Class is in session guys, so get your pens and paper out and listen carefully. In today’s lesson we’ll be discussing a few myths associated with calorie counting.  Fitness Coaches and Personal Trainers rarely delve into these areas clearly enough for you to grasp, so I’ve made it simple just for you. All weight loss isn’t good weight loss, but if it’s from body fat loss then you’re on the right track. Many Personal Trainers are all about Fat Loss or Weight Loss and not about Lifestyle. Our clients are asked to live it daily. So here’s a few myths we want to get cleared up for you.

1. 1. You must eat fat-free foods in order to lose weight.

The truth is that fat free foods are often loaded with extra sugar. It’s often sugar that is overlooked. Sugar increases insulin production and release into the blood stream, which is believed to trigger the storage of fat. Not only that, but these fat free products are often low in fiber as well which leaves you feeling hungry. This means that you’ll have a tendency to eat more and being low in fat doesn’t mean that the calories don’t matter. For someone trying to maintain a low calorie diet fat-free foods are not such a good option. I always recommend that my clients consume low calorie, whole, unpackaged foods for better fat and weight loss results.

1. 2. Eat one or two big meals a day and lose fat, as long as my total calories are low.

This couldn’t be further from the truth. Most personal trainers or fitness coaches will recommend 5 to 6 small meals per day. Why? Well, it all boils back down to blood sugar levels again.  When you starve yourself, not only are you creating a stress to the body, but it begins to go into a natural starvation mode (which is a form of stress). Your body begins to break down fat, but at a very slow rate. More importantly, your body begins to break down muscle when this stress becomes chronic. So keeping your energy levels consistent is the key to losing weight, but more importantly, losing quality weight in the form of body fat. You don’t have to have 5 to 6 meals however. You can eat foods that keep you full for a longer period of time, like fiber rich, protein rich and essential fat rich foods. The other thing to understand is that having 5 meals means SMALL meals not full meals and if these meals are higher in vegetable or fiber content then the calorie content is usually lower. This can help you lower your overall calorie count while at the same time keeping a steady stream of nutrient dense food a part of your daily lifestyle.

1. Remove fat calories from your diet and you’ll lose weight.

Fats are essential for daily processes in the body. Cutting out the fat from your body may  leave you not only feeling hungrier, but it may also leave you reaching for more refined carbohydrates according to authors like Rob Huizenga, MD; author of “Where Did All the Fat Go? The WOW! Prescription to Reach Your Ideal Weight and Stay There!” (Tallfellow Press, 2008), and doctor from the hit television show The Biggest Loser.  Keep the Omega 3 fats found in fish and the monounsaturated fats found in Avocados. Both have been shown to play a role in lowering cholesterol levels. Throw out the Saturated fats and Transfats found in most processed foods and you’ll be on the right road to fat loss.

These are just a few of the myths associated with calorie counting for weight and fat loss. Subscribe by Email so you don’t miss out on part two for more myth busting information guaranteed to get you on the road to fat loss today.

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