HEALTHY DOESN'T MEAN LOW CALORIE
So I see you say "having a healthy lunch today!" *insert picture of miracle noodles, spinach and mustard* STOOOOOOOOOOOP.
Okay so this is one thing I've been seeing happenings. The misperception on anything low calorie being healthy... No no no no no no. HEALTHY DOSNT MEAN LOW CALORIE. Sure veggies are low and healthy but there are just some things you just need to understand. You can eat healthy wholesome foods! Avocados, nuts, 2% Greek yogurt, and so much more! Sure you can go with those light and fit Greek yogurts, I love them! And yes you can eat some egg whites but don't start labeling higher calorie foods like yogurt and yolks as an unhealthy food. I've been seeing plenty of people on Instagram having 100-150 calories for lunch and sometimes even for a workout! If you’re working out there's no way you can eat that low and have energy! Understand that doing that, you’re putting yourself in the danger zone! If you don't eat enough you’re putting yourself in the catabolic state where your muscle starts braking down and eating it! That's like 10 steps backwards of your trying to get some gains! Even if you’re trying to lose weight, catabolism won't make you lose body fat just muscle mass.
If you’re stuck and thinking about all the foods you've labeled as unhealthy let me break this down for you. Healthy DOSNT mean low calorie foods only. Healthy means you’re eating a balanced diet of proteins, fats and yes *gasp* carbs!? Carbs.
Carbs.
They have a terrible name which they definitely should not. Not only do people see carbs as unhealthy but some just stay clear of them all together. Big Nono! Not only do carbs fuel your body for energy but they also help your brain function. Lack of carbs will make you feel like your dragging yourself around, moody as hell *me when I'm low hahaa* and will definitely not benefit you during a workout! The brain and body NEED carbs to function. It doesn’t matter if it's chocolate or if it's bread it's still a carb! Your body will see it as energy! Fuel yourself! And make sure you get carbs in for a re-feed! After working out your body will feel low on energy so have carbs to boost it back up to get on with your day! You might be thinking "just too scared of eating more carbs" but in all honestly they are nothing to be scared of! There's no such thing as carbs make you fat or carbs after dark are bad! Heck I've hit the carb macro before bed with over 100 g and I felt leaner in the morning! That's because my muscle used them to repair! But working out or not... Carbs don't kill you! They maintain your body's ability to function and yes to live as well. If you've stayed away from carbs for a while just please try to slowly increase that macro! Now how you can start to build a better relationship with carbs... Some sweet potato, rice, quinoa, beans, corn, bread, oats, etc. See all the wonderful things carbs make up! And those are just a few things! And don't forget about the bagels...
Fats.
Holy bad name alert. "FAT MAKES YOU FAT". No Hun it does not. Fat actually not only boosts energy but also regulates grown and hormones! Without fat your body will not be stable growing! Did I mention your heart cells run mostly on fatty acids? Have you thinking now? And yes TOO low fat diets can also lead to an irregular period cycle or even period loss! Losing your period is so dangerous, it means your body is unhealthy and it knows it, meaning that it knows it wouldn't be able to sustain life if you were to get pregnant. The body knows and even tells you! Fats are essential don't stay away from them because they are called fats! Fat has nothing to do with making you fat! None of the three macros do! They also are the most filling of the macros! So go ahead, use that coconut oil on your chicken and nut butter on your sweet potato! And yes people label them as unhealthy because they are 9 calories per gram but let me just throw this one at you... How can you label things like yogurt, nuts, nut butter, coconut oil, avocados, etc... As unhealthy!? Your body needs those things because of all the healthy fats they contain! And no I'm not saying stay away from higher fat snacks either because come on... Cookies are too good... Balanced diet is all you need and go ahead and treat yourself!
Proteins.
And finally… the proteins. Love proteins but in all honesty Proteins are pretty much labeled as the Cinderella macros while its sisters *carbs and fats* are the “ugly” ones. Very very very un-true. Now to start I clearly love my proteins but I make sure never to overdo the whole protein thing. So many dangers come from and over intake of protein! And it’s also part of the problem I’ve been seeing recently. I feel like some think “oh its protein so it’s healthy and I can eat 300g and not get fat” WRONG. No persons intake should be strait up protein, no matter if your bulking, cutting, working out or sedentary… just because you’re eating more protein than anything doesn’t mean that you automatically get lean and gain muscle! In order to do that you have to have a balanced diet so your body is comfortable, a combination of carbs, fats, and proteins *no leaving either one out* will help you achieve any of your goals. Working out does in fact build muscle but that’s only when your muscles have something to feed off from *cough* CARBS *cough* so no eating an entire pack of sausages alongside of bacon scrambled egg whites *although delicious* won’t get you muscle alone. Side effects of too much protein are dehydration, High cholesterol, even in some cases osteoporosis! Too much protein also reduces liver functions! Now in no means am I bashing protein! I love it! It’s just extremely concerning seeing people who are saying 100 lbs eating more protein than someone who is 250lbs! Now if you eat an accurate amount of protein… That’s when the benefits kick in! Energy, Heart health and yes Muscle Gain! Finding your body’s balance is when those protein macros is the only way all those benefits will kick in so don’t overdo it!
So there’s a little run down of the macros through my eyes! I’ve seen so many unhealthy meals recently! Plates missing carbs, Scary low fat intakes or someone’s protein macros being unrealistic… You can be healthy and eat a meal that’s 600+ calories! It’s not impossible! Nor bad for you! In fact that’s probably the best option! ESPECIALLY working out!
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