Worst Nutrition Advice I Followed

I used to be obsessed with food, calories, when to eat, what to eat, how much to eat, etc, etc, etc. It consumed my brain. I was doing a lot of things wrong. I am in a much better place and have been for several years. 

I really can't believe that I have such a healthy perspective on food. I never, ever thought I would get here. It was hard. It meant making myself uncomfortable. It meant listening to the logical part of my brain, not the messed up part. It meant sticking with it for the long haul, even though I didn't want to. I had times I screwed up, slipped up, and took a few steps backward. But at this point, I can confidently say that 95% of the time I have a really healthy perspective on food. (I will always withhold that 5% because everyyyyyyy once in awhile I have a moment of crazy!)

But oooooooh there were dark days! I followed a lot of really bad nutrition advice! Now, it's easy to look back and laugh at how dumb I was. It's embarrassing, really. But sharing my story can hopefully help people so they don't make or continue to make the same mistakes I did!

Let's talk about some of that warped nutrition advice I followed...

1. A calorie is a calorie.

I operated under the theory that 100 calories of chicken = 100 calories of ice cream. OMG I was so wrong! The way your body processes and uses the calories in chicken is way different from what it does with ice cream. When I studied to become a personal trainer, I learned a lot about how to fuel my body before and after exercise. It helped me make smarter choices and it also helped me know what to eat and when to eat it. I learned to not be afraid of fats, sugar, and carbs. There is a time and place for all of these things in my diet. For me, the key was having the knowledge of what my body was actually going to do with those foods.

2. Your diet should be my diet.

Sometimes I would compare my diet to other people's diets- particularly people I wanted to look like. If a friend of mine was juicing, I thought "Hmmm maybe I should do that. I am such a pig, I should just drink juice for a couple days." I am glad I wised up and got out of the habit of comparing what I eat to what other people eat. Just because it works for them, doesn't mean it will work for me. And vice versa.

3. Cut ALL the calories.

The less calories the better, right? That's how my mind worked for about 8 years! I would try to wait as long as possible to have my first meal of the day. I would always choose the low calorie option of brands of foods. I remember buying wheat bread that was only 30 calories per slice. (Paul called it air bread.) Obviously I look back now and realize how stupid I was. My body needed quality calories to feel satiated. I was just never satiated...

4. Low fat/Fat free = better than full fat.

There are so many fat free options out there and that is what I would go for. I remember making grilled cheese sandwiches with air bread and fat free cheese. I'd make huge salads and pour fat free Italian dressing all over them. Nowadays, I would never use fat free Italian dressing or fat free cheese. It doesn't taste good and what's the point? My body needs fat! I used to avoid oils at all cost. Last night I generously sprayed it on my garlic bread and did not feel a lick of guilt about it. 

The main thing I want to get across in this post is not how stupid I was. It's that if you have an unhealthy relationship with food, there IS hope. I never thought I would get to where I am now. I used to obsessed about food all day long. It was all consuming! I really feel that if it was possible for me to change my mindset, it is possible for anyone. It was not the EASY thing to do. It was UNCOMFORTABLE. I had to make the decision EVERY day to change my behavior. But it was worth it!

What's the worst nutrition advice you got/followed?
Do you have any GOOD nutrition advice for us?