7 of The Worst Motivational Quotes for Weight Loss and Fitness
Written by: Melissa Fiorenza
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I’m all for a good motivational quote. I’ll pin, save, share, like, or heart almost anything that encourages healthy weight loss, ongoing fitness, and an overall positive lifestyle. The almighty algorithms that dictate my social feeds figured this out a long time ago, so I’ve seen my fair share of “go get ‘ems” written across backdrops of sunsets and palm trees.
But honestly? There are some reaaaalllly bad “motivational” mantras and quotes out there too.
You’ve totally seen or heard them before because somehow, they make the rounds and get the engagement. But maybe you’ve never stopped for a sec and thought, wow, that’s completely asinine.
So let’s do it together. Here are seven of the worst motivational quotes for weight loss and fitness that I’ve seen floating around for years.
1. “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.”
Screw. That. It perpetuates the conflation of healthy and skinny and the notion that non-skinny body types aren’t equally beautiful—and it promotes the idea that you should like being thin better than enjoying chocolate lava cake whenever the hell you want to. Thankfully, Kate Moss herself regrets saying it, and we do too.
Instead, focus on: “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” - Arthur Ashe
2. “Dieting is the only game where you win when you lose!”
Um, no. So many things. Dieting should never be called a game, even in jest, and losing body fat and/or pounds on the scale isn’t everyone’s ultimate goal. At some point, you can lose too much — dangerously too much. And building muscle is a huge win. So is staying in maintenance. And gaining confidence. And conquering food anxiety.
Instead: “Don’t waste so much time thinking about how much you weigh. There is no more mind-numbing, boring, idiotic, self-destructive diversion from the fun of living.” – Meryl Streep
3. “Junk food you’ve craved for an hour, or the body you’ve craved for a lifetime? Your decision.”
Oh but this is so wrong. It took me many years and the hiring of a dietitian to finally learn this, but I learned it: You can literally eat a “fun food” every single day and still lose weight or improve your body composition. In fact, restricting sugary foods can lead to overeating. This should never be an either/or situation. Don’t let yourself crave anything for an hour. Either get up and get moving or allow yourself to enjoy it and move on.
Instead, chew on this: “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well if one has not dined well.” - Virginia Woolf
4. “The only bad workout is the one you didn’t do.”
Blanket statements like these kill me. Because what if you went to the gym five days in a row, and really needed a rest day? (Rest days, by the way, give your body a chance to repair and recover.) What if you woke up feeling like you had, oh I don’t know, Covid, and decided to cancel your workout class? It’s okay to miss a day. It’s not okay to use quotes like these as your motivation to never give your body a break.
Instead: “Wisdom is knowing when to have rest, when to have activity, and how much of each to have.” — Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
5. “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.”
I’ve seen this quote used in all kinds of contexts—burning the midnight oil, working harder at the office than you ever have, getting up absurdly early to exercise, working out when you know you should be sleeping, and so forth. So let’s look at the effects of actual sleep deprivation: memory issues, mood changes, weakened immunity, weight gain, low sex drive, risk of heart disease, and so much more.
Instead: “The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night’s sleep.” — E. Joseph Cossman
6. “Dear stomach, you’re bored, not hungry, so shut up!”
Mmm, no, you might actually be hungry, like really hungry. One of the biggest lessons I learned from my dietitian was to listen to my hunger cues—eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re full. If you let your stomach growl for hours and ignore that you’re actually starving, you’re likely to overeat later. Dear person who started this quote, you’re wrong.
Instead, remember Madonna’s words: “When I’m hungry, I eat. When I’m thirsty, I drink. When I feel like saying something, I say it.”
7. “Eat less sugar. You’re sweet enough.”
Hahaha, I’m not. And this girl loves sugar. And the best part of figuring out what works for you—whether it’s tracking macros or having an established fitness routine—is realizing that you can incorporate anything into a healthy diet; refer to #3. (And did I mention I love sugar?)
Instead: “Life is short. Eat dessert first.” -Jacques Torres
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