February 22nd 2024 | Ashleigh Kidd, RD, LDN
Hey team! Back here again to separate fact from fiction when it comes to nutrition. Want your burning questions answered? Head to our IG (@f45Training) every Thursday during Challenge to play Fact or Fiction and submit your nutrition questions to be answered by your Challenge Dietitian!
Alright, let’s play!
Fact or Fiction: “Meal Prepping requires too much time!”
Fiction!
Meal prepping can seem like a daunting task, but meal prepping can be what you make it! Whether you have an extra 30 minutes or 2-3 hours to spend on prep, this time spent will allow you to get more time back during the week and set you up for success when it comes to food choices.
Writing down your ideas for meals at the beginning of each week or the day before you go grocery shopping is the best place to start.
Once you have your outline, you’re ready to shop for whatever you don’t already have in the house. Something that I highly recommend is “food prepping”. If you’re not someone who wants to prepare all your meals at once for the week, this is much more flexible option. It can look like prepping your foods for the week so that they are easy to grab and fix each day. i.e. washing and chopping your produce so that part is already done for you when it comes time to prepare your meal.
Fact or Fiction: “Fasted cardio is better than fed cardio for fat loss!”
Not necessarily!
A recent study looked at two groups: one group that fasted before cardio, eating 30 minutes after exercise, and a second group that ate 1 hour before exercise. Both groups consumed the same diet for the same 6 week period. At the end of the study, both groups yielded similar weight loss and body fat percentage. These findings align with past studies that also concluded fasted exercise vs fed, does not yield greater weight loss or fat mass loss.
It also depends on your lifestyle & routine! If working out first thing in the morning before eating feels good for you, then go for it, but keep in mind it’s not “better” than fed exercise for fat loss. It’s also important to note that most people do feel best eating before exercise. Learn more about pre/post workout fuel here.
Fact or Fiction: “Sugar cravings are normal”
There’s more to it!
While it’s completely normal to include your favorite sweets into your life here and there, if you are craving them all the time or having thoughts about sweet treats consistently, start by asking yourself the following:
- Are you eating enough throughout the day?
- Are your meals balanced (protein, carbs, fat)?
- Are you restricting certain foods?
- How is your sleep schedule?
- High stress levels?
- Do you allow yourself to become ravenous before eating?
If any of these are off, this could contribute to increased sweets cravings ^^
Try to:
- eat consistent meals throughout the day (don’t skip meals)
- Aim for a balance of macros are your meals, making sure you’re not skipping out on protein and fiber!
- Normalize adding in a favorite sweet to your day or week mindfully- this will help take sweets off of a pedestal and you won’t be thinking about sugar as much as you normalize it.
Have you ordered your meals for the remainder of Challenge? Check your area here for suppliers here.
For additional nutrition and wellness support, you can always check out F45 Articles for tips on how to improve your nutrition and relationship with food.
