Nutrition Myth: Calories
Even though creating a calorie deficit by burning more energy than you take in is the most critical factor in weight loss, it’s not the only thing that counts.
Relying exclusively on calorie intake doesn’t make up for many variables preventing someone from losing weight, even when on a very low-calorie diet.
For instance, hormonal imbalances, health conditions like metabolic adaptations, hypothyroidism, certain medications, and genetics are just a few factors that will make weight loss that much harder for many people.
Even if they’re on a strict diet!
This idea also fails to stress the importance of sustainability and diet quality for weight loss. People who follow the “calories in, calories out” method generally focus on the calorie value of foods, but not their nutrient importance.
This usually leads to picking low-calorie, nutrient-poor foods like rice cakes and egg whites over higher-calorie, nutrient-dense foods like avocados and whole eggs, which isn’t ideal for your overall health.
