I am happy that people are now more aware of what they are putting in their bodies. This has been a welcome change in India because we definitely have a nutrition problem.
Tracking calories and eating enough of every food group is a great way to stay healthy.
That being said IMO there is a way for this to get toxic. I have an opinion that most people are training like bodybuilders who are competing for the sport and that's not a great way to go about your fitness journey.
If you are someone who is training for the sport of bodybuilding, you will have to track every single kind of food which is going into your body down to the amount of salt in grams.
This is a simple way to get body dysmorphia. I feel like it is almond mom adjacent. Unfortunately I see this all the time in amateurs who are trying to lose weight as fast as possible before fight week. It's not healthy.
While I respect the sport of bodybuilding, I am very much sick of people who are doing it overwhelming my feed on algorithmic platforms. These people are well intentioned but are causing a damage which I consider to be invisible in most cases.
You don't need to eat like a bodybuilder to be healthy. More importantly you need to maintain a baseline amount of happiness while losing weight and gaining muscle. This doesn't need to be an excercise in misery, and believe me when I tell you this people in the sport of bodybuilding are miserable when they're actively training for competition.
The mindset shift which I have adopted is simple. I track my macros diligently and just eat enough.
I categorise food as:
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necessary food
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fun food
Necessary food is the type of food I need to stay healthy. Food like whole grains, tofu, animal protein. Anything which is not deep fried. Fresh salads come to mind. I am very flexible when it comes to this category, because I want to eat more of these necessary foods. Foods which are high in protein and fiber. Meals which are quick to make and easy to eat. Not overly high in calories and high in satiety.
Fun food is the food which I am eating when I am outside, anything fried, spicy or fizzy. It's stuff I eat when I am socializing or when I'm in the mood. You don't eat fun food all the time because then it's not fun it becomes mundane. These are calorie bombs which i need to earn on the weekends after a nice long run. Considering it to be a celebration of the week of exercise.
The reason why I am trying to have these categories is because I have seen over the years the conversation around health and fitness always tries to demonize certain food groups or foods. There is no such thing as good or bad food, there is just food. I think using moderation and good judgement is a great way to maintain a healthier diet.
By having these negative categories and demonizing eating, you are creating an atmosphere of toxicity and guilt. This is not really a great way to have a sustainable diet. I understand that everything needs to be done in moderation of course and the necessary and fun categories make it easier for me in my head to maintain my diet. Hopefully it makes sense to you the way it does for me.
Most of my meals are necessary, and on the weekends I can indulge a little and enjoy some fun food.
I don't want to get an eating disorder and by practicing what I preach hopefully I am able to make an impact on the people who I meet who might be struggling on their journey of health and fitness. Because I lost 20 kgs just following this simple protocol. I plan on losing 10 more.
This needs to be done in a manner where I can do this reliably over a long period of time.
You don't need to overcomplicate your diet at the end of the day it's calories in and calories out. Just maintain your macros and you are golden.