People Are Furious After One Fit-Fluencer Told Followers to "Eat Less Food"

By Gabrielle Kassel

PSA: Fit-fluencer and registered dietitian are not synonymous.

Duh, you know this, right? Well, that doesn't stop un-credentialed Instagrammers from constantly stepping outside their lane of authority—offering nutrition and fitness advice and coaching to their followers—turning Instagram into a hotbed of misinformation that you may subconsciously take as fact, or at least take into consideration. (Related: What to Know Before Working with a Trainer or Fitness Coach from Instagram)

Sure, as a user you might see the six-pack, skim the caption, double-tap—or not— and then continue scrolling. But take a closer look at some of these captions and you'll see that sometimes the messaging is downright irresponsible. (Related: Instagram Has Been Linked to Increased Feelings of Depression, Anxiety, and Body Image Issues)

Which brings up a recent post from Sheila Barden, a two-time CrossFit Games competitor with 127K followers. The athlete put up a zoomed-in, faceless photo of her cut core (complete with an ab vein which she generously points out), using it as an opportunity to encourage her followers to "EAT LESS FOOD!" No, this is not a joke.

“Sheila, I want to look like you.” “I want Ab Veins!” “Damn Girl! Teach me your ways.” “You have amazing genetics.” — ⬆️ All Real DMs in the Past 24 Hours ⬆️ — Y’all, real talk: You want a summer beach body? Want people to be jealous of your physique? EAT LESS FOOD! You’re worried about making sure it fits in your macros or keto or paleo or whatever, and you’re so consumed with following some fad diet that you’ve forgotten the #1 Rule: BURN MORE CALORIES THAN YOU CONSUME! — During cuts, I go to bed hungry 5 out of 7 nights a week. I eat less food than I’m burning on a daily basis. I force my body to use my stored fat from the winter as fuel. — Put down the cookie, the glass of wine and the second serving of chicken. “Healthy Foods” will still make you fat if you’re eating more calories than you’re burning in a day - #Fact Eat less food for 30 days straight and you’ll be amazed at how quickly your body changes 😘 — No magic pill, just less food.

A post shared by Sheila Barden (@sheila_sue) on Mar 18, 2019 at 10:53am PDT

“Sheila, I want to look like you.” “I want Ab Veins!” “Damn Girl! Teach me your ways.” “You have amazing genetics.” — ⬆️ All Real DMs in the Past 24 Hours ⬆️ — Y’all, real talk: You want a summer beach body? Want people to be jealous of your physique? EAT LESS FOOD! You’re worried about making sure it fits in your macros or keto or paleo or whatever, and you’re so consumed with following some fad diet that you’ve forgotten the #1 Rule: BURN MORE CALORIES THAN YOU CONSUME! — During cuts, I go to bed hungry 5 out of 7 nights a week. I eat less food than I’m burning on a daily basis. I force my body to use my stored fat from the winter as fuel. — Put down the cookie, the glass of wine and the second serving of chicken. “Healthy Foods” will still make you fat if you’re eating more calories than you’re burning in a day - #Fact Eat less food for 30 days straight and you’ll be amazed at how quickly your body changes 😘 — No magic pill, just less food.

A post shared by Sheila Barden (@sheila_sue) on Mar 18, 2019 at 10:53am PDT

“Sheila, I want to look like you.” “I want Ab Veins!” “Damn Girl! Teach me your ways.” “You have amazing genetics.” — ⬆️ All Real DMs in the Past 24 Hours ⬆️ — Y’all, real talk: You want a summer beach body? Want people to be jealous of your physique? EAT LESS FOOD! You’re worried about making sure it fits in your macros or keto or paleo or whatever, and you’re so consumed with following some fad diet that you’ve forgotten the #1 Rule: BURN MORE CALORIES THAN YOU CONSUME! — During cuts, I go to bed hungry 5 out of 7 nights a week. I eat less food than I’m burning on a daily basis. I force my body to use my stored fat from the winter as fuel. — Put down the cookie, the glass of wine and the second serving of chicken. “Healthy Foods” will still make you fat if you’re eating more calories than you’re burning in a day - #Fact Eat less food for 30 days straight and you’ll be amazed at how quickly your body changes 😘 — No magic pill, just less food.

