Lizzo Slams Critics Who Say She's 'Promoting Diet Culture' with Her 10-Day Smoothie Cleanse

On Monday, Lizzo sparked a debate on Twitter after sharing her 10-day smoothie detox on TikTok. Considering the singer's commitment to promoting self-love and weight acceptance for larger bodies, some followers shared they felt 'betrayed' by her endorsement of the diet.

To clear things up, Lizzo posted an Instagram on Tuesday with the following message: "I detoxed my body and I'm still fat. I love my body and I'm still fat. I'm beautiful and I'm still fat. These things are not mutually exclusive."

As for critics who claim the singer was "promoting toxic diet culture," Lizzo posted a TikTok on Monday night, explaining the real motivation behind participating in the 10-Day Smoothie Cleanse by JJ Smith, which she also emphasized that she practiced safely with a nutritionist.

"As you know, 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," Lizzo explained in the video. "In reality, November stressed me the fuck out. I drank a lot. I ate a lot of spicy things and things that fucked my stomach up. And I wanted to reverse it and get back to where I was," she continued.

For those curious, the full form of the 10-day cleanse consists of three green smoothies a day (leafy greens and fruits) and encourages high-protein snacks, like hard-boiled eggs and nuts, and unlimited crunchy vegetables, like cucumbers and apples, in between. (The modified version consists of two smoothies, snacks, and a meal.) While the cleanse does emphasize weight-loss, it's also marketed as a detox of processed foods, dairy, meat, and caffeine to give your body a "break" — and "not a starvation-based diet," according to its creator, JJ Smith. Lizzo added that while the cleanse became tough mentally, "I was never super hungry, I was just you know wanting to stress eat."

That's a point Lizzo emphasized again in her Instagram post writing, "To the people who look to me, please do not starve yourselves. I did not starve myself. I fed myself greens and water and fruit and protein and sunlight. You don't have to do that to be beautiful or healthy. That was my way. You can do life your way."

At the end of the day, no one's opinions on Lizzo's personal diet choices are valid except for her own (and perhaps the nutritionist she hired for that very purpose). Even more important to stress: commenting on Black women's bodies is never OK — especially if you aren't mindful of the systems that make it difficult for Black women like Lizzo to navigate the world in those bodies, points out Alishia McCullough, a licensed mental health therapist focused on body liberation and racial healing, in a poignant Instagram post.

"I am more upset and triggered by the white women who are vilifying Lizzo for the choices that she makes about her body than her exercising her autonomy to do what she wants with her body that has to navigate this world differently than those white bodies, due to oppressive systems that they benefit from and uphold," she writes.

Despite what anyone has to say, the singer isn't apologizing for her decision — and is happy with the mental and physical results. "I'm so proud of myself. I'm proud of my results. My sleep has improved. My hydration. My inner peace. My mental stability. My f—kin' body. My f—kin' skin. The whites of my eyes. I feel and look like a bad bitch. And I think that's it." So, yes, she still feels good as hell, which she demonstrated in two side-by-side Instagram Story posts.

She finished her video with this message for critics: "I'm a big girl who did a smoothie detox. Every big girl should do whatever they want with their bodies."