SkinnyTok Is Back — And I Have Things to Say
Diet culture never died. It just got a new outfit.
If you've been on social media lately, you've probably seen it too. The ultra-thin body ideals. The "what I eat in a day" videos with caloric counts that are genuinely alarming. The language that makes restriction sound like wellness. SkinnyTok is back, and honestly? I have a lot of feelings about it — and I'm not keeping them to myself.
In the latest episode of Beyond Broke & Hungry, I'm talking about all of it.
Diet Culture Doesn't Die. It Rebrands.
Every few years, it finds a new platform, a new name, a new aesthetic — and then it shows up right on your For You page when you weren't even looking for it. I know this firsthand. When I was first diagnosed with PCOS back in 2009, my doctor put me on metformin to help manage my insulin resistance. Around that same time, it became a celebrity trend. A prescribed medication turned into a diet pill overnight. Sound familiar?
What we're watching happen right now isn't new. It's the same cycle, just dressed differently. And it's worth calling out.
What SkinnyTok Isn't Going to Tell You
It's not going to tell you that restriction plus stress plus cortisol equals your body fighting back every single time.
I was the "I can't eat that" girl for a long time. And life was miserable. I've been pretty open about my history with disordered eating — the bingeing and purging, the way I'd try to undo anything I didn't deem "healthy enough." The result? My gut is wrecked. I deal with GI issues today that are a direct result of those years.
And here's what really gets me: the idea that eating less is somehow the budget-friendly, responsible option. Groceries are expensive — I know, I crunch my own grocery numbers every single week. But eating well on a budget is absolutely possible, and restriction is not the answer.
This episode gets into all of it — and I'll be honest, I got a little emotional. Because if I could go back and sit with the version of me that was starving herself to feel worthy, I would hold her and tell her she didn't have to do any of that to be enough.
But Then We Shift — Because This Is Also About What Actually Works
After we talk through the hard stuff, I get into something I genuinely love: practical, sustainable habits that work for real women with real responsibilities. Not a wellness influencer checklist. Not a plan that requires two hours of meal prep every day and a Pilates membership. Real life habits for women with jobs, kids, businesses, bills, and maybe twenty minutes to themselves on a good day.
In the episode, I walk through six of them:
Walking — free, accessible, and it absolutely counts
Hydration — and why most of us are chronically dehydrated without realizing it
Simple meals — a protein, a vegetable, something filling. That's it.
Movement over perfection — dancing in the kitchen counts. I mean it.
Protecting sleep — the one busy women sacrifice first and pay for the most (I'm currently in this struggle with you)
Faith time — and why I believe this is a physiological health habit, not just a spiritual discipline
The One Thing I Keep Coming Back To
The world — and the algorithm — will try to tell you who you are. What you should look like. How much space you're allowed to take up. And it will profit off of you believing you're not enough.
Finding my identity in the Lord has changed this journey for me in ways I can't fully put into words. I still struggle. I make a lot of jokes about it because that's how I cope. But knowing whose I am changes the way I see myself when the mirror and the algorithm try to tell me otherwise.
Psalm 139:14 — "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made."
I have that written on my bathroom mirror. I need the reminder every single day.
Listen to the Full Episode
This one goes deep, gets real, and ends with a prayer I wasn't planning on — the Spirit just moved and honestly, I needed it too.
If this is something you're struggling with, or if you love someone who is, this episode is for you.
🎧 Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
And if it speaks to you, share it with someone who needs to hear it today. You never know who's scrolling their For You page right now wishing someone would just say the thing.
Until next time — take care of yourself. All of yourself.
xo, Dara
Beyond Broke & Hungry is a podcast for real women navigating food, faith, and finances without the perfection. New episodes drop weekly — follow along on Instagram for behind-the-scenes and community.
