I get it. Nutrition can seem overwhelming and confusing. Everywhere we look there's a new "best diet" to lose weight! Here's the thing...the ONLY way to lose weight in a healthy, positive manner is to be in a calorie deficit. Yep...that's it. That's the key. Sure, you might drop some weight from this diet or that, but the reality is that most people gain the weight back once the diet is "over". They've spent so much time and energy sticking to a diet that has been overly restrictive and made them miserable...and they gained the weight back. Why? Because these diets are not sustainable. People by nature crave variety. Most popular diets do not offer variety, they are extremely restrictive, some are extremely dangerous! So why do these diets appear to "work" in the short term? First and foremost, they restrict your food intake so much that...you guessed it...they put you into a calorie deficit. The issue comes when you're "done" with the diet. These diets don't teach you how to move on with your daily life and maintain the weight you worked so hard for. They don't teach you about the foods your body needs to function in a healthy way. They don't teach you how to take control of your own health and nutrition. Isn't that the whole purpose of wanting to lose weight? We want to be healthier, we want to look good to ourselves and our partner, we want to have more energy.
My first suggestion to people wanting to lose weight is to download a food tracking app. (Myfitnesspal or something similar). Start tracking the foods you eat. Be brutally honest about how much of the foods you're eating. I think you'll be shocked and surprised. Take a look at how many grams of protein, fats and carbs (macros) you're taking in daily. Most people take in considerably more than they need. Others are eating so little that their bodies go into "starvation mode". In either scenario, the body puts on weight. Too many calories and the body stores it as fat. Too few calories and the body stores it as fat because it doesn't know when it will get more food. If you need help with your nutritional goals or just want to talk about your fitness goals, let me know. I'm always willing to help!
