whether that’s running, walking, playing a sport, or simply just resting.