Good Food vs Bad Food

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Hello, My name is Vivek Misra and I am a certified nutrition and fitness coach currently inspire and coach people to achieve their health and fitness goals through diet and exercise. I have so many of my clients who come to me with eating disorders and think that by eating less, they will achieve their goals of fat loss which is true.

Yes, you read that right – You may achieve your weight loss goals by eating very little food because, as per the first law of thermodynamics, you will maintain a negative energy balance in your body and your body will look at available fat stores(adipose tissues), and muscle for energy. Have you thought about the damage you are doing to your body when you do this for prolonged periods? Say "hello!" to lifestyle disorders, nutritional deficiencies, obesity(yea, u read that right) and very, very poor health. Thanks to misinformation through so many carriers – social media, gym bros, influencers, print media etc so many people, have managed to screw up their relationship with food. Unrealistic expectations are the main cause according to me and people resort to stupid practices to meet those expectations and in most times end up seeking medical help and death also in extreme situations.

When people abuse their bodies in the greed of unreal body expectations, no one is really thinking of mental well-being which is the most important thing cause if you lose your mind what good are your six-pack abs?

I have been at both ends of the spectrum and have seen what a bad diet can do to screw up your health and well-being and am living proof that you don’t really need to compromise on the so-called “bad foods” to achieve fitness goals

Below are a few things we could start with to improve our relationship with food.

Good food vs Bad food

Who told you that a salad makes you lose weight and a burger somehow will make you fat? Technically salads have fewer calories available which means lesser energy and lesser chances of them getting stored as fat. A burger is actually a wholesome meal because it has carbohydrates, fat, protein vitamins and minerals(yes). The only questions to ask are – How much bread is in the burger, Is the patty which went in fried or baked, were sufficient veggies added, are the potatoes fried or baked? How much of cheese went in.
“ Junk food” is an oversold word by the healthy food advocates. What really matters is the composition of your meal. You really don’t need to beat yourself up if you had a meal of so-called junk food and it is not required to compensate for it by doing 1000 burpees or a million push-ups #justsaying. What is more important is to maintain a perspective that there is no magic food or drink that will somehow change your fortunes and everything in moderation is required. Yes, moderation and not elimination is the keyword we are looking for.

Setting realistic and sustainable goals

Being healthy and fit is a lifelong journey and not a 6-month to 1-year-long activity. Following a meal plan is the best thing that has happened to me as it helps me stay consistent, and counter deficiencies by ensuring I get all the required macro and micro nutrition through my food. However, the problem comes in when the meal plan is too restrictive and this becomes not sustainable for a long period. Revision needs to keep happening every week/fortnight and try and include as many food groups as possible. Don’t shy away from seeking help from an expert, so that the expert helps you build a habit for life which will benefit you over your lifespan. Avoid watching YouTube videos for the purpose of diet advice unless it is someone really credible and certified. Stay miles away from influencers who give unscientific advice.

Carbs make you fat

This is something which sadly some credible people are promoting and it makes me angry!

Carbs, Fat, and Protein do not make you fat. Excess food (read calories) makes you store fat. What really happens when you eat carbohydrates is this – there is uptake of glucose by living cells for ATP creation. Excess glucose is converted to glycogen and stored in the liver and muscle cells which are present all over the body. Now every gram of glycogen holds on to 3-4 gms of water which makes you look bloated especially mornings when you wake up. You think this is fat and blame carbohydrates when the actual reason for fat gain is hardly poor carbs. It is actually the excess. The Devil lies in the details and hence I build food charts ;-)

Diet Restriction is so passé

Not eating rice, sugar etc is doing more damage than good. Measure your quantity and eat the damn biryani or doughnut. You could restrict the number of doughnuts you eat instead of eliminating them completely. Again moderation my friend. Moderation….

Cooking is king

Try to learn cooking as a hobby and you will see the benefits for yourself. You suddenly will know the power and control you have over your health and you will not be at the mercy of a chef to make your meals. You really don’t need to be a master chef to make your meals and all you need is a strong will to change, an internet connection and of course a phone to order your supplies. Cooking is really simple if you think otherwise. For 38 years of my life, I was thinking otherwise and once I started I saw the benefits for myself. Not that I don’t step out…of course I do, but when I do I know exactly what I want and I make better food choices.
Can I eat this because I did not exercise today?

Hello! Your body needs energy to survive…say hi to Mr. Basal Metabolic Rate.

Don’t let activity drive your body to eat food but let food drive your will to exercise and get better. Incorporate resistance training as a part of your life cause the benefits of resistance training are immense and that’s a topic for another day. However, if you also want to improve your relationship with food, lifting weights will increase your appetite and change you. Also breath deep and meditate.

Peace

Shredscientist