Stop Dieting, Start Eating.
Low fat, low carb, calorie counting, juice detox….Many people could say that these are just the diets they tried this year! I’m going to replace the word “diet” with the word “nutrition.” When did we decide that our nutrition should be a short term “gimmick”? If we don’t change the way we eat, how can we expect a long term improvement?
If we understand and embrace the following two points, then the gimmick diets will seem foolish, and weight fluctuations will be a thing of the past:
1. Calories are not all created equal.
Calorie counting is probably the most common method used to try and lose weight. While a reduction in calories can certainly cause “weight loss”, it has many flaws. Dropping calories without considering the source of your calories will create a new metabolic set point. If 1600 calories got the first 10 pounds off, it may take 1200 calories to stimulate more weight loss. Notice I keep saying weight loss as calorie reduction often causes just as much muscle loss which makes the metabolic rate even lower. This vicious cycle often leads to people giving up on the diet and rebounding to an even heavier weight, even when they aren’t consuming much food.
2. Eating for health, fat loss and performance should be one and the same.
To make strides in fat loss, health and performance, you must understand that every nutrient causes a different hormonal response. Proteins, carbs, and fats are interpreted by the body as information which then contributes to fat gain, fat loss, immune support, etc. When your daily food consumption contains plenty of protein and healthy fats while limiting refined carbohydrates, you’re giving your body nutrition that it needs to function optimally. Now, fat loss, immune function and energy levels all improve.
Eating real food in the correct ratios is the key to long-term success. Many gimmick diets will come and go, but the old adage remains true: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Written by: Jason Barbour, President of Metabolic Meals
