When it comes to nutrition and eating right, the fact is, there is a lot of information out there. Some of it is good and sound and will help you see optimal results. Other information is misleading, based on faulty logic, and will only lead you astray.
Learning the good advice from the bad is critical if you hope to move forward with your weight loss journey.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the worst nutritional advice you may come across.
Never Eat Before Bed
Ever heard that you should avoid eating before bed? You aren’t alone. This is a common statement that is made to many of those looking to lose fat.
The fact is, it’s totally fine to eat a healthy snack before bed as long as you work those total calories into your daily intake.
A light snack of around 200 calories consisting of a lean protein and some healthy fats can help you sleep better through the night and take the fear away of going to bed hungry.
All Carbohydrates Should Be Avoided
Another common statement is that all carbs should be avoided. Again, this isn’t the case. The wrong carbs will lead to fat gain, but the right carbs can actually enhance your results.
Stick to fruits, vegetables, and small doses of whole grains if you hope to maximize fat loss. Fruits and vegetables will supply you with a wealth of nutrition and fiber — both of which you need to stay healthy.
Likewise, the complex carbohydrates will be necessary to help provide your body with the energy you need to power through any intense workouts you have planned.
Eating Fat Will Make You Gain Fat
While some people fear carbs, others fear dietary fat. Again, good fats should not be feared. The right fats will actually help lower hunger, improve your well-being, reduce cholesterol, and help give you long term energy.
Stick to fats from unprocessed sources such as nuts, oils, nut butter, seeds, avocado’s, and fatty varieties of fish. Do remember that fats are very calorie dense though, so how much you eat will matter.
All That Matters Is Calories
Which brings us to our next piece of bad advice – that all that matters is your calorie intake. while it’s true that calories make the biggest difference in terms of fat gain or loss, the fact remains, the type of food you eat will influence whether you lose fat or muscle mass and also influence your health and how you feel.
If you want to feel your best as you go about your diet, you need to focus on smart food choices as well.
Calories Don’t Matter
Finally, other bad advice is that calories don’t matter at all. Some people mistakenly believe that the only thing that matters is eating healthy foods. While eating healthy foods will generally mean you have a better chance of decreasing your calorie intake naturally, you still do need to moderate how much you are eating. Eat too much food — even healthy food — and weight gain can still occur.
So keep these pieces of bad advice in mind as you go about your diet plan. How many of them are you falling for?
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