Balanced Nutrition vs. Dieting. What is the difference and how can you tell?
How many times have you tried a diet?
Keto.
Paleo.
Optavia.
Whole 30.
Beach Body.
What things do all these diets have in common?
- Restriction.
- Cutting out major food groups.
- Focusing on what you CAN’T have.
Remember as a kid (or maybe you see this with your kids now) the more you got told you can’t have something the more you wanted it? That doesn’t go away when we become an adult. When we focus on the can’t it becomes nearly impossible to adhere because our brains aren’t wired that way.
On top of that, as a society we have become so obsessed over “what diet will get us the fastest results” that we have gotten completely away from what’s really important….
BALANCED NUTRITION
Balanced nutrition is eating many whole foods based items as we can and sprinkling in other foods we want to enjoy (like that chocolate bar you crave)
Of course, balancing your nutrition takes some educating; especially if you have been conditioned by the Diet Culture (Spoiler: if you live in this world, you have been influenced by the diet culture and probably need some re-educating around nutrition).
Here are 3 things you need to know about balanced nutrition:
1. Balanced Nutrition does not cut out major food groups.
For example, in keto, you are told to eat extremely low (or no)carbs. Therefore you are cutting out 1 major component of our food groups; the complex carbs that are necessary for optimal energy, hormone, and thyroid support.
P.S. If you didn’t know this, keto was actually created for people with epilepsy so it is a medically prescribed diet. Not meant for a relatively healthy person that is just looking to lose some weight and get in shape. In fact, many people come back worse off than prior to doing keto.
2. Balanced Nutrition does not focus on the "can’t haves".
News flash: There are no “good” and “bad” foods, or even “clean” foods (like in WHOLE 30). Diets like WHOLE 30, who even claim to not be a diet but then focus on entire lists of foods you can’t have are not a balanced approach to nutrition.
Sure there are foods we want to eat more of, and others that we only want to have once in a while. There are also certainly some foods that certain people cut out or avoid because of sensitivities or allergies, but for the average person that list is 2-3 foods long. Not 5-6 pages in a book.
Any “program” that tells you some food is clean (while others are… what? Dirty?) This is a sneaky way of being a diet without calling yourself a diet.
3. Balanced Nutrition does not restrict you to numbers or times you can eat.
I can’t even count the number of times a client comes to me because they can’t lose weight even though they are eating 1200 calories (or less) a day. GRRR. This infuriates me (looking at you Optivia).
This is NOT balanced nutrition. This is barely nutrition at all. Anyone can starve themselves and lose fat. The body CAN survive with fewer calories but it certainly does not mean it is functioning optimally. On top of that forcing your body to live in this survival state, unsurprisingly leads to a HOST of health-related issues.
So, what IS Balanced Nutrition?
A real, balanced, sustainable way to approach nutrition for a healthy lifestyle is to learn how to eat all 3 Macros (Carbs, Fats, Proteins). Each one of these macros has their place and purpose. When we focus on how to balance these for our own health, body and goals we stop focusing on the can’t haves, the bad foods, and the numbers. Instead we focus on how we can fuel our body best for optimal energy and health from within.
By the way, I know that understanding macros can be a little overwhelming at first. So I created this quick video: What the heck are macros to help you get a better understanding of what macros are and how they will help you on your journey to balanced nutrition.
Is it really that easy?
Contrary to popular belief, just counting calories and focusing on macros does not always work. Sure, it’s part of the equation but it’s not everything. Your Hormones, thyroid, and gut health need to be considered here too. If you have anything off with your hormones it can be difficult to lose weight and keep it off no matter what you do.
Your body is a bio-individual, meaning it is unique. What works for you might not work for someone else and vice versa. That is why I don’t coach with a one size fits all mindset. I meet you where you are at and together we come up with an approach and plan based on what’s going on with your health and body. This is why my clients not only see real results that are lifelong but also learn to heal their relationship with food along the way.
If you are ready to ditch Diet Culture for good and learn how to live a balanced and optimal lifestyle, download this free guide on how to build the perfect meal.
Welcome to the UnDiet Yourself Revolution
Inside the UnDiet Yourself community, I teach you to take a holistic approach to your health. You’ll learn the foundations of health and nutrition for a sustainable healthy lifestyle that will last a lifetime. Some of the areas I specialize in are hormones, gut health, macros, mindset, movement and habit building.