Fat GAIN, what foods to AVOID...the list.

....You seriously thought I'd fallen into THAT crowd? The "not-backed-by-science" one?

We get bombarded with lists day in and day out, it is one reason why I try and scroll in interwebs only a couple of times a day, I don't like seeing the ridiculous health headlines that I know are false or will only lead you down the wrong path.

The truth is, fat gain is about eating too much and not moving enough. Period. Done. 

They've done, and recently published Mayo Clinic study (referenced in this article here), that it's actually your daily movements that are the most effective lifestyle change you can make for fat loss. That, paired with nutrition, PROPER nutrition, will effectively lead you to your goals. This study determined that nutrition was, in fact, more important than exercise for most active people. 

If you're just starting out on your goals, start with nutrition, it will take a while to get the hang of it and create good habits, but once you start here, things will be easier and you'll feel better and more motivated. If you're trying to break through a plateau that you've been at for 4 weeks or 4 years, nutrition is definitely your next step... simply because there are times in life when you JUST CAN'T workout anymore minutes in the day so nutrition needs to be your next step.

SO, here's your list:

  1. Avoid all foods that will trigger you to overeat that same food or others. I.e. sugary/fatty treats.
  2.  Avoid foods that you KNOW you are allergic to or creates a negative response in your body/gut.
  3. Avoid overeating ANY food...veggies, fruit included. You know, 3000 of broccoli is still 3000 calories.
  4. Avoid overly sugary foods or drinks. Drinking calories is never a good idea!
  5.  Avoid beating yourself up when you eat something tasty...just eat it, be happy and make a better choice next time.

Don't avoid any one thing if it makes you miserable to not eat it, and don't eat just one thing (greens? quinoa? anyone?) because some list out there said that it would help you lose fat. Eat what works for you and eat in a way that is sustainable for life. Doing that will make you happy and results will follow.

As a personal trainer, who loves food, I can tell you that the best results I have seen in ANY client has come from nutrition compliance...then the workouts changed their body.  Exercise is so important for health, as well as burning calories but you need to be eating to fuel your body first. Make it a lifestyle and the rest will fall into place once you start adding in your workouts