Busting Weight Loss Myths and Uncovering the Truth

00:00Real quick, the only ask I could ever have of you guys is to help spread the word so we can help more women lose body fat, build muscle, reach their goals, and feel insanely confident. And the only way we can do that is if you rate, review, and share this podcast. So the single thing I ask for you to do is if you could leave a review. It will take you 10 seconds, and it will mean the absolute world to me and may change the world of someone else. When a new WarriorBabe joins us, most likely, 90% of the time, make them go through a retrained process.

00:31Because if you're eating 700 calories on a daily basis and you're looking to lose weight, we're not going to get anywhere because your metabolism isn't necessarily going to work with us. It's going to work against us. What is going on, you guys? Welcome to The WarriorBabe Show with Nikkie Stott, co-founder of WarriorBabe. And on this podcast, we talk about mindset, methodologies, and tactics that will help you lose body fat, build muscle, be strong, and feel insanely confident.

01:04I am your host, Nikkie Stott, and welcome to today's episode. Episode number 227. And today, we're going to dive into a topic that's full of misinformation, but also so important to understand. I want to share with you guys what I believe to be some of the biggest fat loss myths that are still floating around within the fitness space. I don't know how or why we're still here in these narratives, but we are.

01:37And so I want to just make sure that you guys are well aware of this information so that you, if you find yourself looking for a program to get into or a trainer to follow or a fitness page to be inspired by, whatever it may be, if they're saying anything along these lines, please run for the hills, block them, and never engage with their account again. Or be like, okay, sorry, I'm not going to go with your services and I'm going to move on. Because these three things I want to talk about today, I believe are misinformed, are detrimental, and are just downright silly.

02:19Okay, so that's what we're going to talk about today is some of these biggest fat loss myths. And these myths have been floating around for freaking decades. And they're holding people back like you guys, if you're still thinking that they're true, or even anybody that's potential going into this new year, that are falling into these myths and thinking that they're actually real, or they can get sustainable results from doing X, Y, and Z of what I'm going to talk about today. So a few of the things I'm going to say is, if you've ever been told that eating less is important, or that you followed somebody and said you had to cut out X, Y, and Z to eat less, or you've been given a plan that is like 1200 calories or 900 calories or 1100 calories, or you don't even know how many calories are in it, you're just given a PDF to follow.

03:04It's likely that it's less food than you actually should be consuming on a daily basis. If you've been told the carbs are the enemy, yes, you've heard me say this time and time and time and time again, but we're going to dive back into that one because that one is just full of misinformation. And then if you've ever, I've been seeing this more frequently, and I'm sure you guys have seen it too as well, but like hearing or seeing that low fat means that it's actually healthy. Those are the things that I'm going to dive into talking about today.

03:35I'm going to say the eating less is key one for last because I feel like that is one of the most detrimental and ones that you should be aware of to not fall into the trap of. Okay. I want to replace all of these myths with facts that you need to stay informed on and to be empowered on your journey and to know that you don't have to follow these specific things for to achieve results in the immediate or in the long run. Okay. So let's kick it off with, first of all, one of the biggest myths out there, which is, and again, like I've been seeing this more frequently and I'm sure you guys have too as well, but hearing that low fat means it's healthy.

04:17I don't know about you guys, but the reason why I was inspired to talk about this topic today was because being in the grocery stores, like if you see a granola bar or you see a yogurt or you see, um, God, what did I see? Fig newtons. It used to be my favorite thing growing up. If you know, you know, or anything like along the lines of something that may be labeled low fat. And you think, Oh, cool. Like this is better for me because it says low fat. Here's the truth. Low fat doesn't always mean it's better for you.

04:50Many of these low fat products that you're seeing, they are loaded with sugar. They're loaded with artificial flavors. They're loaded with additives to make up for the lack of flavor. You know what I'm talking about? Have you ever bought these items and you bit into them and then they taste awesome? And then you have you, I challenge you guys just like bringing this information and being self-aware of it to you. Next time you're in the grocery store and you see this, just check out the nutrition label.

05:23See how many sugars are actually involved. Or if it says that they're sugar alcohols, read the ingredients. And if the ingredients are words that you can't even say out loud or articulate, then it most likely means that it's not good for you. And if like the ingredient list is a laundry list of items, it's probably not good for you. And also, all of that extra sugar, it can actually, even though it's artificial or it's loaded with sugar or whatever, it still can spike your insulin levels.

06:01And that means it's going to lead to more, you're going to have more fat storage over time. So just because this is low fat and it's marketed that way, it doesn't actually mean it's better for you. So what I want to share as I'm saying each of these things with you is like, what's a better option, Nikki? Great question. Whole fat options in moderation. Healthy fats like those that are in avocados, those that are in nuts, those that are in olive oil.

