Why I Hate “What I Eat in a Day” Videos
“What I Eat in a Day” videos are my least favorite pieces of content to scroll by.
What I Eat in a Day for a Flat Stomach
What I Eat in a Day ~Vegan Edition~
What I Eat in a Day – 1500 Calories!
What I Eat in a Day for Optimal Digestion
What I Eat in a Day as a Dietitian
The truth of the matter is: what YOU eat should not be affected by what SOMEONE ELSE eats, and their routine doesn’t affect you at all!
Even if you follow the exact same diet and meal plan as someone else, you will never look like her.
Why?
Because we are not robots! Because every body has specific unique needs and preferences! Because everyone reacts to things/foods/workouts differently! Hallelujah!
Now, I completely understand looking for inspiration online. If I didn’t believe in that, then I wouldn’t have a job ;) However, inspiration is best when you can absorb it, let it resonate in YOUR body, and then make it your own.
It’s kind of like plagiarizing.
Let’s say that you see your favorite fitness blogger’s new video on her eating plan for the day. You figure, “If she eats that and looks like that, then I should eat that in order to look like that”.
But let’s take a closer look…
First of all, how do you know that she actually ate it all? How do you know that she didn’t sneak in a few more bites after the camera stopped filming? How do you know that she didn’t edit the video to show more or less food?
You don’t.
Next, let’s look at portions. How the HECK do you expect everyone who watches a What I Eat in a Day video to have the same appetite? How do you expect 1/4 cup of rice to be the ideal amount for her and me and you?
And how about preferences… what if you don’t like mango but the fitness blogger put it in her smoothie. Are you going to force yourself to eat it anyway? Or what about the fact that your body is lactose intolerant, but she swears by adding Greek yogurt to her afternoon snacks….what are you supposed to do then?
It’s easy to see how flawed the habit of watching What I Eat in Day videos is when we make it a bit more extreme…
Should a 6-year-old follow a 30-year-old’s meal plan?
Should a celiac have sourdough toast if it was in the video?
Should a professional football player eat like a high school girl?
The answers are clearly…NO!
So why is it ok then that young women are advising on and copying the eating patterns of other young women when IN REALITY, we will never ever look like anyone else?
Because it feels safe and controlled.
If it worked for someone else, then it’s an easy plan to follow.
Sticking to a specific number of calories feels secure.
It takes the pressure off of figuring out “how to be healthy”.
It doesn’t feel good enough to just be ourselves.
You don’t know how to listen to and hear your body anymore.
You don’t trust yourself.
So, you trust the skinny fit girl on Tik Tok.
You trust the registered dietitian on YouTube.
You trust the fitness blogger on Instagram.
When your body is just begging you to trust yourself.
That skinny fit girl doesn’t know what works best for YOU. That registered dietitian has no way of knowing what works best for YOU. That fitness blogger doesn’t have a clue of what works best for YOU.
The only one who truly knows and can make the perfect decisions for herself if you.
So, the next time you’re drawn into the magic and appeal of a What I Eat in a Day video, stop and ask yourself what you need. Don’t worry about what the girl in the video needed that day. Focus on the now and the body that you find yourself in currently. She’ll thank you!