Fat Loss Myths: Carbs, Skipping Meals and Spot Reduction

Nikkiey: Carbs are bad and should be avoided. Eat all the carbs, you're going to blow up like a pufferfish. Carbs make you fat. Oh my god, this is such a terrible myth.

What's going on, you guys? Welcome back to The WarriorBabe Show with Nikkiey Stott, co-founder and brand personality of WarriorBabe, where we talk about mindset, methodologies, and tactics that will help you lose body fat, build muscle, be strong, and feel insanely confident. I am your host, Nikkiey Stott, and welcome to episode number 13, all about diving into six terrible myths about fat loss. Y'all, I'm going in today.

I told you guys in episode number one that I was going to bring to this podcast no bullshit, no nonsense, and nothing but the truth, because it'll set you free as you embark on your fitness journey. Maybe you know some of these myths and you've already broken past them, or maybe there's going to be a new one today where you're like, oh damn, I have been a victim of this myth. And I'm going to break free because I listened to this podcast, Nikkiey broke it down, and the truth will set you free.

Okay, guys? So we're going to have some fun today. I'm going to just tear these apart. This is going to come from experience too, because I believed some of these myths when I first started my journey. So if anybody's in my shoes where I was eight years ago, I'm going to break it down for you and hopefully set you free. That's just going to be the motto for today: the truth will set you free. Okay, let's dive into it. Let's get down to business.

Number one of the six terrible myths about fat loss: crash diets and extreme calorie restriction will lead to long-term weight loss.

False. I'm going in on the biggest, most annoying one first. I freaking hate this false promise. They aren't labeled crash diets and extreme calorie restriction in the marketing, as they promise long-term weight loss, but they're exactly that. You're not going to see something online that says, crash diets, long-term weight loss, hop on board. No. But any quick diet promising you that you're going to lose 10 pounds in two weeks is a calorie restriction, eat-nothing diet that you will never be able to maintain. Okay?

Crash diets and extreme calorie restriction can lead to rapid weight loss. Of course, you jump on board and you lose those pounds in two weeks, but often at the expense of losing some muscle mass and your overall freaking health. Okay? These types of diets are not sustainable. You guys know this. This is probably one you're already aware of, but we're starting off with the most common one. They're not sustainable, and they're likely to lead to weight regain once your normal eating habits are resumed.

We've all been there. We've all tried one or two or ten of these freaking diets in our lifetime, and we've all experienced the weight regain once a diet ends and all of your normal eating habits go back to where they were before you started. That's because of the deprivation of the diet. Are you not eating? Are you cutting out certain things? Are you going down to a thousand calories per day? Oh my God. That makes my whole body cringe. Of course, once you're done with the diet, you're going to go back to other things, because you've been starving this entire time and you've eliminated the things you enjoy. It sucks. So crash dieting, losing 10 pounds in two weeks, is not going to serve you for the long term.

Also, crash diets can disrupt the hormones that regulate your hunger and your metabolism. That's what makes it more difficult to maintain the weight loss long term. You crash diet for two weeks to lose 10 pounds, and all of your hormones are just thrown off. Hunger, metabolism, everything. It just makes it hard for you to maintain the weight loss long term. Okay? So that's number one. Crash diets and extreme calorie restriction will lead to long-term weight loss. False. Absolutely false.

Number two: skipping meals will help you lose weight. Like, skip breakfast and you'll spike your fat loss by 80% type of shit. Bullshit. I call BS.

Look, skipping meals can lead to you overeating later in the day, and it can also slow down your metabolism. When you go long periods without eating, your body goes into this starvation mode, and your metabolism slows down to conserve energy. It just makes it harder to lose weight in the long run. Guys, think about it. This was me at the beginning of my journey. As I was sharing with you at the beginning, I'm speaking from experience. I skipped breakfast. I skipped lunch. And then I was overeating 3,000 calories for dinner because I was starving.

So it's not the answer here. The answer is eating regular, balanced meals throughout the day. That will keep your metabolism stable, and that will keep you from overeating. Skipping meals can also lead to you experiencing low blood sugar. I have experienced this one too many times, actually recently. I'll share a story. It makes you feel tired. It makes you feel irritable. It makes you feel hangry. And it increases the risk of you overeating and binging later in the day, or X, Y, and Z.

So, story time. A couple weeks ago, I was just off with my meals for the day. I think I only ate breakfast and maybe a protein bar in the middle of the day, and we went out to dinner at night. In the hour to an hour and a half before going out to dinner, oh my God, I had the worst headache of my life. I felt so faint. I felt like I was going to pass out. Very lightheaded. And it was because my blood sugar was dropping. And I couldn't hold a conversation for more than 30 seconds without being irritable because I was so hungry.