06:34Those are extremely beneficial for your hormone health, for your brain function, and for long-term weight management, fat loss, XYZ. Long-term. Long-terms are permanent solutions, not these short-term temporary fixes that you guys are looking. That's one of our values at WarriorVib. We're not a short-term temporary fix. We're a long-term permanent solution. And I want you guys to think of it like that too as well. When you see these things are either marketing or low-carb or eat a thousand calories a day.

07:09Short-term temporary fix. You're going to get some type of result from that. Maybe in 30, 60, 90 days. But is it a long-term solution? No. Cutting carbs out. Can you maintain that sustainably for the rest of your life? And I know I'm going to get that into the next one. But the answer is no. Can you eat less for the rest of your life? No. Without something detrimental happening. It's going to be my word for this episode today. Okay. So for this first one, for myth number one, low-fat means healthy.

07:39Don't be afraid of fat. Your body needs it. It's about choosing the right kinds of fat, not avoiding it altogether. Okay. So it's myth number one. Myth number two is carbs are the enemy. The poor scapegoat of the diet world. Let's settle this one once and for all. Carbs are not bad. Carbs are not bad. Carbs are not the enemy.

08:11The problem isn't carbs themselves. It is the type of carbs and the balance in your diet. So refined carbs like white bread or pastries or sugary snacks, those things will spike your blood sugar and they will leave you feeling sluggish. But on the flip side, complex carbs like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, those things provide

08:42you sustained energy and they're packed with fiber, they're packed with vitamins, and they're packed with minerals. So you got to look at carbs being in two buckets of things. One is like, we call, in the world of nutrition, we call it simple carbs. Simple carbs are something that are beneficial when you're around working out, but not really for the rest of the day, unless they're paired. This is, and we're getting a little complex here. This is why I always highly recommend working with somebody of a professional that is in

09:15this space that knows this stuff, that understands how nutrition truly affects our body and the cells and the processes internally and our hormones. Because I don't expect you guys to know this stuff. And I wouldn't expect, you know, our coaches and warrior babe for you guys to know this stuff. This is our responsibility and it's our profession to teach you guys these things. But if I'm trying to break it down into not science-y terms for you to understand and walk away from, think about simple carbs that spike your blood sugar.

09:47Those are good. And then think about like a muffin. If you have a muffin in the morning, you probably feel like you could take on the world for the first 20, 30 minutes because you have a spike in energy, spike in blood sugar. And then an hour later, you probably feel like you're crashing. And that goes for anything that's like a sugary snack or white bread or simple refined carbs. You're going to probably feel a little bit of a spike. And that's why they're good for pre-workout because you can go put it into use. But if you're not doing anything after you eat this, you're going to notice that you're

10:20going to feel a different energy in an hour or so. Complex carbs, still you can use these around your workouts too as well. So you can use either or, but one would be really specifically around workouts being simple carbs. The other one being complex carbs. You can use those whenever you want. But those are like oatmeal or fruits or vegetables or brown rice or like things that have their pat there. They give you sustained energy. Why? Because think of like a, I don't know why my brain went to this, but think of Adderall. There's a long-term release, if I'm saying that right.

10:53And then there's a short-term release. So there's ones that are extended releases over time. That's the same way that what complex carbs does for your body. It gives you sustained energy over time. So you eat it and let's say you don't have to, you won't go work out. And this is an example from their hour, an hour and a half. If you have this in your, your body, your bloodstream, your system, you're going to be able to carry the energy load of your workout for two, three hours. Whereas simple carbs, you're going to take, you're going to eat it and you're going to go work out and you're going to most likely be crashed after like an hour because your

11:24body works through them faster. I hope that I'm making that make sense for you guys. Quick break. If you're finding this episode helpful so far, it would mean a lot. If you could hit pause for just a second, leave a quick rating or a review or share it with someone who could benefit from it. Your support helps more women discover these tools to build muscle, lose fat and feel confident. Thank you so much for being a part of this journey with me. Also think of it like this as I kind of just touched on it, but carbs are your body's primary

11:55source of energy, especially if you're working out on a consistent basis. Because if you cut carbs too much, that's going to lead to low energy. That's going to lead to brain fog. It's going to lead to even more muscle loss. Something that you don't want if you're working hard toward getting toned and having strong muscular body, which muscular muscle is just another, like having more muscle is, is you being toned. So for this myth number two, do not fear carbs.

