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Lifestyle
Health

by Sofia Brontvein

The Diet Circus: Why I Am Done With Protein Powder In My Oats

16 Sept 2025

Photo: Andrej Lišakov

If I see one more influencer dump a scoop of protein powder into their oatmeal and call it “life-changing,” I might start fasting just out of spite. And no, not “16:8 intermittent fasting,” but full monk-mode until humanity learns the difference between nutrition and performance art.

Because let’s be brutally honest: 99% of diet advice online is garbage. Protein powder in your oats isn’t going to fix your metabolism. Cottage cheese cheesecake sludge isn’t going to balance your hormones. And chia seeds in your coffee? Congratulations, you have invented frogspawn latte.

The science they don’t tell you (because it is boring)

  • Protein is important. Yes. But most people already get enough if they eat, you know, actual food. Chicken, eggs, beans, fish, dairy. The RDA for protein is about 0.8 g per kg of body weight; athletes may need 1.6–2.2 g/kg. Not five scoops of whey in every meal.
  • Calorie deficit works. Every single reputable weight-loss study comes back to this. Not lemon water. Not “detox.” Burn more than you eat = weight loss. That is it. And not 1200 calories, just 300–400 less than you burn (and you do it even while sleeping).
  • Blood sugar matters, but not in the TikTok way. You don’t need to prick your finger after every snack. Whole foods with fiber (veggies, fruit, whole grains) naturally regulate blood glucose. Eating candy while standing on one leg doesn’t.
  • Hormones aren’t hacked with supplements. Cortisol, insulin, leptin, ghrelin — they respond to sleep, stress, exercise, and balanced nutrition. Not powdered greens in your $90 shaker bottle.
  • Fasting isn’t magic. It works for some people because it reduces calories. It fails for others because it leads to bingeing. If it stresses you out, it isn’t “biohacking,” it is just a bad fit.
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Photo: Olivie Strauss

Real advice (without a discount code)

  • Eat whole foods most of the time. Vegetables, fruits, proteins, carbs, fats. Yes, carbs. Bread won’t kill you.
  • Don’t drink your calories. Smoothies and “protein coffee” are just milkshakes in denial.
  • Stop obsessing over meal timing. Whether you eat at 8 am or 11 pm doesn’t matter as much as what you eat across the day.
  • Learn the basics of nutrition. Read about macronutrients, micronutrients, and energy balance. Even a quick crash course will arm you better than 500 Instagram clips.
  • Move daily. Walk, run, lift, dance, swim, wrestle your cat — whatever. Exercise improves insulin sensitivity, muscle mass, and mood.
  • Sleep. Chronic sleep deprivation increases hunger hormones and messes with metabolism. No superfood will fix your 3 am scrolling habit.
  • Question every “hack.” If it sounds too good to be true (“burn fat while sleeping!”), it is a scam. If it looks disgusting (chia seeds in broth), it is probably also a scam.
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Photo: Diana Light

Why this matters

Because food shouldn’t be confusing. It shouldn’t be turned into an obstacle course of powders, hacks, and fasting windows. Food is how we fuel, how we connect, how we live.

So the next time someone tells you to “eat like them” to unlock the secret of health, remember: your body isn’t theirs. And if you really want to change it? Don’t follow a shirtless guy filming himself in the cereal aisle. Follow the science.