Then we get to dinner. We went to Eddie V's, and they give you bread and stuff to eat before your appetizers and entrees come out. I was just devouring this bread because I was so hungry. And I knew bread was going to help in that instance. But it didn't help, because I was just eating everything. I was overeating. I was binging on the food. And then comes the entree and I'm not even hungry. So skipping meals is just not a good idea, guys. It's not going to help you lose fat.

Okay, you want to feed your body. You want to feed your metabolism. You want to keep it going. Your muscles, if you're looking to build muscle and lose body fat, your muscle is active tissue. It never stops. So it needs energy. It needs food. It needs fuel in order to be built, to be repaired, to go into workouts, X, Y, and Z. So don't skip any meals. It's not going to serve you. That was number two.

Number three. Oh, number three. I know people are breaking this one. They know it's a myth. But there are some others who just need a little extra push. So, number three: carbs are bad and should be avoided. Eat all the carbs, you're going to blow up like a pufferfish. Carbs make you fat. Oh my God. This is such a terrible myth. It's led so many women to literally fear eating carbs, and that sucks. I'm here to tell you to eat the damn carbs, please. Let's make carbs great again.

If your goal is to build muscle, decrease body fat, have more definition in your body, change your body composition, carbs are your best friend in order to achieve that type of goal. Carbs are an important source of energy for the body. They play a key role in maintaining energy levels and supporting muscle growth. So please don't eliminate carbohydrates. It's important, though, to consume the right types of carbohydrates, such as whole grains, anything that has a complex makeup, vegetables, fruits, and to consume them in the right amount. If you do eat 3,000 calories worth of carbohydrates, yeah, you're going to gain weight, okay?

But if you eat the right amount, you're good. That's why I love macronutrients so much, because they help you be aware of your food intake during the day and aware of the carbs you're eating during the day. If you consume the right amount, you're good. You're golden. And two, you know the diets out there. I don't need to say them, but eliminating an entire food group from your diet leads to nutrient deficiencies, and it just makes it harder to stick to the diet long term. None of these things that eliminate food groups are sustainable.

Are you going to go without carbs for the rest of your life? No. So why waste your time on it? Understand how to incorporate them in a sustainable, realistic way into your lifestyle, and you're golden. You're not going to waste any time. You're going to make better use of your time by following something that makes sense logically.

Hey, real quick. If you want to learn more about macronutrients and understand that methodology and how it can help you achieve your body composition goals of changing the way your body looks, I put together a free 15-minute training where I dive into macronutrients and how you can control your body for the rest of your life with them. That link is in the description below. Click on it after listening to the show today.

That was number three. Carbs are not going to make you fat. Carbs are not the enemy. Make carbs great again.

Number four. Oh, I think this is one of my favorite ones. Number four: you can target specific areas of your body for weight loss.

Lies. Spot reduction, where you try to lose weight in specific areas of your body, is not possible. I have seen this one too many times in fitness communities and the fitness space, with influencers online saying spot reduction for the butt, spot reduction for the thighs, spot reduction for the abs. Weight loss occurs, fat loss occurs, guys, when you burn more calories than you consume, and it happens all over the body. Not just in specific areas.

Also, where your body loses fat is largely determined by your genetics and by your hormones, and you cannot control where the fat is lost. Point blank. That's the truth. Okay? So, for example, you cannot spot reduce fat on your stomach by doing a large number of crunches or sit-ups. These are the people who go in there seven days a week to train abs for 30 minutes a day, trying to spot reduce and target the fat on their abdomen.

Honey, it ain't about the fat in the abdomen. It's the way you eat during the day. You cannot spot reduce fat on your stomach by doing amplified core workouts. Look, those exercises may strengthen your abdominal muscles, but they will not specifically target the fat in that area. You're not going to magically burn away that fat by doing an endless amount of crunches. Okay. And you also cannot spot reduce fat on your thighs by doing a large number of exercises. Those of you who want to lose fat in your inner thighs and magically think doing a bunch of adductions is going to do that, it's just not going to happen.

The best way to lose weight is to create a calorie deficit, like I've talked about before and we'll always continue to talk about, by eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly. You guys know that. That will result in overall weight loss, right? Yep. As you lose weight and incorporate more strength training exercises, the fat will come off in various areas of your body, and you will see improvements in the overall shape and tone of your body. That is you changing your body composition. Okay.

It's also worth mentioning that people tend to have different body shapes and fat storage patterns, so many people may naturally have more or less fat in certain areas. For example, typically, if you are doing this right, you'll see fat loss happen from the head down, first through to your lower half. This is exactly how I experienced it. This is exactly how the majority of women experience it.

