Rubina Dilaik reveals having only spinach soup for a year: 'Pledged to be size zero, looked sick..'

Actress Rubina Dilaik recently spoke openly on her podcast about the physical and emotional toll she experienced early in her career due to pressure around her appearance. During the conversation, she described a period when critical feedback on set affected her self-image and pushed her to adopt extreme dieting habits.

She recounted being publicly criticized for how she looked during her first television project. “Toh yeh set par aapka pehla show hai aur chilla kar aapko, aapke look ke liye literally pratadit kiya jaata hai. It stains your memory,” she said. The experience led her to drastically alter her eating habits. “To an extent that I went on boiled spinach soup and Nutris for one complete year. And I pledged to myself-I'm going to get to size zero.”

Although she succeeded in losing weight, she explained that it left her physically weak and mentally exhausted. “But I looked so sick and pale. My energies were so down. That phase, when I look back, I think-what was I even thinking?”

To an extent that I went on boiled spinach soup and Nutris for one complete year. And I pledged to myself-I'm going to get to size zero.

- Rubina Dilaik

Rubina reflected on her background, noting how different her lifestyle had been before entering the entertainment industry. “I was 19 or 20 when I entered the industry. I came from the mountains-ghee, doodh, dahi kha kar. I was a fresh-faced, round-cheeked kid. And when I see my first show now, I see that natural glow.”

She contrasted her natural appearance in her first role with the way she looked in her second project, where her figure had changed significantly. “Those cheekbones, that snatched waist... it didn't have the glow. And slowly, I started believing that maybe this is beauty.”

The actress also discussed how that phase shaped her thinking over time. “That psychology started attracting people and situations that validated my inner fears. I allowed that mindset to shape how I saw myself.”

Rubina’s remarks offer a look at how performance-driven industries can affect personal wellbeing, particularly for young professionals navigating the early stages of their careers.