We are exposed to a lot of nutrition misinformation day in and day out. It can be overwhelming to identify what is good science, and what is a bunch of nonsense. We will go over some of the most common weight loss based nutrition myths to clear the air.
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“As long as I am in a calorie deficit, I will lose weight.”
Sure, calorie deficits are part of the picture for weight loss, but let’s talk about the specifics. A 1,000-calorie diet is a much different thing than a 1,500-calorie diet, and no, lower isn’t better. When your body is put on too little calories it goes into a sort of ‘emergency panic famine mode’. This will cause it to hold on to that weight you’re trying to get off for dear life. A survival mechanism from the days where nomadic humans didn’t have the convenience of scheduled breakfast, lunch and dinner.
On top of that it can lead to: bone density loss/malnutrition, poor mental health, an increased risk of developing an eating disorder, binge eating, fatigue, and stress to name a few. If our metabolism and body worked the same no matter how little we ate, we would starve to death. For this reason, it’s important to find a balance and the right meal plan for you. With the help of a nutrition professional, you can set yourself up for success to let your body lose the weight and meet your goals.
“I need to adjust my macros to lose weight.”
The long-standing debate: “should I do keto, paleo, whole 30, low carb, high fat/high carb, low fat, super high protein, low everything else?” The list of diets out there for weight loss never seems to end. All with advocates swearing by their success. Stating that “adjusting your macros (protein, carbs, and fat) will get you to your goal weight in just 21 to 30 days!”
The common theme with these diets is consumer choices in nutrient quality and diversity. This means, whole foods dense in natural fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Without that, these diets boil down to crazy marketing, restrictions, and schedules. If you combine all the restrictions of various diets, you’d probably only be left drinking water. Looking at simply what the foods are across all diets, you can see where weight loss success actually comes from, and it’s definitely not the macronutrients. Let me give you an example:
If you are eating microwave burritos every day and switch to a “high fat low carb diet” what was the important switch? The macro shift to high fat low carb, or the sudden influx of whole foods filled with all those nutrients your body didn’t get before?
Every single success story starts off the same. “I completely changed my diet!”, “I lost 100 lbs in just a few months!”, and/or “I feel great!”. Yet is there ever really a follow up? How are they doing a couple years down the road? What part of that diet do you think really led you to succeed? If you just switch from regular microwave burritos to keto microwave burritos, you’re probably not going to feel as great as they say you will.
If you just switch from regular microwave burritos to keto microwave burritos, you’re probably not going to feel as great as they say you will.
“Products marketed for sports or diets are always the best option for my health.”
Let’s start with sports products. A sports bar, powder, or drink is designed for just that, sports, aka an athlete. When someone is burning several thousand calories a day in workouts, they need a way different nutrition plan than us regular folks, and no, going to the gym for an hour a day doesn’t equal that gap out. These products usually have way more simple sugars or sodium, than we really need.
Diet products at the end of the day are just marketing. The only reason they are selling products with this emphasis is because consumers are drawn to them. Your health isn’t the priority of these big companies, it’s your money they want.
With that in mind reading the nutrition label is always more important than just glancing at the marketing buzz words on the front. A low fat item could be filled with additional sugar or a low sugar item could be packed with saturated fat. When looking at the nutrition label, you want to check for added sugars, saturated fats, partially hydrogenated oils, and the fiber content for most if not all the things you buy. Also check the serving size. Does that tiny bag of cookies or chips contain 2 whole servings? You’re probably not saving the other half for later, So you might be eating more than you realize.
“Once I hit my goal weight I’ll be healthy.”
Sure, having a higher weight has many associated conditions like: high blood sugar, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. That can also lead to more serious issues long term. Losing weight can often alter our lab values and health conditions, but there is more to the picture.
Often when we start working out, muscle replaces fat and our weight on the scale may not change as much as we would like even If we are being consistent with our changes. The most important goal we can make isn’t a specific number on the scale but reducing our use of medication by removing these risk factors, having better lab work, and improving how we feel.
If you are struggling to lose weight and want to reduce your need for medication, check out the MEDication Freedom Method. Sign up for a free 15-minute video call to learn more about this program.
Hello, I’m Samantha Lance, current dietetic intern, nutrition educator, and chef. I have a lifelong passion for food and aspire to set up my own private practice.
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