/fa/ - Fashion

Dani Shugart – T Nation Editor

Biggest dietary mistake? Pigeonholing yourself.

Branding yourself as this type of dieter or that type of dieter, even after your progress has stalled. I'm guilty of doing this more times than I'd like to admit.

Why do we do this? Because labels are powerful. They make us feel like we fit in, and that feeling helps us commit, which is good... at first. But these labels can also make us barricade ourselves from different ideas and possibilities, which is bad. Staunch labels hinder critical thinking.

So, if you say "I'm paleo" or if your bio contains the acronym of your special diet, then what you're really saying is, "I define myself by what goes in my mouth, and I prefer to connect with people who eat how I eat." Again, it's all about fitting in and feeling like part of a club.

But why not be a person who's smart enough to try different things and assess the results? You don't need a label to do that. Be open to the possibility that more than one dietary strategy will work. And your commitment to it doesn't have to become your identity.

Examine different diets. Even the ones you're skeptical about. Test them with honest intentions. Make room in your nutritional toolbox so that you can pull from it for the rest of your life. Be about the results, not the labels.– Dani Shugart