I’m sure you’ve seen the food comparison photos on Facebook which show you how a Jumbo Mac Super King Burger (with cheese) is the same as 100,000 almonds.
Or a photo of a can of fizzy drink emblazoned with big red arrows and scary statistics about what it will do to your teeth/kidneys/eyeballs.
Forget all that.
These are the 3 food myths I’d love you to erase from your brain today.
And then you can get on with tidying up your diet, adopting some healthier habits, and getting in the kind of shape you deserve.
#1 You need to go low carb
You probably know a lot of people who went zero carb, or at least cut right down on their carb intake to lose weight. And it probably worked!
But here’s the truth. You do NOT need to cut out carbs to lose weight. In fact, you can lose weight on a pretty high carb approach (if you want to) – as long as your calories are in check.
The key to losing weight is a calorie deficit. It doesn’t matter how you go about it.
In fact, if keeping carbs in your diet will mean you can stick to your plan – then keep them in! Just eat an appropriate amount.
Remember, carbs have the same amount of calories (gram for gram) as protein. They are not a highly calorific food group.
The problem comes when we eat too much of them, eat them mindlessly, or smother them in cheese/cream/chocolate spread (etc).
Carbs are not the enemy.
#2 Fats makes you fat
Body fat and dietary fat are two different things. Eating fat won’t automatically create fat on your body. BUT fats are higher in calories than protein and carbs. So you need to be aware of how much fat you eat and fit it into your calorie balance.
But fat isn’t bad. In fact, some fats are healthy and important (that’s why they’re called essential fats). Omega 3 fatty acids (the ones in oily fish especially) are really important for health, hormones, and brain function.
A word of warning, don’t think that healthy fats are a free for all. You certainly can get fatter from eating healthy things like avocados, nuts, coconut oil, and “trendy” healthy fat foods.
The key is to eat appropriate amounts of fat, preferably from healthy sources first. Cut back on trans fats and get more omega 3 fats.
#3 A detox is a good way to kickstart fat loss
This is one myth that won’t go away, no matter how smart we are. The diet industry is very clever at making juicing and other detoxes sound appealing when we are most desperate.
But hardcore efforts like juicing, low calorie diets, and fasting are NOT sustainable and will backfire. They don’t teach you anything about how to cook healthy meals, choose the best foods on a menu, or eat for your activity levels.
All they do is line the pockets of a business that doesn’t know or care about you, then leave you clueless when it all goes wrong.
A far better way is to clean up your eating habits, learn to cook healthy meals, understand appropriate portion sizes, and develop a plan of eating that you can stick to for as long as it takes.
Not as exciting, but definitely more successful.
‘The number one rated Personal Trainer In Henley and Oxfordshire’
