In a world awash with diet trends, food rules and conflicting nutrition advice, eating has become a source of anxiety for many rather than enjoyment. Often people get caught in a cycle of restriction, guilt and disappointment from worrying about carbs and shunning sweets to endlessly chasing the “perfect” diet. But nutrition coach and author Mitushi Ajmera thinks it doesn’t have to be this way. Her book Fearless Diet challenges the conventional wisdom of dieting and inspires people to develop a better, more balanced relationship with food. Instead of advocating hard and fast rules or quick fixes, she advocates sustainable habits, informed choices and freedom from fear of food.In an exclusive conversation, Ajmera explains why most diets don’t work, the dangers of quick weight loss, how busy professionals can eat well without spending hours in the kitchen, and why foods like pizza and desserts don’t have to be the enemy. Most importantly, she shows how moving the focus from perfection to consistency can change not only the way we eat, but our overall well-being.
9 Feb 2026 | 17:24
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1. What does the term “fearless diet” mean to you personally? Interestingly, the word Fearless was already clear in my mind when I started writing the book. I chose the word diet because I wanted to convey a simple message: don’t fear food. I see people more afraid of food today than ever before: afraid of carbs, afraid of sugar, afraid of eating out, and afraid of making the wrong choice. And that’s how the name Fearless Diet came about. To me, a Fearless Diet is a way of eating built without judgment. It doesn’t make someone feel guilty for enjoying a dessert, nor does it make them feel virtuous for eating a particular food. It’s about giving people the confidence to make informed choices, trust themselves around food, and understand that health is built by overall habits, not by fear.2. Many people start a diet on Monday and give up by Friday. Why is it so difficult to stay consistent?It mostly happens because people seek perfection instead of sustainability. They try to change everything overnight and follow strict rules during the week. In a busy schedule, that can feel easier because work distracts them from food. Then the weekend arrives. They feel they’ve been ‘good’ all week, so they deserve a reward a treat, a party, or a cheat meal. Even when they don’t plan it, social gatherings often take over. The problem is that a body and mind that have been deprived of foods they enjoy are naturally drawn towards those foods. What starts as a treat can quickly become overindulgence. Consistency comes from habits that you can maintain on your busiest days as well as your most relaxed ones, not just on your most disciplined days. In my experience, when people stop depriving themselves, they often become more in control of their eating rather than less.3. What is the biggest mistake people make when trying to lose weight?The biggest mistake people make is trying to lose weight as quickly as possible. Many believe that rapid results will keep them motivated, so they try to do everything perfectly. They drastically cut calories, eliminate entire food groups, and give up foods they enjoy because they’ve been told those foods are ‘bad.’ The problem is that chasing rapid results often creates severe deprivation rather than sustainable habits. And deprivation rarely lasts. It eventually leads to burnout, cravings, overeating, and, in many cases, weight regain. Successful weight loss is rarely about doing everything perfectly. It’s about building habits that you can maintain long after the initial motivation fades.
Clean eating is extremely important (Canva)
4. Is skipping meals a good idea if someone wants to lose weight quickly?I would not generally support the idea of skipping meals as a quick weight-loss strategy. What I often see is that skipping meals triggers a psychological response. People feel they’ve ‘saved’ calories and therefore earned the right to eat a little more later. But as hunger builds, the speed of eating increases, and with that often comes overeating. Satiety signals take time to register, so when we’re extremely hungry, it’s easy to eat past our needs before we realize we’re full. When people eat regular, balanced meals, they tend to stay more in control of both portion sizes and the pace of eating. That said, skipping meals doesn’t automatically prevent fat loss, nor does it automatically cause weight gain. For some people, meal-skipping approaches work well because they understand their hunger cues and can comfortably manage portions. The best meal pattern is not the one that sounds most impressive, it’s the one that helps you manage hunger, maintain energy, and stay consistent over time.5. How can busy working professionals eat healthy when they barely have time to cook?Contrary to popular belief, healthy eating is often the least cumbersome way to eat and can fit easily into the routine of busy professionals. I always say that when you don’t have time, the first thing to do is reduce decision fatigue. Standardize your meals. If you want variety, change the spices, seasonings, or vegetables rather than reinventing every meal. I also encourage people to think about tomorrow’s meals today. Even a rough plan made the night before can prevent impulsive food decisions during a busy workday. Most poor food choices aren’t made because people don’t know better; they’re made because hunger arrives before a plan does. Next, look for simple, time-efficient recipes. Identify your preferred lean protein sources and keep them readily available, whether that means bulk ordering, storing them in your refrigerator for the week, or batch-cooking them in advance. Build your meals around those options. Keep your refrigerator stocked with vegetables that can be eaten raw and others that are already washed, cut, or easy to prepare. The easier healthy choices are to access, the more likely you are to make them. Healthy eating becomes difficult when people avoid convenience, insist on freshly cooked meals every time, and expect a different cuisine or menu at every meal. They don’t realize that the moment life gets busy, that plan starts to fall apart.I encourage people to focus on what can conveniently fit into their lives rather than trying to make everything perfect. Perfection is an illusion, and it only adds stress. Most of us already have enough stress in our lives without turning food into another source of it. Most people don’t struggle because they lack knowledge. They struggle because they haven’t made the healthier choice the easier choice. Healthy eating doesn’t require elaborate recipes or complicated meal plans. It requires a little planning, a little preparation, and a lot of realism. The best diet is not the most impressive one, it’s the one you can realistically prepare and eat consistently, day after day.6. What should people do when they get late-night cravings for junk food?Late-night cravings for junk food are often just a symptom. The real answer usually lies in what happened earlier in the day. One of the most common reasons I see is delaying the first meal of the day. When people keep pushing breakfast later and later, hunger tends to build up, and by evening or night, cravings become much stronger. Starting the day with a protein-rich meal can help improve satiety and reduce cravings throughout the day. If cravings still show up late at night, it’s worth asking a few questions. Are you actually hungry, or could it be dehydration, boredom, stress, or simply a habit? Many people underestimate the role of hydration. Mild dehydration can sometimes be mistaken for hunger and can trigger cravings. Sleep is another important factor. When we are sleep-deprived, hunger and cravings tend to increase, making high-calorie, highly palatable foods more appealing. I also look at the overall meal pattern through the day. Long gaps between meals, unstructured eating, and insufficient intake of protein, fiber, or overall calories can all contribute to intense cravings at night.That’s why I don’t see late-night cravings as a willpower problem. More often, they are a signal that something earlier in the day needs attention. In fact, that’s exactly what I explore in Fearless Diet; looking beyond the symptom and understanding the habits and patterns that create it. In many cases, eating enough protein, fiber, and total calories during the day does far more to control cravings than relying on willpower at night.
