Top 5 reasons why people gain weight (based on my experience in nutrition counseling):
- Work
- Got married / Had kids
- Pandemic
- Stress
- Low budget for “healthy foods”
This shows that the reasons behind unwanted weight/fat gain may NOT be entirely under our control. There are major life events and unavoidable situations that affect our food intake and physical activities.
Yet, we often look at CARBS as the main reason for our weight gain. Because of this mindset, we
- avoid rice, breads, pasta and potatoes
- stop eating fruits
- blame ourselves for our lack of control.
While it is good that we recognize the negative health consequences of obesity and strive to stay within healthy weight, avoiding one food group altogether may deprive us of key nutrients we need to stay healthy. Depriving ourselves can make our food habits unstable, leading to more food cravings and weight gain.
How about we re-frame our mindset about food and look at our weight from a more caring perspective?
For example, my clients often tell me “Potatoes are carbs and therefore I should stop eating them”. What we do is we shift the mindset into something more positive:
“Potatoes contain carbs along with fiber, vitamin C, potassium and protein. I can eat these whenever I want, together with other nutritious foods in moderation. This way, I can keep myself in good health, whether I gain weight or not.”
This is what BALANCE is about:
Accept that life is tough and we need to stay in shape so we can face life’s challenges.
At the same time, we need delicious foods so we can experience the beauty of life.
Also, it’s already February! So, let’s celebrate Love Month with more self-love, ok? ?
This post is sponsored by Potatoes USA-Philippines. All opinions are mine.
For potato recipes, visit www.potatogoodness.ph.
#potatonutrition #USPotatoPower #potatoesusaphl #potatopower