The Calorie Lie
Counting calories does not lead you to sustained weight loss and total health. Sure, you might be taking in less calories, but what are the calories coming from? You could lose weight from eating small amounts of just about anything, but this is an extremely ineffective method of weight loss that ensures you will gain the weight back later. The calorie lie that has been told time and time again only continues to exacerbate the obesity problem in America.
What ever happened to quality over quantity?
It’s never about how much you eat, but the quality of the food source that you are consuming. Taking in 1,000 calories worth of candy versus 1,000 calories worth of mixed vegetables is very different, and your body will react accordingly. Many people will tell you that there is absolutely no difference between what you eat, as long as the caloric intake is the same. These people do not seem to fundamentally understand the processes of the human body. To say that it all comes down to a matter of calories is like saying that a car can run on anything as long as it is in sufficient amounts. Why not run your car on bleach?
Eating 1,000 calories of fast food versus taking in 1,000 calories of high quality vegetables is an easy way to demonstrate how it is not all about calories. The fast food most likely contains MSG, genetically modified food ingredients (present in the majority of fast food), aspartame, and quite possibly some trans-fat. The MSG will literally “excite” your brain cells to death, and you may experience a bad headache.
Since it is an excitotoxin, excessive and prolonged exposure to MSG may also trigger brain tumors and hypoglycemia. The genetically modified (GMO) food has been proven to be dangerous to the human body, leading to kidney and liver complications. The trans-fat will develop a plastic-like fatty substance around the organs, inhibiting their functions.
On the contrary, high quality (preferably organic) vegetables will replenish your body with vital nutrients. This will also help reverse the negative effects of the fast food. While both of these meals contain the same amount of calories, the effects are very different.
The Proper Tools, The Results You Want
You can’t build a house without the proper materials, and your body can’t shed the fat without the proper nourishment. If your health is in a state of chaos, it’s going to be extremely difficult to reduce your body fat. If you are eating a very low calorie diet full of junk food, then you are slowly destroying your body. While you may see a brief period of weight loss, your body will let you know what you are doing is a bad idea. You will most likely become sick, or you will gain the weight back.
There are a few reasons for this. Firstly, your body will catch up to you metabolically, and the amount of calories required to lose the weight will lower. This is what happens when people attempt to starve themselves into weight loss. Their metabolism catches up to them. Beyond that, the body’s basic dietary needs are not being met. With a diet of junk food, or really just a bad diet in general, you aren’t giving your body what it wants to thrive. Sure, you can survive, but you won’t look your best. If your body is so stressed with nutritional deficiencies, then don’t expect it to be operating at peak performance.
Doing it The Right Way
Don’t waste your time with fad diets, or what your friends at the gym tell you. Transition your diet. Rid your diet of dead processed foods that are stripped of their nutrients, and replace them with living foods. Start shopping at a local market, or researching organic brands that are truly high quality and free of additives. Avoiding MSG, aspartame, and GM foods is a great place to start.
In addition to adjusting your diet, drinking water is a great way to rejuvenate your body. Try drinking water in the morning, and waiting 45 minutes before eating anything. This helps alert your metabolism, and can lead to weight loss.
