041fitness columnist, Nadine Lahana, the creator of the Go-Green Challenge is a certified Nutrition Coach Canfit Pro Toronto. Today she challenges some popular weight loss myths.
The most common misconceptions regarding WEIGHT LOSS and WEIGHT GAIN are that
a) one can “MELT AWAY” fat with specific exercises targeting specific areas,
b) There is a SINGLE FOOD responsible for WEIGHT GAIN.
c) All CARBS are created EQUAL.
d) It’s ALL in your GENES.
Let’s first address the “melting away” of fat…You will have no doubt been virtually accosted by endless shirtless, shouting weight loss, so-called “professionals” on your Social Media platforms.
Each pointing out this “ONE FOOD YOU SHOULD NEVER EAT” or these “THREE EXERCISES” you must do to “MELT AWAY FAT!”
Myth bust #1:
YOU CANNOT SPOT REDUCE FAT.
If this was possible there wouldn’t be many apples and pears!
There are 2 ways of getting rid of excess fat:
1) SHRINKING – through careful calorie intake and consistent exercise.
2) SURGERY – you get the idea!
When you design your workout to target a specific group of muscles – let’s say, the abdominals, you are working on muscle HYPERTROPHY. This means growth.
If you stop working on that specific muscle group, you will experience the opposite effect…ATROPHY.
Which means shrinking or wasting.
The old saying “Use it or lose it” comes to mind.
Therefore if your goal is to get that six pack, you would need to work on SHRINKING fat stores through careful calorie intake so muscle becomes visible and gaining overall muscle by applying diversity to your fitness regime.
A combination of STRENGTH & CARDIO would be best. If you have followed any of my previous articles, you’ll know that you DO NOT NEED A GYM for this.
Finally, as muscle is metabolic, the more you have, the more likely you are to reach your weight loss goals.
My Top Tip: Shift your focus to FAT loss and MUSCLE gains.
Myth bust #2:
Since all food is ENERGY, and each food differs in its calorific load, effect on insulin, metabolic processes, etc, there is NO ONE FOOD that is making you fat!
EXCESS CALORIES ARE MAKING YOU FAT.
There is no such thing as a BAD FOOD, only a POOR DIET.
Having just completed a 3-week challenge I hosted at the beginning of November, I was not surprised to see that the majority of participants noted in their review how their whole perception of Nutrition had changed! This was ultimately my own personal goal for them.
Diet Culture Marketing (what I call DCM) is designed around targeting the vulnerable into buying their many saleable products labelled “FAT LOSS” “SLENDER” “FAT BURN “RAPID LOSS.”
I refer to the walk down that final Supermarket aisle as THE GREEN MILE. If you’ve seen the movie, you’ll know what I mean. Every single, cleverly placed, beautifully packaged product calling out like a Last Meal and, unless you are Nutritionally trained or wearing your glasses, you aren’t noticing the hidden fats and sugars. Only the promises: “SLENDER…FITNESS….RUNNERS….ENERGY….SLIMMERS…”
We are all of us a Marketing Mogul’s wet dream!
I’ve worked in this industry for 26 years. I know the tricks of the trade.
Protein sells. Fibre doesn’t. As a result, 99% are fibre deficient, while most are consuming twice their daily needs of protein.
Ever wondered why gut disorders are on the rise?
Blame the product push.
Myth Bust #3
I am going to uncomplicate this since I know that the majority of you are already so confused by the FADS that your friends have had so much success following.
Firstly, don’t do yourself the injustice of ever comparing yourself to anyone. Each and every one of us has our own unique:
Genetic makeup, Lifestyle, gut microflora, energy demands, energy expenditure, muscle-to-fat ratio, age, energy store utilization, and insulin function…I think you get the gist.
How your body processes and utilizes energy will be completely different to the next person.
Saying that I have uncomplicated the great CARB CONTROVERSY by creating 2 types of CARBS:
-Necessary (energy efficient)
-Unnecessary (non energy efficient)
One is pivotal to IMMUNE health, ENERGY demands, FOCUS, INSULIN function, BLOOD SUGAR stabilization and LONGTERM WEIGHT LOSS goals!