12:28That's why I love preaching like the understanding of how carbs systematically break down in our body and how they're used for fuel. Because if you know that, you know the why behind it and you're educated on it, you won't fear carbs. And then you could go and teach the next person. It's like, I don't eat carbs. Why don't you eat carbs? Carbs make me fat. Why do carbs? Why do you think carbs make you make you fat? Because I eat carbs and all of a sudden I step on the scale and I'm weighing more.

12:59This is like a different example. That could be like, oh, well, every carb that you eat holds on to X amount of water weight. Or maybe that's like a different example, but that's a prime example of how you can have a conversation with someone. People think that they gain weight from carbs. For this example, like, you know, somebody could be like, I'm always hungry throughout the day. Okay, cool. Tell me what you're eating throughout the day. Oh, well, I have, um, I wake up and I have eggs and a muffin or I have a muffin or I stop

13:31at Starbucks and I grab something that is, you know, at their counter or I'm always on the go. So I'm grabbing something quick. And so I got a muffin at Wawa. I don't know. Stick with me with that. Because a lot of people at the beginning of their journey don't have a really good diet to begin with. And why they're hungry at the end of the day is that they're lacking in protein. And then they're also eating refined carbohydrates, making them hungrier because they're spiking their blood sugar. So all in all, just for this one, choose complex carbs, nutrient dense options, and balance

14:03them with protein and fats for a well balanced meal. Like you can still have like white bread or white rice, or you can still have, I don't want to sound like you can't have pastries or the sugary things. Like it's all about balance. Like I still allow myself to have those things today, but it's more so of like a 80-20 rule with me, or maybe even a 90-10. Like you don't ever want to restrict yourself from things. You just need to know how to balance them better. If your day is consisting of 80% of refined carbohydrates, you need to flip that.

14:34You need to change that. And then when you're having any simple carb, like later in the, like if you're having a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, what's going to help you to not have an immediate blood sugar spike is the fats and the protein that you eat with it. Okay. So all in all, I'll say that is number two. Number three is the myth around eating less is always better. You've probably heard people say, just eat fewer calories. You'll lose weight.

15:05Or like I said at the beginning of the episode, maybe you've been, maybe you followed someone that gave you like a PDF. Have you ever taken like some, if you're following a PDF plan, I encourage you guys to take that PDF plan that you're looking at and put it into MyFitnessPal and see how many calories you're actually being asked to consume on a daily basis. I would guarantee maybe 80% of the time that you are being told to eat around like a thousand to 1100 calories. Why? Because PDFs are typically used for universal people, meaning like used to give it to the

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16:45When you can't do that because everybody is drastically different and people require different caloric intakes on a daily basis because no one person is the same. If you are hearing these things or you're following people that say just eat fewer calories and you'll get to your goal, calorie balance matters. But eating too little will entirely backfire on you. When you're not eating enough, I'm sure you guys have heard about this, but your body goes into survival mode essentially.

17:18And I'm saying this in layman terms so you guys understand me. Basically what happens here is your metabolism slows down and your body starts to hold on to fat because it thinks that, oh, I'm not getting my normal caloric intake that I even need to survive on a daily basis. So we're going to go back, you know, to how we used to thrive and live and just survive. I wouldn't even say thrive. I should say just survive. As your body starts to consume and hold on to the energy and it's going to do that by storing excess body fat.

17:53And at that point, when your metabolism slows down and your body starts holding on to this fat, at the same time, your body is also adapting to this lower caloric intake. And so let's say you eat 700 calories one day, but then you eat 1400 calories the next day, and then you eat 500 calories, and then you eat 2000 calories.

18:23It's all over the place. So your body doesn't, your body is a machine. And so it wants some type of consistency in order to thrive, in order for you to get the results that you want to see. So think of it like that, if that makes sense, for you to have a consistent caloric intake calorie balance on a daily basis. But what matters is that also too is what, and this is, you know, macros,

18:54and you guys know I love macros. At first approaching, if you are somebody that's brand new, first approach it with focusing on calories, and then you can dive into focusing on what the calories are made up of with protein, fats, and carbs. But either way, when your body is having those imbalanced calories throughout the week, your body, whatever is you're eating more of is going to get stored, because your body is adapted to 700 calories. That's making sense. So when a new warrior babe joins us,

19:27we most likely 90% of the time make them go through a retrained process. Because if you're eating 700 calories on a daily basis, and you're looking to lose weight, we're not going to get anywhere because your metabolism isn't necessarily going to work with us. It's going to work against us. You can't eat 700 calories and lose weight. To put it into perspective, your normal BMR, your basal metabolic rate, like the calories you need to consume on a daily basis just to survive, is sometimes typically between like 1,200 to 1,500 calories,

19:59depending on the muscle mass that you have on your body, depending on how active you are, depending on how old you are. So you need to eat just that amount of calories to allow your body to survive. And a lot of people are eating 700 calories and they're overweight. And why exactly? Because of the way what I'm explaining. And I think I just light bulb went off for another podcast episode on explaining that a little bit more. Because I don't think that people understand, well, I don't eat a lot throughout the day and I'm still gaining weight.

