I’m absolutely delighted to have another guest blog from Peter Fitschen today.
Peter is one of the smartest guys in the fitness industry, and he’s a highly accomplished natural bodybuilder to boot, so having this piece from him is a real honour.
The nutrition industry is overrun with scams, fads and quick fixes, so Peter’s here today to help you avoid falling prey to underhand, shady, diet practices.
Take it away Peter …
I often speak with individuals who are confused about what to do when it comes to nutrition.
It’s pretty easy to understand their confusion because everywhere they turn for information; they hear completely different advice about what to do in order to reach their goals.
This problem is compounded by the fact that there are an increasing number of self-proclaimed “nutrition experts” today. However, many of these individuals are completely unqualified to be giving nutrition advice. Moreover, many of these individuals are promoting nutritional approaches or products simply to make money.
Unfortunately, many people fall for such scams because they have no real way to evaluate nutritional claims due to their lack of knowledge in the area. As someone who is educated in nutrition, it frustrates me to see how common this is so this article is my attempt to combat these scams.
To avoid scams, here are some things to ask the next time you are given nutritional advice:
We have all seen the before and after pictures of the person who supposedly lost 40lbs while gaining muscle after a month of doing a nutritional approach or taking a new supplement. When you see these things, ask yourself, is this really possible?
For reference, rates of weekly weight loss of greater than 1% of bodyweight on average have been shown to result in greater muscle loss than slower rates of loss [1]. If claims of rates of loss significantly faster than this with muscle maintenance or growth are being made (and anabolic drugs are not involved), you are likely being lied to.
When it comes to muscle growth, the fastest rate of growth ever observed in a scientific study was in beginners on steroids who gained 13lbs of lean mass in 10 weeks [2]. If claims of growth even remotely close to this rate without drugs are being made, you are likely being lied to.
Use common sense when evaluating claims. If a claim seems too good to be true, it likely is.
Any approach that creates a caloric deficit through a reduction of caloric intake and/or an increase in caloric expenditure will result in weight loss. However, very few approaches will actually result in sustained weight loss.
Research has shown that individuals who go to extremes to lose weight, have a high rate of weight re-gain [3]. In many cases, they may gain back more weight than they had lost originally (referred to as body fat overshooting) [4].
Before altering your nutritional approach, ask yourself if this is something you can see yourself doing over the long-run. If not, the approach is not going to give you the sustained results you are looking for.
It is popular to look for a single food or nutrient cause of obesity, disease, etc. Back in the 1980’s, dietary fat was blamed for obesity. In the late 1990’s/early 2000’s carbohydrates were to blame. More recently, gluten (a protein found in foods like wheat or rye) is the evil nutrient to blame.
However, the truth is that no individual food, food group, or nutrient consumed in moderation has ever been shown to be a cause of obesity or disease.
Moreover, by following strict approaches to dieting where individual foods are eliminated (without a diagnosed medical reason to eliminate them), the risk of binging and disordered eating are increased [5, 6].
In addition, by eliminating foods or food groups, you may be setting yourself up for vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
The next time someone claims you should remove something completely from your diet for a non-medical reason, know that there is no reason to remove that food. Also, ask if you can see yourself never having that food again. Most likely the answer is “no” and the approach is doomed to fail before it begins.
I do not have a marketing background; however, I am amazed at the way marketing departments can spin diets and supplements by giving them a trendy name. They may even use some research that is either not peer reviewed or that is taken completely out of context to support their claims.
However, in most circumstances, approaches that have names are things to be avoided.
Eating a diet consisting primarily of a variety of nutrient-dense foods from all food groups (unless you have a diagnosed medical reason not to) with other foods you enjoy eaten in moderation doesn’t require a name. It is how everyone should be eating for overall health.
The next time you hear someone say you should follow the _______ diet, turn and run the other direction.
There are a number of individuals selling “diet plans” out there that require you to buy a product from them in order to follow the plan.
For example, you may have to buy their meal replacement product and eat/drink it to replace 1-2 of your meals daily. However, when caloric and macronutrient intake is matched, taking their supplement or eating food is going to give you the same result.
Moreover, if you choose to take this approach you need to ask yourself if you are going to continue to buy this product rather than eating over the long-term to sustain weight loss. My bet is that you will be able to see the same results and save some money without their product.
On the other hand, maybe you are being told you just need to take a “fat burner” supplement that you can purchase.
However, there is next to no evidence that legally available “fat burners” will have a significant effect on weight loss [7].
The next time you are pitched a supplement or product, save your money and focus on consistency with your nutrition and exercise plans. Remember that supplements are meant to supplement an already solid approach, not make up for a lack of one.
Creating fear in someone is a very effective sales tactic. Common words thrown out there in the nutrition world are things like “natural,” “organic,” “genetically modified,” “toxin,” etc.
These words often evoke an emotional response. For example, most individuals would assume “natural,” “organic,” and “GMO-free” foods are healthier.
However, “natural” is not a regulated health claim in the United States and means nothing. Moreover, whether or not a food is organic or GMO-free has no impact on disease or obesity.
Another word that gets thrown around a lot is “toxin,” especially by those selling “detox” diets or supplements.
However, there are no known “toxins” that build up in the body that can be removed through a diet or supplement. Moreover, your liver and kidneys are constantly removing waste products from your body and they are very efficient at doing so.
***Side note: If you would like some entertaining reading material pertaining to “detox” products, check out the Detox Dossier to reach conversations between scientists and the makers of “detox” products: http://www.senseaboutscience.org/data/files/resources/48/Detox-Dossier-Embargoed-until-0001-5th-jan-2009.pdf ***
Keep these things in mind, the next time someone tries to use scare tactics to get you to follow their nutritional approach or buy their supplement.
The next time you are pitched a nutrition claim, ask yourself these questions. My hope is that this article will help you find approaches that are healthy and sustainable in order to reach your fitness goals (and save some money in the process).
Peter Fitschen runs Fitbody and Physique LLP, and coaches high level male and female competitors.
He also just became “Dr. Fitschen” after completing his PhD and defense in nutritional sciences, and has co-authored papers with the likes or Eric Helms and Alan Aragon.
You can contact him at –
Email: fitbodyphysique@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
Instagram: @fitbodyphysique
Check out Peter’s other guest post on whether genetics can stop you losing fat and building muscle here
==> http://www.healthylivingheavylifting.com/can-genetics-stop-you-losing-fat-and-building-muscle/
And read more about the Body By Vi nutrition scam at http://www.healthylivingheavylifting.com/body-by-vi-scam/
References
Tags: body by vi, clean eating, detox scam, evidence-based, herbalife, iifym myths, isagenix, peter fitschen, scams, weight watchers
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Quick, to the point, clear and simple rules of thumb – this is excellent. Thanks to both of you.
-Andy.
Cheers for this guys, nice to read an article outlining what people can watch out for before falling for another sixpackshortcuts product.
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