In this instalment of F45 Training’s Fact or Fiction: Nutrition series, we’re cutting through common nutrition claims to help you better understand what supports your training, wellbeing and relationship with food. Below, registered dietitian Ashleigh Kidd answers real nutrition questions from the F45 community, unpacking the difference between helpful guidance, common misconceptions and advice that needs more context.
In Volume 10, we’re exploring three key topics: why eating too few calories may work against your fitness goals, how labeling foods as “bad” or “off-limits” can make them feel even harder to resist, and whether protein powder is truly necessary for reaching your training goals.
Ready to put these nutrition claims to the test? Let’s get into it!
“Eating too few calories is not ideal for fitness goals or a healthy lifestyle”
Fact!
Under-fueling can result in:
- Feeling out of control around food. Do you ever get home from work and feel like you’re grabbing for everything but the kitchen sink? When you don’t eat enough during the day, it’s highly likely when you finally get around food you’re going to feel quite out of control. You’ve passed “I could eat” and it’s more like “I’M STARVING”. When this happens, you’ll likely overeat because your hunger cues are a bit out of whack and you don’t have time to slow down and mindfully prepare a meal or snack. Eating enough during the day, consistently, can help with this out of control feeling.
- Lack of energy. Are you hitting that 2-3pm slump? Eating consistently throughout the day, making sure that you’re eating enough, and getting a variety of macronutrients and micronutrients in your meals is key. Check out our guide to how to build a balanced and satisfying plate to learn how to tailor meals so you feel your best.
- Increased thoughts about food. When we are under-fueled, skip meals, or perhaps cut out on certain macronutrients or foods, you can almost always bet on having increased thoughts about those foods. Always thinking of what you’re going to eat next, or maybe what foods or meals you have “off-limits”. It may seem the most “normal” to skip and cut foods out to reach your health goals because that’s likely what you grew up hearing from family, friends, and media. But in reality, this only harms your relationship with food and doesn’t serve you physically or mentally. Fueling your body, having a positive relationship with food, and reaching your health goals can all co-exist.
“Labeling & thinking of certain foods as “bad” or “off-limits” actually increases the desire for that food”
Fact!
I can probably bet you’re familiar with food labels in one way or another, maybe without even realizing it! We’ve all seen or heard about foods, like salad, labeled as “good” or “clean” and other foods, like pizza, labeled as “bad”. Unfortunately, diet talk is so normalized and is part of daily conversation. For example, “I was so bad this weekend. I need to make up for it today.” You may have heard this from your parents growing up, friends, family, TV, or social media.
Here’s where the issue lies:
When we eat something we’ve labeled as “bad”, this often leads to guilt or shame. When we eat something “good”, we feel great about ourselves… until we eat something “bad” again. The reality is food has NO moral value– it’s just food. Some foods are more nutrient dense, and some aren’t. In fact, labeling food as “bad” or “off limits” actually increases the desire for that food and you end up putting that food on a pedestal.
This may lead to:
- Increased or obsessive thoughts about that food
- Increased consumption of that food when you restrict or cut it out. When you’re finally around that food, like at a special event or a birthday party, you might eat as much as you possibly can because you don’t know when the next time you’ll allow yourself to eat it.
Are we saying to only focus on less nutrient-dense foods? Of course not. But we are saying it’s okay and normal to incorporate your favorite foods without guilt and without derailing your goals.
“You need protein powder to reach your fitness goals”
Fiction!
Like other dietary supplements, such as creatine, protein powder can be a great and convenient tool to assist with overall protein intake. That being said, protein powder is sometimes marketed as essential, magical, and the end all be all when it comes to muscle gains and/or fat loss, with false claims and promises sometimes attached.
Overall, supplements might not hurt, but if you’re eating a balanced diet, you are likely getting the protein and other nutrients you need from food, and protein powder isn’t always necessary.
Want to keep challenging common nutrition claims? Continue to Volume 11 of F45 Training’s Fact or Fiction: Nutrition series, where registered dietitian Ashleigh Kidd breaks down more food and fitness myths to help you fuel your goals with confidence.