A post shared by Sheila Barden (@sheila_sue) on Mar 18, 2019 at 10:53am PDT

“Sheila, I want to look like you.” “I want Ab Veins!” “Damn Girl! Teach me your ways.” “You have amazing genetics.” — ⬆️ All Real DMs in the Past 24 Hours ⬆️ — Y’all, real talk: You want a summer beach body? Want people to be jealous of your physique? EAT LESS FOOD! You’re worried about making sure it fits in your macros or keto or paleo or whatever, and you’re so consumed with following some fad diet that you’ve forgotten the #1 Rule: BURN MORE CALORIES THAN YOU CONSUME! — During cuts, I go to bed hungry 5 out of 7 nights a week. I eat less food than I’m burning on a daily basis. I force my body to use my stored fat from the winter as fuel. — Put down the cookie, the glass of wine and the second serving of chicken. “Healthy Foods” will still make you fat if you’re eating more calories than you’re burning in a day - #Fact Eat less food for 30 days straight and you’ll be amazed at how quickly your body changes 😘 — No magic pill, just less food.

A post shared by Sheila Barden (@sheila_sue) on Mar 18, 2019 at 10:53am PDT

“Sheila, I want to look like you.” “I want Ab Veins!” “Damn Girl! Teach me your ways.” “You have amazing genetics.” — ⬆️ All Real DMs in the Past 24 Hours ⬆️ — Y’all, real talk: You want a summer beach body? Want people to be jealous of your physique? EAT LESS FOOD! You’re worried about making sure it fits in your macros or keto or paleo or whatever, and you’re so consumed with following some fad diet that you’ve forgotten the #1 Rule: BURN MORE CALORIES THAN YOU CONSUME! — During cuts, I go to bed hungry 5 out of 7 nights a week. I eat less food than I’m burning on a daily basis. I force my body to use my stored fat from the winter as fuel. — Put down the cookie, the glass of wine and the second serving of chicken. “Healthy Foods” will still make you fat if you’re eating more calories than you’re burning in a day - #Fact Eat less food for 30 days straight and you’ll be amazed at how quickly your body changes 😘 — No magic pill, just less food.

A post shared by Sheila Barden (@sheila_sue) on Mar 18, 2019 at 10:53am PDT

“Sheila, I want to look like you.” “I want Ab Veins!” “Damn Girl! Teach me your ways.” “You have amazing genetics.” — ⬆️ All Real DMs in the Past 24 Hours ⬆️ — Y’all, real talk: You want a summer beach body? Want people to be jealous of your physique? EAT LESS FOOD! You’re worried about making sure it fits in your macros or keto or paleo or whatever, and you’re so consumed with following some fad diet that you’ve forgotten the #1 Rule: BURN MORE CALORIES THAN YOU CONSUME! — During cuts, I go to bed hungry 5 out of 7 nights a week. I eat less food than I’m burning on a daily basis. I force my body to use my stored fat from the winter as fuel. — Put down the cookie, the glass of wine and the second serving of chicken. “Healthy Foods” will still make you fat if you’re eating more calories than you’re burning in a day - #Fact Eat less food for 30 days straight and you’ll be amazed at how quickly your body changes 😘 — No magic pill, just less food.

A post shared by Sheila Barden (@sheila_sue) on Mar 18, 2019 at 10:53am PDT

“Sheila, I want to look like you.” “I want Ab Veins!” “Damn Girl! Teach me your ways.” “You have amazing genetics.” — ⬆️ All Real DMs in the Past 24 Hours ⬆️ — Y’all, real talk: You want a summer beach body? Want people to be jealous of your physique? EAT LESS FOOD! You’re worried about making sure it fits in your macros or keto or paleo or whatever, and you’re so consumed with following some fad diet that you’ve forgotten the #1 Rule: BURN MORE CALORIES THAN YOU CONSUME! — During cuts, I go to bed hungry 5 out of 7 nights a week. I eat less food than I’m burning on a daily basis. I force my body to use my stored fat from the winter as fuel. — Put down the cookie, the glass of wine and the second serving of chicken. “Healthy Foods” will still make you fat if you’re eating more calories than you’re burning in a day - #Fact Eat less food for 30 days straight and you’ll be amazed at how quickly your body changes 😘 — No magic pill, just less food.

