A couple weeks ago I posted a video on Instagram all about how “healthy eating doesn’t make you lose weight” and it shocked a lot of people! I get it, I am a dietitian and I am supposed to encourage people to eat healthy foods. But, I think what people don’t realize is that “healthy” is such a subjective term. Everyone interprets healthy differently.
A perfect example of this is someone doing the KETO diet. I literally have a “nutritionist” I know that encourages this diet with their clients and claims it is healthy to eat less than 35 grams of carbohydrates a day (that’s the equivalent of 2 slices of bread). And honestly, to me personally, this is not healthy. We can agree to disagree but I look at health in a much different light.
Therefore, I want you to realize that eating what we think of as “healthy” may not always be the needle mover for fat loss or what makes us feel the best. I have seen SO many people come to me that are picking healthier choices when it comes to food items but they are not necessarily eating the right combinations of food to lose body fat. Which in return, makes them extremely frustrated.
I hear this phrase all the time… “I am eating healthy but I can’t lose weight!” and honestly if it was this easy to “eat healthy” and “exercise more” then everyone would be having success with their weight loss goals.
Ok, Emily, what do I need to do to actually move the needle when it comes to body composition?
FUEL YOUR METABOLISM!
5 ways to do this are:
- Eating enough calories and specifically paying attention to where those calories are coming from (carbohydrates, protein, and fat).
- Drinking enough water- hydration is extremely crucial in making sure our muscle is working efficiently to burn calories.
- Doing some type of resistance or strength training at least 2 times per week.
- Focusing in on protein intake: example- 0.6-1g/lb of body weight.
- Working on NEAT- non exercise activity thermogenesis- or being active outside of exercise time.
And, finally, the obvious things like good sleep, stress management, blood sugar regulation, and most importantly: the CONSISTENCY that needs to occur to see the most results.
Remember it is never just “one” thing that leads to our progress. It is a cumulative effect of a combination of things (like the ones above) done day in and day out over time.
Consistency and effort are the key to success NOT just “eating healthy”!
Talk soon!
Emily