The Mistakes I Learned After Trying Every Diet

In this deeply personal episode, I share my full story — not just how I entered the health and fitness world…but how I discovered the missing piece that changed everything.The Injury That Changed EverythingI take you back to being a teenage athlete — strong, competitive, and deeply connected to my body — until a life-altering moment shifted everything.At just 16 years old, I was in a severe accident that led to emergency back surgery and one devastating message:“You’ll never play sports again.”My world became smaller.My body became something to manage… instead of something to trust.The Wake-Up CallIn my early 20s, after a night that left me feeling completely disconnected, I had a moment of truth:“Who have I become?”That question became my turning point.Instead of accepting the story I had been given, I made one simple decision:I signed up for a gym.No plan.No knowledge.No certainty.Just a willingness to begin.Rebuilding Through RepetitionWhat followed wasn’t perfection — it was consistency.Copying workoutsShowing up week after weekLearning through doingReconnecting with my body slowlyAnd then something incredible happened:My pain started to disappear.I got off medication.I began running — first 5 minutes… then an hour.A moment that once felt impossible became reality.And in that moment, a new purpose was born:“If I can do this… I need to help others do this too.”The Search for the “Right Way” to EatAs I built my career — studying exercise science, becoming an athletic therapist and osteopath, opening gyms — I became obsessed with one question:What is the right way to eat?What followed was a journey through nearly every diet:Calorie countingLow-fatAtkinsPaleoKetoZonePlant-basedEach backed by science.Each promising results.Each adding another layer of confusion.When Knowledge Turns Into FearWhat started as education slowly became obsession.Food became:Something to controlSomething to label as “good” or “bad”Something tied to my identity and worthAnd behind the scenes, something deeper was happening:Fear.Despite being the “expert”…Despite coaching others…Despite knowing everything about nutrition…My relationship with food was unraveling.From Discipline to BingeingWhat began as a controlled “cheat meal” evolved into something far more intense:Weekend-long binge cyclesEating in secretHiding from clientsFeeling completely out of controlAnd then came the realization that changed everything:“I can’t stop.”Not because I didn’t know what to do —but because something deeper was driving the behavior.The Missing Piece: The Nervous SystemThis is where everything shifted.I realized:If someone like me — with this much knowledge, discipline, and experience — is struggling…This isn’t about food.It’s about the nervous system.It’s about safety.It’s about patterns happening beneath awareness.I also saw the same pattern in the people I was working with:They could follow a plan.They could get results.But the moment the structure disappeared…They went right back to old habits.Download my free guide, Calm the Craving: 7 Steps to Break Emotional and Binge Eating, and finally end the cycle of out-of-control eating: www.sherryshaban.comWork With Sherry Shaban:Book your FREE 30-minute Food Freedom Call and start your journey to lasting change! www.sherryshabanfitness.com/clarityListen & SubscribeCatch more episodes at www.makepeacewithfood.com/podcast or subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube so you never miss an episode!Connect & Go DeeperJoin our Facebook Community: www.myfoodfreedomlifestyle.comWork with Sherry: www.sherryshaban.com/transformExplore more resources: www.makepeacewithfood.comShare Your TakeawayTag us on Instagram (@makepeacewithfoodofficial), Facebook (@MakePeaceWithFoodOfficial), TikTok (@sherryshaban), or LinkedIn (sherryshaban) and share your biggest insight from this episode!