Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Teddi Mellencamp (yes, daughter of John Mellencamp) joined the cast in 2018. She immediately stood out to fans because her job was very different from the other housewives. Instead of owning a fashion line, being a former model, or marrying a super-rich real estate agent, Teddi revealed she was a self-proclaimed "Accountability Coach." Throughout the seasons her "business", All in With Teddi, began to flourish. Tons of women joined the program in hopes of losing weight and gaining confidence. But what they really were paying for was severe malnourishment and extreme anxiety.
So, What the Hell is an Accountability Couch?
An accountability coach, according to Teddi Mellencamp's All-in website, is a person who "hold you to your choices and actions and encourage you to continue down a path to your best self."
Okay... so what's the big deal? Let's start with the coaches...
The first thing that is wrong with the accountability coaches is that they don't have to be certified in any, "fitness, medical or health certifications." So you're basically getting coached by someone who knows virtually nothing about health and wellness. But... they're great taunters!
Well, what do these "coaches," even do?
These coaches check in with you multiple times a day. Every day you HAVE to send them a picture of your weight on the scale. You HAVE to send them pictures of the food you are eating for every meal (meals that have to be pre-approved by them). You HAVE to do AT least an HOUR of cardio a day and, of course, send them a picture to prove that you did it. Even if you go out to dinner, you have to send them a picture of the menu and they choose what you can have!
Is what I can eat flexible?
Absolutely not! The Jumpstart Program, which is the two-week program you must complete before doing the other programs, is extremely restrictive. It is vegan, meaning no animal products, and focused on whole foods. There are no carbonated drinks or alcohol allowed. And the largest meal you can have is at lunch. And, again, you have to ask them EXACTLY what you can eat for each meal. So say goodbye to your lovely family dinners.
Oh and I should have mentioned... if you fail to do any of these things, such as not texting your coach a picture of your weight in the morning, you are immediately dropped from the program without a refund. #accountability
Well, how many calories am I consuming a day?
While the program claims that there is no calorie counting involved, clients have now come out saying there were eating far less then what the average woman is supposed to. Emily Gellis Lande, an Instagrammer who had called out the dangers of the F-Factor diet in a New York Times article, has recently shown on Instagram tons of DMs from former All-in clients. Some of these All-In clients claim that they were only eating "500 calories," a day. Other clients claimed to have a crazy amount of anxiety on this diet and others have claimed to redevelop their eating disorders again from the program.
So how much does starving yourself on this program cost?
For the oh-so-low price of $599 dollars, you can get harassed by an uncertified "accountability coach," for two weeks! But, wait, there is more! After you're done starving yourself for two weeks, you can continue to have malnourishment and an unhealthy relationship with food for a monthly price of $399 dollars! You lucky son-of-a-gun.
PSA: Quick Weight Loss Diets Often Leader to Quicker Weight Gain
This "diet," is completely unattainable, expensive, and terrible for not only your body but also your mental health. Of course, tons of people lose weight on this program, but that's because they are in an extreme caloric deficit that is most likely causing their body to lose out on important nutrients.
On top of this, super fast weight loss (which FYI if your losing weight extremely fast a portion of that is probably just water weight and not actual fat) often leads to people regaining the weight back and then some. This is because your body's metabolism slows rapidly, and in order to keep off all the weight you lost in that short amount of time, you would have to continuously lower the number of calories you were obtaining. Check out this New York Times article for the full, scientific, break-down of this.
The true lesson here
Everyone's body is different, every body needs different things, and every body is beautiful. Teddi's diet system takes women back a 100 years. Instead of celebrating bodies, and helping people to reach their goals in a healthy and safe way, her program makes women feel ashamed and forces them into unhealthy eating habits.
Ladies, if you are trying to reach a certain goal, please always remember you will get there with time, patience, and dedication. Never EVER let any person make you feel ashamed for how you look or who you are.
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