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Cereal
is a processed food product that has been marketed as a healthy
breakfast option for women for decades. Arguably, some breakfast
cereals are better than others however as a whole breakfast
cereal as a meal, is nutritionally void.
Cereal contains almost zero protein and is commonly very high in
sugar and high GI carbohydrates, giving you an initial burst of
energy but will soon after having you feeling hungry and tired
(midday crash?). This hunger is going to have you leaning
towards those high carb and high sugary snacks, or a mid-morning
coffee. Creating a perfect hormonal environment for fat gain.
Replacing
several meals a day with cereal or shakes means you are
missing out on a variety of important vitamins and minerals attained
from other foods. Not only are you missing out on vital
micronutrients needed for energy production and fat loss you
are also missing protein and fat. Both are important
macronutrients needed for hormone production, immune system
function, detoxification, and overall health. Poor health is a poor
environment for sustained fat loss.
Eating
a calorie deficit of anything will make you lose weight. Therefore, all
diets will work for a period of time. If you ate a chocolate chip
cookies 3 times a day and nothing else you would lose weight (not fat
but weight). However, these results will be short term and the long-term
ramifications on your hormonal and metabolic pathways will result in
weight regain, and a vast array of health issues (poor sleep, low sex
drive, cravings, binging, poor gut health, joint issues). Again, this is not a good environment to
lose body fat.
Myth
#2 - You can't eat carbs after 3 pm
Carbohydrates are
often seen as the enemy when it comes to weight loss. Several
diets have made millions of tricking women and men alike into
reducing carbs to dangerously low levels as a temporary weight loss
solution.
Cutting
out carbohydrates so early in the day can have a detrimental effect
on your brain and body. Your brain's preferred source of fuel
is glucose which is obtained through consumption of carbohydrates,
without glucose your concentration can weaken, and you may start
to feel drowsy, tired, and fatigued. These feelings create the
perfect hormonal environment for craving sugary and high carb snacks.
Carbohydrates
are not the enemy. Selecting the correct carbohydrates and consuming
them at the right time throughout the day will help you lose
weight. Low GI carbs such as whole grains, oats, rice, quinoa , and
sweet potatoes will keep you fuller for longer, help you recover from
training, and allow for a tapered energy release throughout the day.
There
is no benefit to cutting carbohydrates completely after 3 pm or
altogether from your diet. Several studies have looked at
carbohydrate timing on fat loss and found no difference in fat loss
rates consuming carbs in the morning or evening.
Myth
#3 - Protein Will Make Me ‘Bulky’
Protein
should be a vital component in your diet. Protein is commonly
associated with maintaining, building, and repairing muscle tissue.
However, this is just one of the roles of protein in the body and only
occurs after all other systems are taken care of.
The reality is every cell in your body requires protein to
function. Protein is comprised of amino acids needed for
health, including the healthy growth of your hair and
nails, as well as bone health, hormone production,
immune system, liver and detoxification, antibody
production, and many more processes. Once all these
processes have been taken care of with adequate protein consumption
then the body will look after the muscle tissue.
The
myth that protein will make you gain too much muscle is a very farfetched
one. Women do not have the hormonal profile to gain
undesirable muscle tone and get the ‘huge’ look. This requires a
hard and regular training regime, eating in a surplus of
calories, and a strict supplement schedule. Female bodybuilders train
for years and years to attain the look they have. It does not happen
overnight and doesn’t happen merely by eating a high protein diet, so
don’t be fooled it is not that easy.
Myth
#4 - Eating Fat Makes You Fat
Cutting
out or reducing your fat intake will not encourage or accelerate
weight loss. Both mono- and polyunsaturated fats (healthy fats) serve
a basis for hormonal production, aid in lowering cholesterol levels,
and reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Consumption
of healthy fat promotes fat burning within
the system. Often, we consume trans fats contained within baked
and processed goods from store shelves. These fats are literally
useless for our body and as such; we can’t use them for any effective
purpose. These types of fats often put us in a surplus of
calories and therefore can encourage fat gain.
In
contrast, eating healthy fat also promotes proper
hormonal function and a healthy metabolism; this means that
you’ll burn fat faster. Healthy fat is also extremely important
for the production and control of female sex hormones (testosterone
and oestrogen) which play a role in providing energy, libido, muscle
mass, and a healthy menstrual cycle. An imbalance of these
hormones can cause mood swings, reduced sex drive, irritability, PMS,
depression, and anxiety. A study in men found if dietary fats
are too low for too long, decreases in testosterone production occur.
Onwards
and upwards
Now
that you’ve had a chance to thoroughly read through these common
myths and see the truth behind them all; you’d be forgiven for
feeling a little annoyed at yourself if you’ve ever bought into any
of them. One of the most important take-aways from this article
is that all macronutrients are important, and each of them plays a
unique role in body composition.
One
of the main reasons why so many dieting myths have become so
widespread; people are incredibly gullible when it comes to weight
loss methods and those who preach their beliefs can be very
overpowering. Now that you know the truth, you’re armed with the
power of knowledge and can hopefully help others to avoid these
common pitfalls too.
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