If anyone remembers me posting my ballerina diet a while back, it was a bit different than this. But my ballet season is just starting off, so I decided to re-write it and post it back on here with some modifications. This is my plan, I completely wrote it myself. Please don’t go copy and paste my writing and claim credit for it like someone did last time, that’s just rude and disrespectful and it stops me from sharing things like this with you guys in the future. Anyway, it takes the course of a month to complete the diet, and once you’re finished with it, it’s expected to be maintained as a lifestyle as opposed to a fast way to drop 10lbs and gain it back a few weeks later. The reason there is no exercise included in this diet plan is because it’s customized to fit me and my life. Again, I’m not posting this for everyone to follow this exactly, but instead to take ideas from it. I’ve been asked to re-post this so many times, but I’ve always been hesitant because it’s really not made for everyone— it’s cut out exactly for me. I’m a ballerina and I train all weekdays, so the diet works for me to trim down on fat while my training tones my body in the right places that give you a “ballerina figure.” Last year I lost 18 pounds in a matter of 30 days on a slightly modified version of this, but I extended the cleansing period. You can change it up as much as you want, but expect the results to change with it as well.

Week 1

Cleansing period. Strictly all natural liquids for the next seven days, body must be completely cleansed and flushed out of all toxins and unwanted chemicals. Water, fresh squeezed fruit and vegetable juices, green tea, black tea or a combination of hot water with lemon and honey. If you take supplements and multivitamins, continue with those but be cautious that pills on an empty stomach can cause nausea. No food, no cheating. If you sincerely can’t handle this or feel sick/unwell after more than three days, stop this diet or move on to week two. You should be able to function just fine, you should never feel weary or weak. If you can’t, then there’s a problem and you should stop immediately.

Week 2

You’ll be starting with a blank slate and a clean system, don’t mess it up. No junk food, no soda, no dairy, no meat. Continue drinking large amounts of fruit juices, teas, water, etc. and add in a banana for breakfast, and opt for something healthy for dinner. I would go for marinated tofu over a small side salad with red wine vinegar, or a side of steamed asparagus with lemon. Avoid rice, bread, yeast, all grains— they retain water and make you look and feel bloated. Same with sodium, consume as little as possible. Cut all meals in half, you will not eat the portions you normally do as to get your body used to eating less. If you want to maintain your weight, by all means— eat as much as you regularly do. For people who want to shed pounds fast, you have to remember that when you feel hungry it’s because your body hasn’t had enough food to maintain the weight you are currently at. If you want to lose weight, you will have to suffer through some hunger. Do not confuse this with starvation, you are simply reducing the size of your food capacity— which for most people, is too high anyway. If you made it through week one successfully, you should be able to do this with ease. Just deal with it.

Week 3

By now, your stomach will have adjusted to eating smaller portions so you can add in a smoothie for the lunch portion of your day. Keep a container of your favorite soy ice cream (must be vegan— absolutely not regular ice cream or frozen yogurt, they vary greatly in levels of fat and carbohydrates than dairy-free brands), and a bag of your favorite frozen fruits. I use mango, strawberry, raspberry lemonade and dairy-free pineapple sherbet to make my smoothies but you can add whatever you want. Remember to add ice, and combine as desired. Note that using fresh fruit for your smoothie isn’t ideal, it will always come out liquidy no matter how much ice you overcompensate with. You should keep a frozen bag of your favorite fruits in your freezer.

Week 4

Keep doing your thing. One fruit (banana, peach, bowl of berries, etc.) for breakfast. A natural fruit smoothie for lunch. A healthy, home-made, non-processed meal for dinner— continue cutting your meals in half. If you’ve begun to make smaller portions since starting this diet, that’s normal. Continue to cut them in half and save the rest for tomorrow. The purpose of this is to prevent overeating and save time in the kitchen cooking. After the last day, it’s been exactly one month and if you’ve kept on track with this diet 100%, you will not have consumedany junk food or drinks the last 30 days and will have a 50% reduced appetite. You will have little to none/reduced cravings for sweet, sugary foods and will feel much better about yourself. If no cheating, you may have lost up to 20 pounds in the span of a month. It’s an extremely hard diet to follow, but if you’re doing it for a greater cause, it’s worth it.

Please note that I wrote this diet myself. Hence the title, I’m a ballerina. It’s the start of the season and I need to drop my summer vacation weight. Once the diet is completed, it’s much more than that— it’s a way of life. These eating habits are not only 100% vegan friendly, but also completely suffice for all the food groups you genuinely need. If you have any questions, feel free to message me.