For those who are not aware, fad diets are trending diets that are usually not the best for the body. Over time, they have varied from eating cotton balls soaked in orange juice to going to sleep every time you feel hungry.

A recent diet that is popular and that I temporarily participated in is the Paleo diet. This diet consists of cutting out all artificial sugars, dairy products, and artificial carbs. Some do this diet because it makes them feel good physically, and some do it to lose weight. I recently decided to go off of this diet for a couple of reasons.

One of the main reasons I ended the diet was because I was depriving myself of the foods I loved to eat. I run a minimum of four miles a day, and as many runners know, it builds up quit the appetite. When I come home, not only do I love having one of my favorite snacks, cereal, but I feel as if I deserve it. There is nothing worse than running as much as I do and then not being able to eat the food I love.

Another reason I stopped the diet was because of a mindset change. I realized I am only 17 years old, and the one thing I hear constantly from adults is how they wish they could eat the way I do, and I realized I don’t even eat as much as I’d like.

I have found a great interest in nutrition and physical therapy. In fact, my senior year I plan on interning at a physical therapy office in Hereford. As I continue with this career in mind, I am realizing that diets are overrated. Calories in, calories out. It is as simple as that. As long as you try to stay away from sugars, track how much you are eating, and track how much exercise you are getting, staying in shape does not require starvation or cutting out the things you love.

I want to help people feel better about their bodies, and as I continue my high school career and hopefully college, I will learn just how to help people. I believe the field of nutrition and physical therapy is going to help people and make my career a meaningful one.