Lizzo is defending herself after receiving backlash for social media posts documenting a 10-day smoothie cleanse.
The 32-year-old Grammy-winning singer posted footage to Instagram and TikTok on Monday of herself partaking in a diet cleanse that some said was at odds with the body-positive singer’s image and promoted dieting practices that could be potentially harmful.
As a part of the diet program, which Lizzo said was done in consolation with a nutritionist and based on the popular book “10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse,” Lizzo drank green smoothies, took supplements, and ate foods such as nuts and cucumbers in apple cider vinegar.
In the video, Lizzo showed a sample of what she ate and drank, saying that days four, five and six were the hardest mentally but that she never was really hungry.
“I was never super hungry, I think I just wanted to stress eat and do things that were like, kind of self-harming,” she said.
In the end, Lizzo said that by days nine and ten, she felt “amazing” and was proud of her results.
However, after sharing the videos online she received a barrage of criticism. Lizzo, who is known for promoting body positivity and embracing different body types, was accused not only of giving into shaky diet trends, but also glamorizing a behavior that could be triggering for some or lead some to unhealthy dieting habits.
Within hours of the controversy, Lizzo returned to social media for a follow up video in which she explained her motivation for the diet.
“I would normally be so afraid and ashamed to post things like this online because I feel like as a big girl, people just expect if you are doing something for health, you’re doing it for a dramatic weight loss, and that is not the case,” she said. “In reality, November stressed me the f— out. I drank a lot, I ate a lot of spicy things, and things that f—ed my stomach up, and I wanted to reverse it and get back to where I was.”
She added that following the cleanse her sleep has improved, she’s been more hydrated and more mentally stable.
“Big girls do whatever u want with your bodies!!!” she wrote in a caption over the video. “I’m just as proud of my results from my smoothie detox as I am of my belly curves and swerves.”
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
