Let’s be real for a second, diets are kind of the worst.
People put a lot of pressure on themselves to achieve the “perfect body.” That could mean shedding pounds to get to a target weight or trimming inches to achieve an ideal waistline.
But whatever the goal is and no matter how “perfect” a body you might be going after, that doesn’t change the fact that the journey to get there can be pretty grueling.
Most diets involve cutting out at least one of the tastiest food groups. Diets mean cutting carbs, shutting out sugars, or forgoing fats… which means most desserts, breads, and greasy foods are off all dieters’ tables.
And let’s be real: that’s all the good stuff. It takes a whole lot of self-control to cut out so many delicious foods, especially when food is one of your guilty pleasures.
Temptation is everywhere and so the truth is that everyone struggles at least a little to maintain a diet. At least we can find some comfort in the fact that we can all relate to the ups and the many downs of dieting.
Here are a few of the most relatable diet memes to look at when all those cravings hit.
1. The weekly diet chedule
Sunday: Diet starts tomorrow.
— Sean Lowe (@SeanLowe09) February 14, 2018
Monday: Gym and salads, I can do this.
Tuesday: Feeling good.
Wednesday: I wonder if they deliver?
Thursday: It’s a cheat meal.
Friday: I should be happy with who I am.
Saturday: I hate myself.
Sunday: Diet starts tomorrow.
Diets are hard to keep up.
It’s no secret that it’s difficult to keep up the discipline of a diet. There’s a similar cycle that happens for a lot of people: The diet starts out pretty good, but then convenience starts to take over self-control. Delivery food is just too easy, so who can blame everyone for falling for it each time around?
2. Praying for a diet miracle
Sometimes diets mean ignoring your true desires.
You might really love ice cream, but most diets aren’t going to be too forgiving when it comes to sweets. That’s when you might want to invoke the power of some kind of higher being to help you eat healthier foods. But for the most sugar-addicted among us, even prayers aren’t going to help spark a lettuce craving.
3. Free Ice Cream Day can really mess things up
Offices tend to be an issue.
Offices love to hand out free food to their employees for all kinds of occasions. From birthdays to retirements to Free Bagel Friday, there always seems to be some reason for food to be up for grabs throughout the workday. And that always creates a lot of conflict for all the office dieters.
4. Being hungry is simply a diet reality
Smaller portions tend to be a part of most diets.
A lot of diets are comprised of one simple rule: Don’t eat a lot. That sounds easy enough, but the truth is that if you’re used to super-sized food and you suddenly switch to the kids’ sized portions, you’re probably going to be a little hungry all the time. That’s just a sad truth of dieting.
5. Are Skittles fruit?
Unfortunately, fruit-flavored things aren’t fruit.
Candy is one of the great joys of life, but unfortunately it’s usually packed with a whole lot of fake stuff and not much real stuff. The real stuff (like fruits and vegetables) are the things you’re usually supposed to be eating when you’re on a diet. But, even though it might smell and taste like a fruit, unfortunately it’s not.
6. The croissant diet
Everyone in the office talking about their work out , diet & skin care routines
— Chris Burns | Fat Carrie Bradshaw (@fatcarriebshaw) August 16, 2019
Me while holding a croissant & my 4th cold brew of the day: pic.twitter.com/McTLrJZ056
Peer pressure is a real issue.
When everyone else is talking about all the latest diet fads they’re trying out, it’s pretty tempting to want to chime in with what you’re eating. Of course, if your diet is mostly comprised of caffeine and carbs, it might not sound as impressive as everyone else’s. But, it’s just giving you different vitamins.
7. Some friends just don’t get it
There’s always someone pushing sugar on you.
At least one friend will always have trouble understanding diet culture. That’s the friend who suggests another round of drinks, or an extra order of fries “just for the table.” They’re also the friend that will inevitably tempt you with sugar even after you told them the millionth time that you’re on a diet.
8. Cats are not bread
When you’re on a diet, everything starts to look like the foods you can’t eat.
Even pets might start to look like a tasty snack if you’re hungry enough. It’s a rule that seems to happen a lot in life: You want whatever it is that you can’t have. And when you want something bad enough, you think you see it all around you, everywhere you go.
9. Counting calories is easy during the day
But at night, it gets a bit trickier.
Keeping a routine going during the day is no problem. But, a lot of people love to unwind with a snack (or two or three or four) at the end of the day, and that might be where the diet starts to fall apart. But, do snack calories really count anyway? They’re really more like bonus calories.
10. Even empty plates are tempting
Me when I’m on diet pic.twitter.com/35dO9n0iSi
— Mayapolarbear (@mayapolarbear) August 14, 2019
And just the act of eating looks good.
When you’re on a diet, it can feel like you’re depriving yourself of a lot of things, so much so that even just the act of placing things near your mouth looks fun. You can easily get lost watching people snack and pretending you’re snacking yourself, which is not nearly as much fun as actually getting to eat.
11. Bread is everywhere
Me: [ on a diet ]
— The Cultured Ruffian (@CulturedRuffian) August 12, 2019
Restaurants: pic.twitter.com/ZKqTfrSj21
Especially in restaurants.
Even if you know how to properly navigate a restaurant menu, there will always be the dreaded bread basket. It’s almost as if waiters are purposefully trying to mess around with your diet when they bring out the dinner rolls. And then, there’s always the dreaded question: “Can I get you some more bread?” How are you supposed to say no to that?
12. The wine diet
A drink can solve any diet woes.
Feeling hungry is a sad fact of dieting, and that can be a big distraction. Wine is the answer to a lot of people’s problems. Of course, wine also is filled with calories, so it might not be the most diet-friendly option. But, some diets say that liquid calories don’t count.
13. Cauliflower can replace a lot of foods
But, ice cream is not one of them.
Cauliflower replacement recipes are really popular. It seems like you can make nearly anything out of cauliflower, from pizza crusts to rice. But, it can’t quite do everything, and it definitely can’t replace the most decadent of desserts. If you want an over-the-top ice cream cone, you’re probably going to have to save that for your cheat day.
14. The “Snake Diet”
Mimicking animals is a popular way of creating a diet.
Of course, you have to choose the right animal if you really want to lose weight. Some of us are suited to copy athletic animals like cheetahs or wolves. For the rest of us, there’s the snake diet, which allows for a whole lot of lying around and eating. Hey, whatever works for you.
15. The scale is the enemy
But you can create your own happiness.
The truth is, your weight is just a number. Even though a goal weight tends to be the main focus of a lot of diets, it really is not everything. It’s more about feeling good in your own skin. And if that means giving yourself the number you want on a calculator, then that’s perfectly fine.