The other is DISRUPTIVE to all of the above!
NECESSARY: Whole grains, such as Wild rice, Millet, Barley, Bulgar, and Quinoa. Fruit & Veg – ALL if you are trying to enhance both Vitamin and mineral intake. The elimination of any fruit or veg will result in a few fewer calories you will no doubt be getting in somewhere else of less value! Pulses and legumes, including beans, peas, and lentils (which have the added protein load).
UNNECESSARY: The list is endless but let’s just say, anything ULTRA PROCESSED, baked treats, shelf goods such as biscuits and crackers, ready-made meals, table sugar, jams, desserts, fizzy drinks….
If you really want to achieve your weight loss goals just try going without the UNNECESSARY CARBS and see what happens. No starving necessary!
Myth Bust #4:
Stop blaming your parents! Studies are revealing that our weight and wellness issues are not all down to our ancestors and that our unique GUT MICROFLORA can reveal more than our genes when it comes to metabolism and weight.
How your body responds to food has been oversimplified in order to be better understood! The truth is that METABOLISM (which is basically the chemical reactions that take place in your body to turn food into energy) IS COMPLICATED! And, each of us has a completely different internal working system. So the next time you blame your weight gain on your Mum, ask yourself if you have created an efficient calorie-burning system by balancing your diet, eliminating highly processed foods, getting daily exercise, more sleep and avoiding stress!
My Top Tip: Stop spending your hard-earned cash on elaborate tests such as blood types and hair follicles.
“Eat for your blood type” was declared invalid after the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found ZERO EVIDENCE to the hypothesis)
Rather try tuning in to how your own body responds to certain foods.
You can do this through a process of elimination, trying Gluten free one week, then reintroducing Gluten and going Dairy Free and so on…
My own personal take on this is that if there is an immediate, negative reaction, you may have some sort of allergy to a product.
Determine which it is and then research an alternative. For example, if one of my clients suspects a wheat intolerance, I usually suggest replacing the wheat with a grain such as quinoa or rice. Although I don’t suffer from any intolerances, I have developed a craving for Lentil-based wraps, since investigating alternatives for some of my long-suffering clients. It’s the easiest recipe and they’re tasty and filling! 1 cup red lentils to 2 cups of water! No added fats sugars or preservatives and super handy to fill with plant-based goodness!
Every year, I set a couple of challenges to RESET THE BODY.
I don’t design these Challenges around elimination or restriction as the ultimate goal should never just be a CALORIFIC DEFICIT but rather HOW TO BUILD A STRONG DEFENSE FORCE for LONG TERM weight MAINTENANCE.
The result is that your body begins to learn how to UTILIZE rather than STORE.
Continuous fluctuations in gains and losses, create physiological adaptations that impede our ability to utilize calories in the future. In simple terms, it becomes more challenging to use calories for energy and even those smaller portions are painstakingly harder to “burn.” Starving or eliminating whole food groups only serves to slow the metabolism and weaken our immunity.
The focus of my courses is, teaching participants how to ADD more to the diet in order to LOSE MORE!
Fat loss is, of course, a benefit, but if you don’t make it your business to understand your body and how to maximise energy-efficient nutrients and minimize non-nutrient calories, you will continue to fluctuate in the perpetual Diet Cycle, eventually impairing metabolic processes until weight loss and maintenance become almost impossible to achieve.
You cannot expect a machine to work efficiently without maintenance.
The only way to successfully lose fat stores and keep them off is by understanding the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to Macronutrients and none of the FAD diets out there explain this.
WHY?
Because it is more cost-effective for them to keep you coming back!
Most of my new clients start our intro sessions with..”I went on such and such a diet and it was a great success! I lost so much weight!”
To which I reply with this question: How is anything a GREAT SUCCESS if it doesn’t work for the long term?”
Other times it’s: “Well then why are you here?”
Depends on my mood and how many similar stories I’ve heard that same day!
I have always said that weight loss is the easy part. Try keeping it off!
If you don’t want to miss out on 2024 Challenges, make sure you like my Social Media Profiles: INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK
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