LIFE OF A FIT GIRL
What Are Some MAJOR Nutrition Mistakes You might be making?
Over the past several years I have had the opportunity to have a whole lot of face to face nutrition consultations as well as helping those people with finding a nutritional solution that works for them! During those consults, I actually hear the SAME THING, over and over again. This is what this person is doing to loose weight and it worked for a while and now they are up 15 pounds, and oh I tried that one diet and I never saw any results, etc. After hearing all these testimonials of failed diets I compiled a list of things that you may be doing wrong when it comes to nutrition, but you may actually think you are helping yourself! After studying nutrition for my undergrad, master’s, my nutrition certification, and several hundred meal plans later I can honestly say that nutrition is not as complicated as you think. Is there some conspiracy out there that makes everyone think there’s some sort of secret about what you should be eating but the government wants to keep you in the dark and drinking that latest Juice Cleanse? Well here’s as much of that ‘secret’ as I can write in a short, semi-entertaining blog.
3 COMMON MISTAKES:
- Not eating enough calories. – Wait, what? I thought you had to eat a 1200 calorie diet in order to loose weight? Well you’ve been fed lies! Let me break this down for you simply; yes a caloric deficit (calories in less than Total calories out/burned) is how you loose weight. BUT skipping breakfast then eating a salad for lunch and a piece of toast for dinner does put you in a deficit but that also equates to being miserable and hungry all the time! Eating such a restricted diet where you aren’t fueling your metabolism enough could cause your hunger hormone, or Ghrelin to increase and cause you to have hunger pains as well as cause your metabolism to slowwwww down. Eating restricted calories for too long could also lead to weight loss plateaus, low energy (HANGER!!!!) and you might just end up binging because you are soooooo hungry! (Completely off topic: I at first thought it said gremlin instead of Ghrelin, so I have always imagined a gremlin taking up residence in my stomach and I like to blame that little bastard for my Hangry moments and all my stomach rumblings when I realized I haven’t eaten in a while),
Well what is the solution then? Can some one please just give me the effing answer already!!!!! Well here it is…kinda….The solution is creating a caloric deficit nutrition plan that is BALANCED as well as based on your height, weight, age, activity levels, goals, etc. No two plans can be the same because of just those reasons! If you are tired of guessing what you are supposed to eat or how much of everything you are supposed to eat, then it’s time to hire a professional!!!!
- Eliminating Fat – Yes that’s right, if you don’t eat fat you will get fat or remain fat. I’m not talking about the fat you find in butter or that piece of Popeye’s fried chicken, I’m talking about the HEALTHY SOURCES!!!! Hold up, there are healthy fats? Yes!!!! And here are a few; nuts, nut butters (oh hells yes, peanut butter!!!), avocado, chia seeds, olive oil, coconut oil flax seeds, etc.
Healthy fats are responsible for many things;
- they help your body absorb nutrients (so like you can’t absorb all that vitamin A,D,E and K supplements you’ve been swallowing, so like what’s the point of even eating all that shit)
- Healthy fats help your body produce hormones and healthy cells
- They help you produce the hormone that kills that little bastard gremlin hormone; called Leptin. Leptin tells your body that you are FULL. So you are supposed to listen to that one!
Let me also add this; eliminating fats is a bad idea as well as eliminating carbs. What the hell are you supposed to be eating all day? Tilapia and egg whites all day? G-ross!!!!! Not all carb sources are bad for you! Pick out some of these; sweet potatoes, white potatoes, white/brown/wild/black/red rice, quinoa, couscous, oatmeal, etc. However if you choose to eat sandwiches, pasta, pizza, and all those fucking tacos then yes, those carbs are bad (Also tortillas are made with lard…have you ever seen raw lard???). Carbohydrates are ACTUALLY your body’s main source of energy. So yes you may see results in a few days by doing a low carb diet, but depleting your body of that macronutrient long term is not wise or healthy.
Last but Not least, number 3: You are Jumping onto all the Diet Fad Trains. STOP TAKING THE EASY WAY OUT! If you need to loose 10 pounds in one week, that seems almost impossible as well as un healthy! All these fucking juice cleanses, IL-researched crap diets that work for one don’t necessarily work for everyone! Just because janey-sueIG drinks 5 juices all day and claims this is the way she stays so lean and skinny doesn’t mean that she is actually only drinking those fuckers AND that sounds absolutely miserable. If you are trying to do a special diet that tells you that you will never have to workout on this diet, then run the opposite direction! Are you so afraid of hard work or sweating that you would rather starve? Working out, doing a moderate amount of cardio is essential for healthy living.
Here’s my tip for you….FIND SOME NUTRITIONAL BALANCE!!!! The right combination of Protein, Healthy Carbs, and Healthy Fats will actually work together to fuel your metabolism, help you burn body fat and gain lean muscle (For those who want that toned look). Nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated, but with all the crap that is out there, it really can be! Learning what works for your body; eating small meals through out the day (To keep that gremlin hormone out) and enjoying your food!
Find yourself wondering what to eat, how much to eat, and when to eat? Then let me be your nutrition coach! All plans are available online! Get started TODAY lauren@laurenkateaustin.com
LIFE OF A FIT GIRL
EATING OUT ON A DIET – IT IS POSSIBLE!!!
One huge question I get from clients when creating their meal plans is “Can I still eat out?” Of course you can! But it will take some discipline!
The truth is, the ‘best’ diet or workout isn’t always the one that’s the most precise or scientific. If you don’t understand the psychology and emotion related to eating then you’re missing the most important part. I believe that the best Diet/Workout plan is one that allows you be make consistent progress BUT don’t feel overly restricted. Even slow progress is STILL progress!
Going out to eat is inevitable; we all have events or birthday parties to go to that almost always revolve around food; so let’s learn how to navigate a restaurant menu!
- Check the menu before hand – Most restaurants now have their menus published on their websites so it makes it easy to plan out your meal in advanced. This prevents you from showing up “blind” and not know what they had to offer.
- Skip the Appetizers – Yes, that means the chips and queso! An endless bowl of tortilla chips is always a bad idea, because many times they come around a refill it! So by the time your dinner arrives you have already eaten ….who knows how many calories! If we are staying on track then ordering endless bowls of food is not the BEST option.
- Just Say No to Fried Food – Fried food is always the worst option. Deep fried foods absorb the fat in the oils. These are significant calorie dense foods that are unhealthy and eating them regularly could lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, or even High cholesterol. Stick to grilled, broiled, or baked items.
- Enjoy yourself! – Yes it may be stressful at first, but you’ll get used to it. Even if someone else orders that plate of fried calamari to share, doesn’t mean that you have to participate! Stick your plan and stay on track!