Good Calories, Bad Calories
Good Calories and Bad calories are something that most people have an issue understanding. We can eat the same number of calories in a meal, but the nutritional value can differ. The nutrition that our bodies take from that meal varies a lot, due to the number of good fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.
For years I was under the belief that fat was bad for me, and then it came out that carbohydrates were also bad for me. Not once did I ever see a breakdown of what exactly in these two groups was the problem. This led to me cutting out most foods that fell into these groups. All in aid of me losing weight to reach my perfect weight. I was also eating fewer calories due to this change and at the same time increasing my exercise.
While this gave me a good outcome to begin, I soon got to a stage where I felt depleted and tired. I could not continue to eat in this fashion as it was not giving me the energy to support my lifestyle. Which led to me reverting to unhealthy eating and gaining any weight I had lost, as well as gaining more weight.
It is this sort of incorrect information that has been spread over the years and continues to be spread, that has created the weight pandemic we see all over the world.
People are more inclined to the yoyo diet, move between healthy bouts of eating and excessive exercise to lose weight, At the same time they are unable to maintain the weight loss or stop their bodies from hurtling towards Type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol.
This misinformation and constant yoyo dieting it was lead me to start my own journey to educate myself on what was good for my body and what was going to allow my body to reach a healthy weight. At the same time ensure that the glucose and cholesterol levels in my body remained healthy and on track.
Clean eating was my first step in the right direction. Taking any processed food out of my daily eating which includes readymade meals, canned goods, and takeaway meals. Things that although I never ate in excess were still enough to cause me weight issues. Once removed I saw how much better I felt, and the weight loss followed soon after. Additionally, I never concentrated on the calories but more on getting a good balance of healthy protein, carbohydrates, and fats in my meals. I started listening to my body, so I was not overeating but satisfying my body’s needs. Never feeling over full or bloated but comfortable.
These are the best changes I could have ever made, and my body continues to reap the benefits day to day. Six years on I have lost over 50lbs and kept it off with no stress to my body.
For more information on clean eating please look at my page. I have also included loads of resources that I have used over the years to educate myself and others that I work with.
One book that I have read recently is Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes. Such an eye-opener for me in many respects and a book worth reading if you want to truly understand calories.
Be healthy and happy and enjoy your journey.
Claire