Not everyone does. As I said, everyone has different body shapes and fat storage patterns. But typically you will notice fat loss happening from the head first, down through to your lower half. Meaning, ladies, the legs and beyond are typically the last and most stubborn fat to lose, right? I've seen this so many times. Everyone's like, man, why am I not losing any weight or fat in my legs? You're probably noticing it everywhere else. And that's why you've heard people say that when they start eating better and working out, they see it in their face first.

Yeah. You start from the head down. Bet you guys never really knew that one before. So I hope this one helps you. And guys, this is personal experience too. When I was bodybuilding and doing shows, it took me until my third show to finally see the definition in my legs that I expected to see at my first show. All right. And no matter what, it is so important to appreciate and love your body as it is, and to focus on your overall health and the overall enjoyment of the journey you are on of changing your body composition, rather than trying to change specific areas.

Okay. So that's number four. You cannot spot reduce.

Number five: weight loss supplements are a quick and easy solution. Look, making supplements your priority on your journey is just the wrong focal point, and a costly one as well. Whole foods will always be the healthy way to optimally lose fat, build muscle, and keep it off sustainably. And guys, it's not as expensive as you think. You cannot rely on supplements.

You don't want to rely on supplements. I mean, shit, some of that stuff is processed. Whole foods are how you're going to do it in a healthy way. And you'll never hear me make recommendations on the best fat burners. I get asked that question so many times. What's the best fat burner? Guys, the best fat burners are a calorie deficit and getting your workouts in, and doing some cardio every once in a while. I'm never going to make recommendations for midsection lotions, or those things people wear, the braces around their stomach.

Come on, guys. That's just a waste of your money. And I'm never going to recommend chemically enhanced supplements. You guys know that. What I mean by that is steroids. I stand by what I have always said and will always continue to say: hard work plus consistency equals results. Always and forever. No supplement is going to make the difference in whether you create the body you want. They may benefit you along the way. They may help, but they will never be the sole reason you get a specific result in your body composition.

You don't need any of them. And guys, I guarantee you, not having them is not what's holding you back. Check yourself. If you think, oh, I need a fat burner, I need protein powder, I need this because it's going to get me this type of result, that ain't what's holding you back, sister. What's holding you back is how you eat during the day. Check yourself there.

I also definitely want to throw this one in there. Many weight loss supplements are not backed by scientific research, and they can be harmful to your health. A lot of these supplements are not being tested or approved by the FDA or going through that whole shebang. So it's important to be wary of any product that promises quick and easy weight loss results. Please have common sense there. Okay. So that was number five.

Last but not least, and I hope you guys are enjoying this podcast so far, number six: you have to exercise for hours a day to lose fat and to build muscle. Look, while regular exercise is important for overall health and weight loss, it's not necessary to exercise for hours in a day. The amount of time spent exercising is not as important as the intensity and type of exercise you are doing. I fell victim to this one too, guys. I'm sure you have too. You've heard it from people who should not be influencers or trainers or anything of that sort, saying you have to spend three hours in the gym seven days a week.

Oh my God, that is such bullshit. You guys will always hear me say that muscle is not built in the gym during your workouts. You're breaking it down while you're working out. You're breaking down the muscle fibers. You're creating tears in the muscle fibers. The building process, like how you've seen women achieve a built body or muscle mass, happens in the next 24 to 48 to 72 hours afterwards, and that is heavily dependent on your nutrition, your rest, your hydration, and so many other things.

Okay? So please spend more time resting and recovering than you do inside the gym working out. All right, you guys. That was number six. That was the last one.

Just a quick recap. I hope this was eye-opening, or maybe one of them was eye-opening. Number four, or maybe two, or maybe all of them. Number one was crash diets and extreme calorie restriction will lead to long-term weight loss. False. Number two, skipping meals will help you lose weight. False. Number three, carbs are bad and should be avoided. False. Number four, you can target specific areas of your body for weight loss. False. Number five, weight loss supplements are a quick and easy solution. False. And six, you have to spend hours a day exercising to lose fat and build muscle. False.

So that wraps up this podcast for today, the six terrible myths about fat loss. If you enjoyed this podcast, screenshot it, share it to Instagram, tag me, and let me know which one annoys you the most. Let's do that. Which one annoys you the most? Put it in the picture and tag me on Instagram. I would love to see it. All right, guys. Catch you next time.

Real 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. The only way we can do that is if you rate, review, and share this podcast. So the single thing I ask you to do is leave a review. It will take you 10 seconds, it will mean the absolute world to me, and it may change the world of someone else.