Are you tired of the myths and misconceptions in the nutrition world?
One day you read one idea on the best fat loss secrets. The next day you’re reading the exact opposite.
After reading so much conflicting information it’s easy to think WHAT’S THE POINT, It’s all too confusing!
Are You Always Hungry?
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There must be an easier and more practical way?
There is.
Before we get to the easier way, we must be aware of the nutrition traps that can jump out at you from anywhere. Supermarkets, social media, magazines, personal trainers and your best friend who’s just trying to help are all hot spots.
We need to learn how to navigate away from these well-laid traps that lurk out in the world. These traps often sound appealing and honestly, sometimes they make good sense on the surface.
However, they just aren’t backed by truth or science.
Now, it’s time to stop getting caught up.
MYTH #1:
‘Organic’ Or ‘Raw’ Roods Are Better for Weight Loss
Truth:
Foods considered raw or organic may be nutritious, but don’t assume they all are just because they have a fancy label with ‘healthy’ words.
Despite seeming like the better option, these foods may still be loaded with added sugar even if the sugar is from a ‘natural’ source (agave or honey for example).
When it comes to organic foods, it still pays to check the label to understand the nutritional content. Although these foods might have been produced in an organic manner, this does not guarantee it’s a food that should be consumed regularly as part of a healthy lifestyle.
It’s time to tear the label off some of these products
- Amazonia Raw Protein Bar Peanut Butter Choc Melt. ‘Raw’ doesn’t really mean anything when it comes to packaged foods and it certainly doesn’t make it stand apart from a health perspective. This product has 14 ingredients, all of which are very similar to other bars, as is the nutrition profile.
- Pico Organic Chocolate. Yes it’s organic but the nutritional profile is very similar to that of a standard milk chocolate. The calories per 100g, saturated fat and sugar and all in the same ballpark.
Moving Dietitian Advice
When it comes to ‘good’ organic or ‘raw’ options, my final advice is this. Don’t be swayed by the word ‘raw‘, it really doesn’t mean anything when it comes to health. As for organic, it’s not essential but the avoidance of chemicals in the products can be appealing for some. If you choose organic, for packaged foods, ensure you also review the nutrient information panel to assess the calorie density (important depending on your goals), saturated fat and added sugar before you make it a regular part of your lifestyle.
MYTH #2:
You Can ‘Target’ Fat Loss (AKA Spot Reduce)
Truth:
Spot reduction is a fancy way of saying – I want to target a specific area of my body for fat loss. For example, ya booty.
Spot reduction remains to be one of the biggest fat loss myths. Some people have very specific goals in mind when joining the gym. For example, they want to reduce just belly fat.
No matter what you read about spot reduction, it’s not something that ever works.
How many calories we consume Vs burn is the main dictator as to whether we lose weight overall, however we can’t choose where we lose it from. Sorry booty.
Here’s some more helpful self-talk when going to the gym:
– ‘Gym sessions give me energy for life and help my body become stronger and leaner.’
MYTH #3:
You Need to Eat 6 Small Meals to Lose Weight
Truth:
The theory behind 6 small meals was, that if you keep having small meals throughout the day then your body will burn energy at a more rapid rate (as our bodies keep burning energy after we eat). SO the logic goes, by eating more frequently, we burn more energy, by burning more energy, we burn more calories.
Burning more calories we lose weight.
Note: If you are wondering, what is the process of burning energy after we eat? Its ‘diet induces thermogenesis’ (DIT).
Don’t worry there’s not a test at the end of this, so you don’t need to remember DIT.
DIT is a perfect example of something making sense on the surface. You read this and think that adds up.
I’m with you, don’t we want to burn more calories than we consume?
Yes.
But nutrition is more nuanced than that.
The facts. Various studies have shown that there is no weight loss advantage of splitting calories among six meals rather than three.
The amount of energy we actually burn due to DIT is negligible and it has been shown to have no impact on fat burning or weight loss.
A better way forward is to focus on eating high volume, low calorie-dense foods.
Move Forward Today
After reading this, I hope you don’t get caught in any of these common nutrition traps and now know how to navigate away from some of the nutrition noise.
If you do feel overwhelmed.
Remember, start with small steps. Start with something you know with absolute certainty is 100% true and will make a difference in your life.
After all, that’s what we want, isn’t it?
Easy ideas you could try today:
- Getting your hydration right
- Focus on working out because you know it’ll make your day better – not in the hope of losing some belly fat or to burn off some calories.
- Tuning back into my hunger cues when I think emotion or that ticking time is taking over.
- Making an easy high volume recipe
Just try one of these ideas.
I’ve always been a hungry human and found volume eating as a great approach that aligned with the philosophy that I wanted to take in regards to eating.
I have a FREE course called Essential Volume Eating that shows you why this approach can help you manage your hunger without going overboard on counting calories.
Are You Always Hungry?
Learn How to Satisfy Your Hunger Without Counting Calories With The FREE Essential Volume Eating Course
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