20:31Let me break that down for you. I'm going to do that in another episode. Not only at the same time does this make fat loss harder when you start eating less, but it also leaves you feeling fatigued. It leaves you feeling irritable. It leaves you prone to having tons and tons of cravings. It leaves you not having good night's sleeps. So instead of starving yourself, focus on fueling your body with enough protein, enough healthy fats and the good carbs to keep your metabolism going and revving and wanting more.

21:01I always love, I love the testimonials that are shared within the Warrior Babe team of the women that are eating more and seeing way more results within their body composition than the changes that they want to see because they're eating more food. It's because your metabolism is like, and your body is like, thank you for finally giving me this fuel. So here's a simple rule. Think of food as fuel, not the enemy. When you nourish your body and you give your body what it wants,

21:31it's going to perform better. It's going to burn fat more efficiently. And I like to say this, like burning fat efficiently, to break it down, you don't have a tangible look at the internal processes and systems and cellular functions of your body and what's going on internally. Like you can't see that. But when you give your body what it wants and what it needs, trust that on the inside, internally, your body is thanking you so much. And it's starting to work so much better.

22:04If you guys go to Warrior Babe's website, warriorbabe.com forward slash success, you're going to see all of our Warrior Babe's success stories. And in almost every single one of them, they all share that they are eating way more food. I actually just did one today with the Warrior Babe's incredible story. And I'm going to totally air it on the podcast. She's eating 400 to 500 more calories on a daily basis and has lost 20 pounds and three inches around her belly and four inches around her waist.

22:36And she's 51 years old. Eating 500 more calories a day. Going through, she's not even in menopause yet. She's in perimenopause. And when she said that, I was like, oh, can you just say that louder? Because like a lot of women think you have to eat less. And it's not your fault. It's the marketing. It's what you've been told. It's what you've seen. It's just it's ingrained in you. But I want to rewrite that narrative. And I hope I'm doing it here. But I also want to have you guys go check out those other resources to hear not only from me, but from other people. All right.

23:07So let's wrap up today's podcast and some of these key takeaways so that you know how to navigate these myths with facts. Number one, fat is your friend, not your enemy. Choose healthy fats, avocados, nuts, olive oil, like those things in moderation. They're critical for your health and they're critical for your hormones. Number two, carbs are not the bad guy. Balance is key. Opt for like, you know, 80% of your day to be oatmeal and bagels and fruits and veggies

23:42and all those things. And if you want to have at the end of the night, like I do, sometimes I have dark chocolate or I have ice cream or I have something that is of the 20% that I'm willing to negotiate because I'm not going to give up something. And I still have and all the tons of warrior babes have incredible results by doing and following those rules. So opt for that balance. And then lastly, eating less isn't the answer. Focus on giving your body what it needs and what it wants and fueling it with the right

24:15amount of food to support your energy and to support your metabolism. Because when it comes to fat loss, when it comes to weight loss, it's not about fads. It's not about quick fixes. It's not about cutting out entire food groups. It's about balance. It's about making smarter choices than what you're making right now or what has led you to where you are today and fueling your body in a way that supports your goals for the long term. Long term permanent solutions instead of short term temporary fixes.

24:46Okay. And at the end of the day, you guys like literally this whole journey, weight loss, fat loss, it doesn't have to be complicated. It is literally about consistency over perfection and just trusting the process. Don't let these myths or these quick fixes or whatever is hold you back or make you second guess your choices. Okay. So I hope this episode helped you. If it resonated with you, I please ask that you share it with someone who needs to hear the truth about fat loss and about their journey.

25:18And maybe they're just starting off and like you want to be like, hey, this is a really good resource. This is a really good episode for something to listen to because I don't want you to fall into the trap that I fell into five years ago and I kind of just got out of three or three or third, you know, two years ago. You know what I'm saying? Like share this with somebody that needs to hear this and maybe just starting their own journey. Or if you know a friend that's like, or Karen, that's like, I'm just going to eat less because I need to lose more weight. Send it to her. All my Karens out there. I love you. All right, you guys. I'll see you next time. Peace out. Hey, really quick before you go, I have one small favor to ask.

25:52If this episode brought you value or sparked something in you, take just a moment to hit that review button. Your rating and review make all of the difference. Helping more women discover the tools they need to transform the fitness and their confidence. It takes less than a minute, but it can change the path of someone else's journey. Thank you so much for leaving that review. I appreciate you so much.

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