Why Your Best Friend’s Diet Makes You Feel Like Shit

Let me tell you a secret. I’ve danced with every damn diet under the sun; keto, intermittent fasting, Banting, and that unholy grapefruit cleanse that basically turned me into a bloated, vitamin-deficient rage monster. Spoiler: I didn’t find health. I found constipation. And maybe scurvy.

We all know someone who swears by their meal plan like it’s a cult. “It changed my life!” they proclaim with the wild-eyed fervour of someone who hasn’t eaten bread in six weeks. And hey, maybe it did change their life, for the better. But here’s the thing no glossy diet book or smug wellness influencer will say out loud: bodies are not IKEA furniture. You don’t follow the same manual and get the same result.

Same goal, wildly different wiring

Let’s say two people want to feel better in their skin. One loves rules, macros and spreadsheets. The other? They spiral into food obsession the second MyFitnessPal chirps at them. One thrives. The other starts questioning their entire existence because they drank a cup of coffee. (Yes, a cup of coffee.) (Yes, that was me.)

Here’s what the diet industrial complex conveniently skips:

• Genetics impact how we burn, store, and crave food.
• Hormones run the hunger and energy show.
• Neurodivergence; ADHD, autism, anxiety, can make rigid routines feel like handcuffs.
• Chronic illness? Now we’re talking meds, fatigue, pain, and bodies that say, “Yeah, we don’t do that here.”

So, when your co-worker drops 20 pounds on keto and you just end up sobbing in your pantry? That’s not weakness. That’s biology. That’s your body asking, What the actual hell is this?

Exhibit A: Real people, real mismatches

“I tried intermittent fasting. Supposed to feel focused. I got migraines and dreamed about bagels.” – Lia, 29

“Paleo made my sister a CrossFit queen. I tried it and my IBS went DEFCON 1.” – Sam, 41

“Counting calories helped me feel in control… until I became terrified of fruit. Bananas, Kate. Bananas.” – Maya, 35

These aren’t failures. These are data points. Proof that your body is not a broken version of someone else’s success story. It’s just… yours.

What actually works? Curiosity over control.

What if the goal wasn’t to “succeed” at a diet, but to get curious about what actually makes you feel good?

What if instead of punishing yourself into someone else’s miracle, you asked:

• Does this food make me feel energised?
• Do I feel grounded or anxious when I eat this way?
• Am I hungry, or am I following a rule?

That’s not weakness. That’s intelligence. That’s self-respect.

And no, it doesn’t come with an affiliate code or a #bodygoals before/after post. It comes with a relationship to food that doesn’t feel like war.

Newsflash: Suffering ≠ Success

Health is not a prize you earn by hating yourself hard enough. You don’t need to choke down bone broth and silence your hunger to be worthy of respect, or love, or your own damn body.

Let me say this louder for the people in the back: If a plan is making you feel like hell, it’s not you. It’s the plan.

Because the best “diet” isn’t the fastest, trendiest, or most punishing; it’s the one that meets you where you are, with grace, not guilt. That’s the kind of success that actually lasts.

So maybe the real revolution isn’t another cleanse. Maybe it’s choosing to believe your body isn’t the enemy.