Weight loss. Ugh.
I recently read an Instagram post talking about what past food/nutrition/weight maintenance trends you’re most appalled by now. So many things come to mind! But it provoked a lot of thoughts on how confusing it is to navigate “healthy eating” as a consumer. Most of us were never educated on nutrition or a balanced diet in schools, and those of us who were only learned about the USDA’s food pyramid. Better than nothing for identifying “good-for-you” foods, but definitely lagging behind the data on many categories. However, “the data” has gotten incredibly complicated in this digital age where most anyone can find an article to support whatever school of thought it is they support. Carnivore diet enthusiasts post links to how fruit consumption causes fatty liver and will kill you (I cringe even typing that) and vegans post about how meat production is destroying the earth and a physician posts about how low carb diets can lead to vitamin deficiencies but everything else tells us that carbs are the enemy. WHOA. Who to believe? Don’t overcomplicate it for yourself. You don’t have to know or understand every viewpoint in order to find what works for you and what type of diet makes you feel best.
Back to diet trends - I cannot believe how long I truly believed that FAT is the enemy. In high school, I counted gummy worms as a good treat because they were fat free so I ate them without guilt, despite the guilt surrounding cake or ice cream. In retrospect, the media communication that led me to that belief is obvious, but it makes me more sympathetic to the overwhelming amount of conflicting information young people are exposed to today with the internet and social media. Also, not young people. This shit is confusing for all of us. Here is what I wish I’d known about weight loss for the 20 plus years that I wanted to lose weight.
Weight loss does’t mean fat loss. If results are promised quickly, it’s not fat you’re losing.
Increased muscle mass if a fantastic tool for fat loss. Muscle tissue is more metabolically active, thus it burns more calories just by existing in your body. It’s wonderful in a million other ways, too, but that’s a massive topic on its own.
Give yourself a realistic timeline to see results. Stress over lack of progress can increase cortisol and make you even more resistant to losing fat, doubling frustration and further slowing progress.
Don’t reward your good efforts with treats. Indulging in larger quantities of things you wouldn’t normally eat because you just PRed on your 5k erases net gains (calorie deficits) and likely leaves you at an even higher calorie intake for the day unrelated to your hunger cues.
Eat the treat that you’re craving. If you have been dreaming about pie for days, don’t try to satisfy the craving with a key lime pie yogurt and graham crackers. Trust me, not the same. You can truly sabotage your daily calorie intake by trying to sub “healthier” snacks in place of what you actually want.
One day of eating solely veggies and lean protein isn’t going to magically drop your weight on the scale the next day, but conversely, one piece of cake isn’t going to totally sabotage your efforts. It’s about consistency. Keep making the effort and forgive the mistakes.
The time to start is always now. I’ve always thought the “diet starts Monday” mentality was misguided. It sets you up for failure and frames healthy dietary changes as a temporary and punishing means to an end, not a lifestyle.
If you’re feeling confused or overwhelmed, you are not alone. If you want to talk about it, I’d love to. Let’s simplify “diet” for you and let you focus on what’s important to you. Link below to book a consult call with me!