There is always going to be a diet and exercise program out there that promises you an easier softer way. Regardless of how much "research" shows it works, these fad diets can not only be BS, but dangerous for your health.
We all should know by now that if we burn more calories than we take in, we lose weight. This is called negative energy balance. If we consume more calories than we are burning each day, this is called positive energy balance. As simple as that. So many things affect how many calories we burn day to day: our BMR (basal metabolic rate), our energy expenditure, how much we eat, and WHAT we eat. If you are eating calorie dense foods, like cookies and cake, white breads, etc all day long, chances are that you don't get filled up quickly and are consuming mass quantities of calories that you don't need. Nutrient dense foods on the other hand allows you to eat more quality foods and fills you up without the 1000 calorie consumption. Too many calorie dense foods in the north americans diet is a leading cause in being overweight.
I hear time in and time out from people of all walks of life succumbing to different forms of diets. If those work for you and you can keep the weight off, my hat goes off to you. But how do you actually feel? As a nutrition professional, I just shake my head when I hear some of these methods that people use to lose weight. Let me be clear on something, every single human body is different. So if one thing worked for your friend, it doesn't necessarily mean it will work for you. But like I said, anything that creates a negative energy balance will cause you to shed pounds, but what are you actually losing? Quality lean muscle mass or fat?
Magazine quality physiques are not made with minimal efforts…unless you have kickass genetics, and even then, some work is involved. I can give you a meal plan that makes you lose 20 pounds in a few weeks easily, but I will not be that person who helps you destroy your metabolism and body.
A quality lifting plan and meal plan should not only help you lose fat, but gain lean muscle. If you see that first initial drop, but the scale is not moving down fast enough after that, perhaps you are building lean muscle. If I solely went off of what the scale said, I would drive myself crazy. In my competition offseason, I am currently sitting around 140 pounds at 16% body fat at 5'6". I know that number will go up as I put on more muscle mass, and I am 100% ok with that. Get it out of your head that the scale means everything.
If you have a coach or trainer, communication is EVERYTHING!!! If you have concerns or questions about anything, ask them!!! I know I cannot make revisions to meal plans or lifting plans if there is no communication. For online clients, check ins are where we see where you are at! If you are not sending in measurements and check in photos, I have absolutely no way to track your progress. Perhaps the scale isn't moving, but you are losing an inch or two a week…I'd say that is pretty freakin amazing!
In a nutshell:
Low calorie diets: Anything less than 10 calories per pound of bodyweight is not recommended, and even 10 calories per pound of bodyweight should only be administered and closely monitored by a professional. With low calorie diets, your body likely lacks the right amount of vitamins and minerals being taken in. You need the proper energy to have energy. You need energy to have the organs in the body to function properly.
Low fat diets: First of all, what kinds of fat do you normally eat? If you are eating a jar of peanut butter a day, then cut that in half, you will most likely lose fat. But cutting out fats from the diet completely is foolish. You need fat to lose fat. Of course, definitely stay away from trans fat. But limiting the good fats, like avocado, olive oil, nut butters, seeds, etc can result in poor body system function and elevated LDL (bad cholesterol) in the body. Fat carries fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) to different organs. Cut these out, those organs are not going to be too happy.
Low carb diets: Been there, done that. For whatever reason, society thinks that carbs are the enemy. In some cases, this is true. But just like fat, all carbohydrates are not made the same. You got your refined and unrefined. Fill your diet up with refined, high glycemic index carbs, heck yea those will make you fat and feel like crap. Fill your diet up with low-glycemic, unrefined carbs like brown rice and sweet potatoes, chances are you will not only feel better, but look better as well. Most fad diets cut out carbohydrates. That is foolish. You need vital carbohydrates to function your body. The fuel for the brain and CNS is, in fact, carbohydrates. "But I get my carbs from vegetables." Cool, do that only for 2 weeks and tell me how you in fact feel. (Note: for medical purposes, some may in fact do this, please take note that this excludes you :)) Vegetables are what we call trace carbs. You need more.
Low protein diets: For whatever reason, society has told women that protein is bad. I used to think that. "oh this protein powder will make me fat." Newsflash, anything you eat in excess can make you fat. Protein is where our cells come from. Protein is used for tissue and muscle growth. Why on earth would you limit this?
What to look for in a meal plan:
Are you receiving at least 0.8-1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight per day?
Are you eating carbs coming from whole grains, brown rice, sweet potatoes?
What is your fat intake? What kinds of fat?
Can you train hard on this diet?
How are your energy levels?
Is it something that can be sustained for your whole life?
Yo-Yo dieting
If you are a yo-yo dieter, chances are you have tried all these variety of diets. You see some weight loss, but you can't sustain it, go off the diet, and gain it all back. This is a major contributing factor to people throwing in the towel to healthy lifestyles. Quit this yo-yo dieting madness! You are killing the metabolism and doing more harm to the body than you think!
The best bet is to turn this into a lifestyle. Most people will quit before the real magic happens. Like I said, if you don't want to do any work, our diet and training programs are not for you. You are investing in the only body you will have for your whole life. Learn the healthy habits and slowly make the changes.
Mooremethod.fit@gmail.com for online coaching inquiries.
