I had tried every diet out there - I would lose weight for a bit

“I had tried every diet out there — I would lose weight for a bit, then put it back on again.” — thus spoke Sandi Toksvig, with the honesty of one who has wrestled not merely with the body, but with the deeper tides of the human spirit. Her words are not about food alone; they speak of the eternal struggle between control and surrender, between the fleeting victories of effort and the quiet wisdom of acceptance. For in this confession lies the truth of all human striving — that progress without peace is a cycle without end.

The diet, in Toksvig’s words, becomes more than a plan of nourishment; it is a symbol of our yearning for mastery. We long to shape ourselves — to sculpt the flesh, to discipline the will, to banish weakness. Yet how often does this pursuit become a cage? How often do we measure our worth in numbers and moments of triumph, only to find that the same weight returns — not only to the body but to the soul? It is the ancient rhythm of striving and relapse, of desire clashing with nature, of temporary change built on fragile foundations.

Her struggle echoes that of many through time. Consider the story of King Sisyphus, condemned by the gods to roll a boulder up a hill, only for it to tumble down each time he neared the summit. So too do countless people push their own stone of perfection — lose weight, gain it back, and start again. The tragedy of Sisyphus was not his punishment, but his illusion: that one day, the stone would stay still. Yet Toksvig, unlike the cursed king, awakens to the truth — that the goal is not the endless climb, but the understanding of the climb itself.

The origin of this cycle lies in a world that values appearance more than harmony, quick results over deep transformation. Modern life teaches us to fix symptoms instead of seeking causes, to treat the body as an object rather than a living companion. We forget that true health is not achieved through restriction, but through relationship — between mind, body, and spirit. Toksvig’s words, spoken with the weariness of repetition, remind us that lasting change cannot be forced; it must be cultivated through understanding.

In her confession there is humility, but also liberation. For to admit failure is to begin the journey toward truth. When she says she had “tried every diet,” she speaks for every soul who has sought transformation through external means, only to discover that the root lies within. The cycle of gain and loss teaches the greatest of lessons — that willpower alone is a brittle tool. It is awareness, not restriction, that heals. It is self-respect, not punishment, that strengthens.

There is a tale of a monk who sought enlightenment by fasting, denying himself every comfort. His master watched silently as the monk grew frail and angry. Finally, the master placed before him a bowl of rice and said, “Balance is the path between hunger and indulgence.” The monk ate, and in that moment, his spirit grew calm. So too must we learn that health, like enlightenment, is found not in denial but in balance — a balance of nourishment, joy, and acceptance.

The lesson, then, is this: do not chase perfection as though it were a prize. The body is not a battlefield but a garden; it cannot flourish under war. Instead of “trying every diet,” learn to listen to your body, to feed it with kindness, and to honor its rhythms. Choose movement not as punishment, but as celebration. Seek not to become someone else, but to return to yourself. For when you find peace with your own being, the cycles of loss and gain will fade — replaced by the steady harmony of self-love.

So remember, O listener: the path to wholeness is not in trying every diet, but in trying understanding. Do not measure your worth by the mirror or the scale, but by the peace you feel when you eat, move, and live in awareness. For the wise know what Sandi Toksvig came to learn — that the truest transformation is not of the body, but of the heart. When the heart is at peace, the body follows; when the spirit is kind, the cycle ends.