This week Emmet from Rushe Fitness Letterkenny unveils the truth behind the most common diet beliefs.
This is the 1st part of a 2-part article for you all.
This one will focus on popular nutrition myths and next weeks will focus on Popular Training Myths.
I’m sure there will be at least one of these that you have heard before and probably believed or might still believe.
Hopefully this will help to dispel some of these and clear up any confusion there may be surrounding them.
If you are looking to get in shape after the lockdowns, we help our Rushe Fitness and online Habi-Fit ladies have success with their diets in a simple and easy way.
Want to get in shape from home? CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT HOW!
- CARBS WILL MAKE YOU FAT.
This is often one that you will hear the most when people are dieting.
The 1st thing they do is cut carbs, convinced that it is the magic fat loss solution.
But it isn’t.
Yes, you will get a near instant drop in ‘weight’ when you cut carbs, but this isn’t fat loss, which is what you should be aiming for. It is mainly fluid and muscle glycogen.
Once the weight starts to slow down, this is your actual fat loss which will be slower than your initial weight loss which was mainly a water ‘dump’.
Also, cutting out bread, potatoes, pasta and rice is a sure-fire way to go off the rails 2 weeks into this type of diet. People usually find it too restrictive and end up binging.
Yes, cutting back on processed carbs is a good thing, but cutting them out altogether isn’t necessary for fat loss.
Your main goal should be to always be in a calorie deficit for fat loss. - EATING FAT IS BAD FOR YOU.
This is a bit of a double-edged sword.
Fat is not bad for you.
We need a certain amount of fat in our diet for health and for certain hormone regulation.
When you are on a diet the minimum you should be taking in is, 15% of your total daily calories should come from fats and you shouldn’t go below this for health reasons.
Again, your main goal should be to always be in a calorie deficit for fat loss. - YOU CAN EAT AS MUCH HEALTHY FAT AS YOU WANT AND STILL LOSE WEIGHT.
With the rise in popularity of ‘healthy fat’ and the ‘keto’ diets also comes the rise in the myths surrounding fats in our diets.
As with everything, things can be taken to the extremes.
There is a common train of thought that you can eat as much healthy fat as you like and you will still lose weight.
This unfortunately is incorrect.
Fat is the most calorie dense of all macronutrients.
It has 9 calories per gram compared to protein and carbs having 4 calories per gram.
It is very easy to over eat fat and send yourself into a calorie surplus.
If you are over eating fat, and you end up in a calorie surplus, your body will store the excess fat as fat.Just know that this is what will happen and if you are currently eating loads in your diet and not losing weight, this is probably the reason why. Again, calories count, no matter what the source they come from. - A HIGH PROTEIN DIET IS BAD FOR YOU.
High protein diets have been claimed to lead to to Kidney disease and bone disorders.
So what is the truth?
IF, you have a pre-existing condition of either of these, you will already have had specific recommendations for your diet and protein needs.
You should always listen to your consultant.
If you DO NOT have either of these, protein is completely safe.
It ranks very high on the satiety scale and is muscle sparing when training on a diet. - YOU SHOULD DETOX YOUR BODY REGULARLY.
You will see people selling detox drinks and advertising detox diets.
This is unfortunately a waste of money as there is no drink that will ‘detox’ your body.You do not need to do anything to ‘detox’ except drink water and let your kidneys and liver do what they are supposed to do. If you want to help your body you just need to reduce alcohol, reduce junk foods and increase your fruit, veggies and water intake.
I can guarantee that you have heard at least one of these myths and that you probably have believed it up until now.
These things tend to keep circulating around the nutrition world and they don’t seem to be going away.
Just remember to take things with a pinch of salt and always try and find the truth yourself before you spend your money.
If you are unsure where to start, we are here to help you.
If you are looking to get in shape after the lockdowns, we help our Rushe Fitness and online Habi-Fit ladies have success with their diets in a simple and easy way.
Want to get in shape from home? CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT HOW!
Want to train in our Letterkenny Gym? CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE
