They explain how they are going to commit to 3 x training sessions a week and hit their 10,000 steps – love that, sounds fair. But then we get to the food stuff… icky.
“No sugar” “No carbs” “No dairy” – Don’t even get us started.
When people decide to “knuckle down” on their nutrition, it always seems to revolve around removing things. No more gluten. No more bread. No more oils. No more sugar.
The only scientific evidence supporting this approach is that by cutting out these foods, you might reduce your overall calorie consumption. This could put you into a calorie deficit, which is necessary for fat loss. That’s it. That’s the whole rationale.
But here’s the problem: neglecting nutrition foundations is likely what led you to the point of needing to “knuckle down” in the first place.
The Foundations Matter More Than the Culling
We dream of a world where everyone understands the importance of protein, fibre, and adequate calorie consumption in a deficit. Cutting sugar, bread, or gluten? That’s not the solution most people need.
101% of you would benefit far more from knuckling down with beliefs like “I am going to eat 2 x my bodyweight in protein” (over culling sugar or bread). Or, “I am going to hit my fibre target each day” (over culling sugar or bread).
For most women, the reality is that we’re not meeting our protein needs on a typical day. Plus the fact that we should be eating MORE protein when in a deficit (to preserve our muscles and it keeps us fuller for longer) – makes us concerned for those of you out there going straight for the cull when you want to see change.
The next time you’re thinking about “knuckling down” with your nutrition, ask yourself:
“What nutrition habits need to change?”
NOT
“What do I remove?”
This shift in mindset can make all the difference.
And One More Thing About Sugar
Sugar is in everything. How are you even defining “cutting it out”? What counts? What doesn’t? These vague, overly restrictive goals are why so many of us fail. They’re not sustainable, realistic, or even necessary.
So spend time learning the basics and ADDING in the foundations instead of going ham and culling everything. Please.