Cravings often indicate deficiencies (Canva)
7. We often hear conflicting advice online. How can someone tell the difference between a fad diet and a healthy eating plan?A fad diet usually promises certainty, simplicity, and quick results. It often asks you to eliminate entire food groups, avoid foods you enjoy, or follow rigid rules that may work for a few weeks but are difficult to sustain in real life. A healthy eating plan looks very different. Instead of giving you more rules, it teaches you skills: how to manage hunger, portions, meal planning, and social situations. It allows flexibility and makes room for foods you enjoy because enjoyment is part of sustainability. One question I often ask is: Can you see yourself eating this way two or three years from now? If the answer is no, it may not be the right approach, regardless of the short-term results. So when you want to evaluate any diet trend, look beyond the claims and ask a simple question: Is this teaching me how to eat, or is it simply telling me what to eat? The former builds long-term success. The latter often creates dependence on rules.If a diet sounds extreme, promises rapid results, or makes you fear entire foods or food groups, it’s usually a fad rather than a sustainable way of eating. 8. Is it possible to enjoy foods like pizza, sweets, and desserts and still maintain a healthy weight?Absolutely. One of the biggest misconceptions in nutrition is that healthy eating and enjoyable eating are opposites. They’re not. Weight gain, weight loss, and weight maintenance depend largely on your overall calorie intake. If you consistently eat according to your body’s requirements, you maintain weight. Eat more, and you gain weight. Eat less, and you lose weight. That’s why weight management is influenced by overall eating patterns, not by a single food or meal. Having pizza one day or enjoying dessert at a celebration does not automatically lead to weight gain, just as eating one salad does not automatically lead to weight loss. In fact, when people completely ban foods they enjoy, those foods often become even more tempting. Deprivation often comes back with a vengeance. What starts as restriction can eventually lead to cravings, overeating, and feelings of guilt. A more sustainable approach is to learn how to include foods you enjoy within an overall balanced diet and, most importantly, within your daily calorie budget. Health is not about never eating pizza or dessert. It’s about understanding how these foods fit into the bigger picture of your eating habits.9. Many people eat healthy all week but overindulge on weekends. How can they find the right balance?Like I said before, in many cases, the weekend isn’t the problem. The weekdays are. People spend Monday to Friday trying to be perfect. They eat very restrictively, avoid social occasions, and constantly feel like they’re on a diet. By the time the weekend arrives, they’re mentally fatigued and physically ready for a break. That’s when the reward mentality kicks in. They feel they’ve earned the right to indulge because they’ve been so disciplined all week. I encourage people to stop looking at weekends as a reward and weekdays as punishment. Instead, build a way of eating that includes flexibility throughout the week. When enjoyable foods are allowed regularly, weekends become far less dramatic. Remember, the body does not understand weekdays or weekends. The day you understand that, you stop looking for balance within a day and start looking for balance across your entire lifestyle.
It is important to improve one’s relationship with food (Canva)
10. What are some simple changes that anyone can make today to improve their relationship with food?The first step is to stop labeling foods as “good,” “bad,” “clean,” “healthy’ “unhealthy,” or “cheat meals.” Food is not a measure of character. Secondly, slow down while eating. Many people are so distracted or rushed that they barely notice their hunger and fullness cues. I also encourage people to include protein, vegetables, and fiber-rich foods regularly, not because they’re magical, but because they help with satiety and overall nutrition. Most importantly, remove guilt from the eating experience. Guilt rarely improves food choices. More often, it creates a vicious cycle of restriction, overeating, and regret.A healthier relationship with food begins when we stop judging ourselves for what we eat and start becoming more curious about why we eat. 11. If you could give just one piece of diet advice to someone who has struggled with weight loss for years, what would it be?Stop searching for the perfect diet and start building sustainable habits.Most people who have struggled with weight loss are not lacking information. They have usually tried multiple diets, followed countless rules, and spent years looking for the next solution. The challenge is rarely a lack of knowledge. More often, it’s the belief that success requires extreme measures. Instead of asking, “What’s the fastest way to lose weight?” ask, “What’s the most sustainable way to lose weight?”The best diet is not the one that produces the quickest result. It’s the one you can follow when work gets busy, when the weekend arrives, when you’re traveling, when you’re stressed, and when life isn’t perfect. Because long-term success doesn’t come from doing the right thing for a few days or even a few weeks. It comes from doing reasonable things consistently for a very long time. The body responds to consistency, not intensity. The day you stop chasing perfection and start focusing on sustainability is often the day your relationship with food and weight begins to change for good.