Thank You!
If you regularly read my blogs or follow me on social media, you may know how passionate I am about just how idiotic, irresponsible, unsustainable, and ineffective “no or low carb” diets are. You may also know that in the past as a result of a drastic carb restrictive diet, I screwed up my metabolism, attitude, sex drive, and gained fat in places I had never had fat before, leaving me in a state of depression for about 6 months…
Here’s the thing though, I actually consume what I believe to be a fairly “low carb diet” the majority of the time… But let’s be clear, there is clear distinction between “carb restrictive” and “low carb diets”. More on this later…
Sometimes when I speak to people about their goals and diet, I quickly come to the realization that they are not getting the results they want because they blame the outside world for putting too much information out there and use the fact that a lot of it conflicts itself as an excuse to not follow any kind of healthy meal plan! That sounds reasonable, right?
It’s like they think to themselves,
“Since I hear all this different information constantly, I’ll just stick to fast food and eating out all the time until society gets their sh*t together and can agree on one universal methodology of dieting
!”.
Or, they’ll start doing what pop culture suggests is the only real way to lose weight and get the body they’ve always dreamed of….
What’s that you ask?
In today’s article we are going to call out some of the biggest BS dieting myths of 2015…
MYTH 1: LOSE WEIGHT ON A NO CARB DIET
It’s unfortunate, but a lot of people think this is the only way to lose weight and look better naked! At some point throughout history, for reasons unknown, it was decided and passed on that carbs apparently do nothing but make you fat.
Can I ask you something though? Do you personally know anyone who has a legit head turning physique that doesn’t eat, or stays away from carbs at all costs?
I’m not talking about someone you know or heard about from a co-worker who once went on a crash course, carb restrictive diet and lost a ton of weight, only to ultimately gain in all back with a massive vengeance shortly down the road, I’m talking about a single individual who maintains a highly aesthetic body year round, with the ideal ratio of lean muscle and a low body fat percentage? If you answered yes, then it simply means one of the following:
So what the hell is a low carb diet anyway? Who is the final decision maker that will define to the universe as to just how many carbohydrates constitutes a “low carb” diet? Is there a God of Carbs on Mount Olympus that will appear one day via our social media newsfeeds and provide us clarity?
See I consider my diet to be of low-moderate carb intake. On a lower day (2x per week) that I don’t go to the gym, or only do HIIT of some kind, and therefore, don’t need or crave as many calories, I may take in about 100 grams of carbs. Most days, however, I take in at least 200 give or take. I say give or take because I do not obsess over counting calories, and I’m always throwing in some oatmeal or banana (or both) in with my post workout shake, and sometimes even in my before bed shake, as the carbs help me sleep better. I’m also a big proponent of higher fats, which is why I keep my carbs on the “low” to moderate side. I am not saying you should or need to do this; I am attempting to put into perspective the variance and possible misconception of language that may exist. I’m also sharing with you the fact that I eat what most of the misinformed general public would consider an exorbitant amount of carbs, each and every day. (Even though their typically consuming more, but just don’t realize it) Despite this fact, my body fat percentage remains in the single digits year round. (Pat on back)
If it’s not the standard “Carbs are the devil” story, perhaps you’ve heard some of these other popular BS myths as well:
MYTH 2: You’re not supposed to eat past a certain time
MYTH 3: No carbs at night
MYTH 4: Gluten makes you fat. (If you want to laugh your ass off and get an idea of just how ridiculously uneducated our society is, PLEASE check out the YouTube link at the end of this. ☺)
MYTH 5: Cardio is king when it comes to fat loss
Carbs, nor gluten, or the fact that you don’t do any cardio isn’t the reason you get fat, nor is eating cookies or ice cream…
The food you try to avoid but always end up snacking on before bed is also not the sole factor as to why you’re not losing weight. If you are gaining unwanted weight or are unable to lose weight, the ONLY reason is because you’re eating too many calories!
Stop over thinking this! You will never win the calorie/carb/foods you love restrictive method of dieting. You will never get anywhere attempting to piece together all the different information you read there, heard here, or were told by fellow gym goers and wannabe dieters would get you places. If you want to lose fat, you need to be in a caloric deficit. But not so drastic to the point you lose muscle in the process. Get it? It can be overwhelming so don’t get frustrated. But do your best to not add to the stress by makings things even more complicated.
Results are a direct by-product of consistency mixed in with accountability.
Track your progress. If you’re losing 1-2 pounds a week, you are right where you need to be, as that is the PERFECT amount to drop for sustainable, long term maintenance. Don’t even think about changing a thing! Once you hit a weight loss plateau, adjust your calorie intake and add another 3-5 minutes or so to your post workout cardio routine. Small, deliberate, incremental changes….The process takes time and needs to be treated with the upmost respect , so stay true and committed to it.
I have never offered something like what I am about to, as this blog goes to thousands of people each week, and to be honest, I’m a little bit nervous doing so…
But if you’d like a little guidance, or feedback on what you may be doing now, or would like to explore the possibility of working with my company and me to help eliminate the guess work from your diet, then go ahead and fill out a NEW CLIENT INQUIRY FORM and we can quickly determine if working together would be a solid option for you.
Serious inquiry’s only. Please respect the time of those who are really passionate about making some changes, as I’ll only have a limited amount of slots available. Anything off topic or that I feel will not be a good investment of my time or yours will be disregarded. If I do think there is something we can help you with, you will be contacted and scheduled for a call with yours truly.
If you are already a client of Nutrition Solutions, and feel you may need a little advice, coaching, metaphorical kick in the ass, or have a specific question about what you may or may not be doing now, CLICK HERE to post a question in the 3% Facebook and I’ll be answering them this week. If you haven’t joined the group yet you can do so by clicking here!
I am going to do my best to get to as many of you as possible, as quickly as possible, so please, bare with me here!
Don’t forget to check out the video below for a good laugh and some valuable perspective!
Weight loss & muscle building meal plans.