A fitness influencer who looked healthy but didn't eat enough quit to become a nutritionist. She learned to make nourishing versions of her favorite foods.

• In 2018, Madalin Giorgetta was a fitness influencer with one million followers.

• She looked healthy online, but struggled to eat nutritious food in real life.

• After training as a nutritionist, she found ways to add more nutrients to the foods she loves.

In 2018, Madalin Giorgetta was an influencer with one million followers on social media, an ambassador for the clothing brand Gymshark, and the owner of a fitness empire. She embodied the curvy, muscular, beauty ideal of the late 2010s and would get 60,000 likes on a bikini photo shared on Instagram.

She looked the part of the “fitness girlie” who meal-prepped with “clean” food. But behind the scenes, she was struggling both with her nutrition and body image.

“Before I got into fitness, I didn’t look at my body that much. My body was my body. But when I started constantly looking at it in the mirror and taking photos of it, I became very fixated on everything,” Giorgetta, 35, who is based in Melbourne, told Business Insider.

After reaching a breaking point in 2019, Giorgetta reevaluated her content, which she realized subconsciously celebrated thinness. “It was clear to me that I was telling people that their body wasn’t good enough and needed to change,” she said.

Giorgetta took two big steps. She overhauled her social media accounts to promote anti-diet culture messages, earned an undergraduate degree in nutrition in 2023, and registered with the Nutrition Society of Australia. She sees one-to-one clients remotely and shares educational nutrition content on Instagram.

“Even though I don’t make nearly the same money, not having to sacrifice my values feels good. Before I felt like I would have to really convince myself into it or not question it at all. This feels right now,” she said.

Giorgetta shared how she used to eat when she was a fitness influencer and what her diet looks like now.

Giorgetta was a ‘neglectful’ eater

Despite looking the picture of health, Giorgetta said she ate barely any nutritious food at the peak of her career as a fitness influencer and didn’t eat enough for her training program. In a typical week, she did resistance training four times a week for 45 to 60 minutes.

She described her eating style as “neglectful,” with minimal structure and little focus on nutrition. “I would just grab something quick from the fridge, often preferring simple foods like cheese on toast,” she said.

Although she promoted a lifestyle of eating more calories and more nutritious food online, she struggled to eat that way herself most of the time. As a result, she often felt tired and lacked energy.

On an average day, she used to eat:

• Post workout: A protein shake with milk, peanut butter, and banana

• Breakfast: Buttered toast with jam and honey

• Lunch: Snacks, such as cheese and crackers

• Dinner: Whatever her husband made, which was usually a Hello Fresh meal or a cheese toastie

She adds nutrients to meals and snacks she likes

Since training as a nutritionist, Giorgetta has prioritized eating a more balanced diet, but it’s not “perfect.”

She said that she implements strategies that help her get enough nutrients throughout the day, while working around her natural eating habits and preferences. She doesn’t follow any particular eating plan.

“I often gravitate toward simple foods like toast with spreads, but now I’ve tried to implement small changes which don’t overwhelm me,” she said.

She eats a substantial breakfast, has nutrient-dense snacks, and adds extra protein or fiber to meals. “Instead of having toast with jam, I now have toast with eggs, and instead of a plain cheese toastie, I’ll add salad,” she said.

Giorgetta strength trains three to four times a week, but also runs once or twice a week. She fuels her body depending on the workout she’s doing: for example, she eats a carb-heavy meal or snack before running.

On an average day, she now eats:

• Breakfast or post-workout: Buttered wholemeal toast with cheesy scrambled eggs and avocado

• Snack: Cucumbers and tzatziki dip

• Lunch: A salad sandwich with shredded cheese, lettuce, avocado, red onion, grated carrots, and garlic aioli

• Snack: Greek yogurt, canned peaches, and honey

• Dinner: Green tofu curry with mixed veggies (corn, cauliflower, and peas) and a side of rice

• Dessert: Ice cream or a homemade baked good

Read the original article on Business Insider