I thought I would put together a series of blog posts that highlight the top 5 mistakes I see women making in the pursuit of creating a body they love (aka weight loss) and keeping it off (ah, the elusive “lifestyle”). Did you miss the previous posts? Just check out the links below and get yourself caught up.
Counting down from 5…
#5. Believing will power and goal setting is the answer. (Find the full post HERE!)
#4. Believing the right diet or exercise program is the answer. (find the full post HERE!)
#3. Not eating (or believing you are eating) enough protein. (Find the full post HERE!)
#2. Using nuts and nut butters as a protein source.
WHAAAA?
Yep that’s right ladies, in my books nuts are NOT a protein (and hey, if you are just picking up this series hop over to mistake number 3 and read up on proteins).
Nuts fall into the health fats category in the E.A.T! program so that you can learn to give them the respect they deserve.
Learn to have a healthy respect for the role food plays in how you feel and look and you will develop a healthy respect for your body in the process. ~ Lisa
So let me give you the skinny on fats.
Word is finally getting around that fat is not evil nor does it make you fat, however this does not mean that there isn’t still fear attached to eating higher fat foods. Society as a whole is constantly being bombarded with the next great diet solution and the low fat era was just another attempt to find cause as to why weight gain continued to rise steadily in North America. As with all “diet” trends there are pieces of each that seem to stick with us like a bad urban legend. The myths are perpetuated and it becomes hard to distinguish fact from fiction.
Fat does not make you fat, HOWEVER the type of fats you consume along with the quantities can have a dramatic effect on weight loss OR weight gain.
The E.A.T! program was designed to simplify food by using categories. This creates an easy to build upon blueprint that allows you to understand how different foods impact how your body looks and feels. Food directly impacts your moods and Omega 3 fats play a huge role in emotional stability along with being a key player in weight loss.
Click the link HERE to learn more about these bad ass mood altering fats and what they can do for your health from fat burning to baby making.
Ok so back to nuts.
8 almonds contain 5 grams of fat and only 2 grams of protein. So yes, they are higher in protein BUT fat is much more calorically dense.
Protein contains 4 calories per gram
Fat contains 9 calories per gram
When I am evaluating a food to place it into a category, this is one of the pieces I look at and I am challenging you to do the same. Regardless of what someone tells you about a food, take a look at where the majority of calories come from and then decide. This does not mean you have to start counting calories JUST BE AWARE of where the majority of calories come from, fat, protein or carbohydrates.
Residual protein is present in almost every food, even spinach, so yes your body will be getting ample protein when you include it with your true source proteins but if I asked you to track every single gram of protein you would lose your noodle.
Keep your proteins focused on true source proteins (mistake # 3) and keep your eyes out for foods that are mainly fat based.
This list includes nuts, nut butters, seeds, oils (olive, flax, and any oil that is liquid at room temp), avocado and coconut.
All of these have amazing nutritional qualities and contribute to a healthy diet however, if your focus is on weight loss then you need to be respectful of the quantities you consume.
As a quick cheat sheet look to get in at least 5 grams (or 1 tsp) of flax oil or fish oil per day. This establishes a base line for the important Omega 3’s that so many women are deficient in.
Here are some quick references to fats in some popular foods to help you be mindful of portions. Most women need to supplement a minimum of 15 to 20 grams of good fat per day (of course everyone is different and has different caloric needs based on age, activity, weight etc. E.A.T! is not about one size fits all and this is meant as a general guideline only!)
1/4 cup avocado is 10 grams of fat
8 raw almonds is 5 grams of fat
2 raw whole walnuts is 5 grams of fat
1 TBSP of raw pumpkin seeds is 5 grams of fat
2 TBSP of sunflower seeds is 5 grams of fat
Looking at this list you can see how quickly you can hit 15 to 20 grams of your good fats in a day. Finding the right balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates for your body is key in building out a nutritional blueprint that you can feel good about.
E.A.T! is about having the freedom to eat the foods you want while feeling empowered with knowledge about what portions are right for you. Being able to make your own choices with confidence in achieving the results you are after feels amazing. Having a nutritional blueprint is just as important as having a plan when you start working out and I love that my work allows me to give this gift of food freedom.
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If you are interested in learning more about my E.A.T! programs and working with me CLICK here to find out more. I am here to help YOU do things differently. Gremlins and all, I’ve got you covered if you are prepared to show up for yourself and find YOUR new way.
Want to just pick my brain? Drop me a line lisa@lisacarpenter.ca and I will tell you how you can set up an hour session to go over any of your nutritional hurdles.
Are YOU worth it?
“Over the top valuable. I can’t put a price tag high enough on the value of this course. There is no amount of money that can equate to the value of gaining understanding and control over my own body.”
“Considering the wealth of knowledge that was gained during the short 10 week course, I will take this information and use it the rest of my life so this course has been invaluable.”
“This program was hugely valuable for me. Was the starting point getting me out if this daily grind I found my self unconsciously doing. I would tell people if you are liking to change your life and getting serious about the things you want to do. Then this is the program.”
