FUEL UP: WHY ADDING NUTRIENTS BEATS DIETING FOR GOOD
Many of us grew up in an era defined by extreme diets—the grapefruit diet, the cabbage soup diet, low-fat everything, and more recently, low-carb, keto, and even carnivore diets. You know the drill!
While these diets often promise quick weight loss, they come with significant drawbacks.
Here’s the truth: If a diet feels extreme, it’s probably not the right approach. In fact, it may do more harm than good.
What do I mean by this? There’s no single food or diet that determines whether we lose weight, gain weight, or maintain our current weight. When we start labeling foods as “good” or “bad,” especially certain macronutrients, we run into two major issues:
It becomes increasingly difficult to resist those “bad” foods because they occupy our thoughts.
People who avoid certain foods in the name of weight loss often find themselves regaining the weight once they return to a more flexible eating pattern.
While no single food will make you unhealthy or sabotage your fat loss goals, some foods—like fast food, baked goods, fried items, candy, and soda—are higher in calories and can make it more challenging to maintain a healthy weight. Their calorie-dense nature can lead to overconsumption.
However, focusing solely on what you should avoid is a flawed approach to nutrition. Why? The more we concentrate on something, the more it invades our thoughts. If you're constantly fixated on what not to eat, how can you discover what you should eat?
So, what’s the right approach?
Instead of subtracting, let’s focus on adding! Emphasize foods that nourish and energize you. This “addition” approach is not only more mentally manageable but also easier to stick with long-term.
What should you focus on?
Try centering each meal around protein and vegetables. Include lean meats, a variety of colourful veggies, a small portion of starchy carbs, and healthy fats. When you fuel your body with whole, nutritious foods, you may find those cravings for “junk” food naturally diminish.
The “addition” approach can organically lead to the desired “subtraction” of less nutritious options from your diet!
Nutrition doesn’t have to be about deprivation; it can be about abundance. By focusing on what you can add to your meals rather than what you must take away, you can create a sustainable, healthy lifestyle that leaves you feeling satisfied and energized.
So, let’s embrace an addition-focused mindset in our nutrition journey and enjoy the benefits it brings!
Nutrition Coach Kalie