Nutritionist Shares How Diets Are Not One Size Fits All

The best nutrition advice I have received is: there is no standard person, and there is no standard diet. Bam. Therefore, no diet works for everyone. Period. End of conversation.

Diet culture would have you believe differently though, with each testimonial of whatever fill-in-the-blank diet is hot seeming more convincing than the last. Many influencers seem to offer nutrition, fitness, and overall weight-loss advice for the “average” person. But in reality, there are no universally applicable diets, exercise regimens, or lifestyles.

Simply put, we are all unique, beautiful, and complex beings with different needs and ways of life… and that is awesome.

However, there is the rare professional who approaches health and weight-loss more holistically, avoiding just shoving a meal plan down a client’s throat to achieve a nutrition goal. Such experts are aware of, for example, the consequences of restricting certain food groups and other disordered eating behaviors. Understanding these fundamental health and nutrition concepts is essential in bettering someone’s overall well-being and working toward health goals. Having an advocate in your corner, someone who also reminds you of your body’s uniqueness and complexity, is critical.

Nutritionist Leslie Williams R.D. says following a certain diet plan is acceptable, but what’s unhealthy is starting an internal dialogue that categorizes foods as “good” or “bad”. If there’s one thing that will prevent you from achieving overall wellness, it’s a toxic relationships with food and exercise.

With that in mind, Williams says personalizing a diet plan is valuable. “Eat what you know works for you,” she says.

“Avoid thinking changing a standard diet plan is failing because that is not true,” she says. The fault is in the plan— not the person—and remember that when you’re scrolling through social media and come across fitness-related posts. First, remember that you are not seeing everything that happens behind the screen. Second, know that what works for someone else might not work for you, and that’s OK. Keep experimenting and getting to know yourself in order to reach your health goals.