A post shared by Sheila Barden (@sheila_sue) on Mar 18, 2019 at 10:53am PDT

“Sheila, I want to look like you.” “I want Ab Veins!” “Damn Girl! Teach me your ways.” “You have amazing genetics.” — ⬆️ All Real DMs in the Past 24 Hours ⬆️ — Y’all, real talk: You want a summer beach body? Want people to be jealous of your physique? EAT LESS FOOD! You’re worried about making sure it fits in your macros or keto or paleo or whatever, and you’re so consumed with following some fad diet that you’ve forgotten the #1 Rule: BURN MORE CALORIES THAN YOU CONSUME! — During cuts, I go to bed hungry 5 out of 7 nights a week. I eat less food than I’m burning on a daily basis. I force my body to use my stored fat from the winter as fuel. — Put down the cookie, the glass of wine and the second serving of chicken. “Healthy Foods” will still make you fat if you’re eating more calories than you’re burning in a day - #Fact Eat less food for 30 days straight and you’ll be amazed at how quickly your body changes 😘 — No magic pill, just less food.

A post shared by Sheila Barden (@sheila_sue) on Mar 18, 2019 at 10:53am PDT

Badass athlete Laurie Christine King comments "@meredith_root co-sign on this so hard." Later, King posted a rebuttal on her personal Instagram: "Are you an athlete/influencer who's really lean or shredded? Please keep your mouth shut on social media when it comes to nutrition if [you're] not equipped to actually HELP people & give good advice.⁣"

Long-time competitive CrossFit Games Athlete Lindy Barber, also posted a counter-statement, reminding folks that having blocky abs and being healthy aren't the same thing. "Having ab veins will not make you healthier or FEEL better," she wrote to her followers. "Eating LESS and starving yourself only to lose weight or because you think that being leaner will enhance your life will not work. Just eating less is not the solution to any health problem."

Are you an athlete/influencer who’s really lean or shredded? Please keep your mouth shut on social media when it comes to nutrition if we’re not equipped to actually HELP people & give good advice.⁣ ⁣ PLEASE don’t post a picture of your abs with a caption that says “Want people to be jealous of your physique? Eat less food.” Oh really? It’s that simple, eh? ⁣ ⁣ If it was THAT simple, don’t you think EVERYONE would walk around diced with six-packs for days? Do we REALLY need to encourage shitty ass diet culture mindsets like that?⁣ ⁣ I promise you that as a nutrition coach in the industry for years and years, it’s NOT that fucking simple. Most people’s journey to a better physique often entails restoring health, MORE food, LESS exercise, and establishing BALANCE in a world that’s told them to eat less and exercise more. ⁣ Get the fuck out of here with that shit to just “eat less.” Yes, a caloric deficit is required to manipulate body weight and composition, but it has to be in a position to DO SO, first. ⁣ ⁣ OUR BODY HAS TO FEEL SAFE TO GET LEAN AND STAY LEAN. ⁣ ⁣ Eating less food isn’t guaranteed to work:⁣ •If we’ve dieted five million times already in the past year and tried every template and fad diet under the sun⁣ •if we’re metabolically adapted and have perpetually BEEN eating low calorie already⁣ •if we’re chronically under-eating, over-exercising, and under-recovering⁣ •If we just birthed a beautiful child and our body desperately needs more food and calories to heal from pregnancy⁣ •if our thyroid function blows dick (cuz you know, thyroid directly impacts our metabolism and hormones)⁣ •If hormones (like estrogen, progesterone, testosterone) are compromised and in a shitty place⁣ •If our menstrual cycle is a hot mess and we’re dealing with hormone imbalances⁣ •If we’re not sleeping at night, if we have blood sugar dysregulation issues, and/or if gut and liver health blows⁣ •If cortisol levels are a wreck and adrenal health is compromised⁣ ⁣ Tag your friends. Love to hear your thoughts on this ⬇️⬇️

A post shared by Laurie Christine King (LCK) 🥑👑 (@lauriechristineking) on Mar 19, 2019 at 1:18pm PDT

Ultimately, Barden's post—which has yet to be deleted or edited—makes it glaringly obvious what kind of influence a large social media following can have and the responsibility that should come with that. Let this controversy also remind you that follower-count isn't correlated with knowledge or expertise.

In the end, only you can control (to a certain extent) who and what you allow on your Instagram feed. That's why I, for one, am *here* for clicking "unfollow" on any account that makes me feel down on myself or my body—no matter how many other followers they have.

What can I say? Life's too short, and there are too many body-positive accounts, for my IG feed to be toxic.