- Angela Clucas is a registered dietitian who struggles with yo-yo dieting.
- Even with a degree in nutrition, she couldn’t shake her desire to be smaller.
- She worked on rethinking her mindset and focusing on her strengths, and was ultimately able to change her perspective.
This essay is based on a conversation with Angela Clucas, a registered dietitian based in the Isle of Man, UK. Edited for length and clarity.
It all started when I was 16 or 17 years old. Food culture It was everywhere. When I look back at some of it now, it’s really crazy. There are “plus size” women in “.”america’s next top model”, literally US size 6.
I didn’t have a lot of self-confidence, so I think messages like that made me think that if I changed my body, if I lost weight, if I could just be like that, I would be more accepted.
So I started a diet, which I think was a bit controlling. I did the cabbage soup diet, the British Heart Foundation diet. This is not from the British Heart Foundation charity. You basically live on nothing and one day you end up with bananas and milk. It’s really crazy.
I went on diet after diet, and the strange thing was that I didn’t have any weight to lose to begin with. Each time I went on these diets, I lost a little weight, then gained it back. I got stuck in that cycle and always thought, “I can’t do it.” I can’t really stick to a diet. Why am I a failure?
Also, I didn’t have confidence at first…and that continued for years.
But now I realized that I didn’t need to lose weight at all. Since changing my way of thinking, I have become much more confident in myself. I know that focusing on strength, health, and happiness is a much better use of mental energy than trying to punish and keep my body small.
Fad diets are not sustainable and healthy weight loss It does not include excessive restrictions or food group reductions. It took me a long time to understand that.
Getting a degree in nutrition didn’t stop me from following fad diets
At the age of 22, I fell in love with nutrition and decided to pursue a degree in the field. But after that, she was unable to get a job as a nutritionist and continued to go on even worse diets. 30 whole And Insanity is a 90-day workout plan for the ultimate shred that just makes you go harder, harder, harder.
This degree included a lot of scientific information such as: protein, carbohydrates, fat Yes, but it never extended to psychology. I can write a meal plan to help someone lose weight, but I now know that that’s never what I’m told. We all know we should eat more vegetables, but we don’t actually do it.
I was still working in an office and trying all these things, but I really wanted to work as a nutritionist. So I went back to college at his age of 34 and got a master’s degree in sports nutrition, which I loved. Although I had a deep understanding of metabolism, I still didn’t have an answer as to why I couldn’t eat enough.
Ironically, by most measurements such as BMI, I was never overweight. I always felt like I had to be smaller. Again, I don’t know a woman who doesn’t want to lose 7 pounds.
Change your way of thinking and abandon your food culture
I reached a turning point when I read a book called “The Chimpanzee Paradox” about understanding the voices in your head.
I was like, wait a minute, this is much bigger than just trying to make it smaller. From there, things spiraled in a good way.
I read a lot more about how to change your mindset. for example, brene brownThis is the work of .It really made me think there has to be a better way lose weight sustainably Stop doing that or get out of the mindset that you need to lose weight in the first place.
A large part of my progress was due to working with a great personal trainer. We always had a back and forth about body image, but it slowly dawned on me that I didn’t have to cut back on calories or feel bad eating donuts. That continued message and focus on getting stronger was a huge change for me.
And now, as a full-time nutritionist, I help others achieve their goals.
Through my journey, I learned how important it is to work towards your goals. way of thinking. My teaching now is much more than just telling someone to eat more protein, for example. It’s important to think about your goals and habits and how you set yourself up for success.