#1 Weight Loss Food Mistake You Are Making

Blake Sanburg, aka @thenutritionnarc, is a diet and fitness influencer with over 368,000 TikTok followers. Many of his videos go viral for a good reason: He shares helpful information about how he lost 23 pounds in two months. In one of his recent videos, he revealed one of the biggest mistakes people make while trying to lose weight, and it might surprise you because he uses one of the trendiest breakfasts of the decade as an example.

1. Stop Idolizing Avocado Toast

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Blake claims that the “idolized avocado toast” is a “top tier example” of how “eating for health is not the same as eating for weight loss.” While avocado toast boasts many healthy benefits, as it is loaded with healthy fats — it can promote heart health, reduce risk of macular degeneration, and help your body absorb vitamins, according to our sister site Eat This, Not That! — it also comes with 330 calories, he says, while the “demonized” Nutella toast only has 204.

2. He Doesn't Think It Will "Fill You up More"

“I don't care how much healthy food you're eating, if you're not in a calorie deficit, you're not going to lose weight,” he points out. “I have seen people gain weight and get obese off of eating stuff like this. It is a rare case, but it is completely possible,” he continues. While he predicts that commenters will try and say that avocado toast will “fill you up more” and “make you more satiated,” he doesn’t believe that is the case.

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3. Studies Confirm: You Need a Caloric Deficit to Lose Weight

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There are a few studies, including a 2019 study in Nutrients, finding that daily avocado consumption can prevent weight gain, and a 2021 study in the Journal of Nutrition that may help to reduce visceral fat among females. However, Blake is correct that weight loss comes down to an equation of calories in versus calories out.

4. Sometimes, Pizza May Be Better Than Pasta and Salad

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His second example is a salad and pasta at 1,250 calories compared to an entire margarita pizza at 807. “This is exactly why when you go out to eat, I always preach to get something you're going to enjoy,” he says. “If the calories aren't listed on the menu, you're taking a shot in the dark anyway, so might as well get something you enjoy. Everyone needs a mental break every once in a while, and I think going out to eat is the perfect opportunity for that.”

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5. Lose Weight Your Way

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“Another thing to keep in mind is that the healthiest thing you could possibly do if you're overweight is to lose weight no matter how you do that,” he also claims, referencing “that dude who ate Twinkies” and junk food and “improved all his health markers just because he'd lost weight,” he says. “Of course, that's not the ideal way to do things, but if it's between eating Nutella toast or staying the same obese weight, Nutella toast is the winner.”

💪🔥Body Booster: One serving of avocado toast boasts more calories than toast slathered in Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread.

Are you prioritizing protein and cutting carbs but still struggling to lose weight? According to one expert, it might be because you are making a common protein mistake. Sarah Bouchard is a Nutrition Coach & Educator who helps women over 35 “ditch diet confusion & simplify nutrition” for “Sustainable fat loss + healthy body composition,” she explains in her Instagram bio. “I made these mistakes for over a decade,” she captioned a recent post, going on to reveal the most prominent protein and carb faux pas.

Protein Mistake 1: Not Eating Enough Protein

One common mistake is not eating enough protein. For example, if you have two eggs and a piece of avocado with some low-carb veggies, you aren’t getting enough. “I don’t care how clean your breakfast is. If you’re not getting 30-35g of quality protein, you ain’t triggering MPS, and your breakfast isn’t doing anything for your body composition!” she says in her post.

Protein Mistake 2: Choosing High-Fat Proteins

The next mistake is that you are choosing proteins higher in fat. “I love a good ribeye just as much as anyone, but at the end of the day, if you’re trying to lose body fat, calories still matter. There is a difference between high in protein and protein dense. A protein-dense option for red meat could look like a top sirloin, a fillet, or extra lean ground beef!” she says.

Protein Mistake 3: Assuming That All You Need to Do Is Increase Protein

Sarah emphasizes that “just increasing protein alone isn’t necessarily going to get you the results you want if you are still in a calorie surplus,” she says. “When I started tracking my food, I quickly realized that I was overdoing the ‘healthy fats’ on the side.”

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Protein Mistake 4: Relying Too Much on Protein Bars and Shake

Protein sources matter, and protein bars and shakes aren’t the best type. “Protein is mostly helpful for satiety when it is in a whole food form. And satiety matters a lot if you are in a deficit. I love whey protein powder myself, but try to incorporate it into foods I can eat that are also mixed with whole foods and are higher in volume!” she says.

Protein Mistake 5: Sticking to Salads

Sticking to the “healthy” salad with 4 ounces of chicken instead of the lean steak with a baked potato and veggies might not be the best option, per Sarah. “Stop being afraid of protein! That healthy salad probably has more calories than the 6oz steak and will leave you ravenous for the rest of the day,” she says.

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Low Carb Diets Aren’t Always the Best

In another post, she tackles the issue of being “stuck on low-carb” diets, offering a “quick nutrition 101 on macros.”

• 1g of carbs = 4 calories
• 1g of fat = 9 calories
• 1g of protein = 4 calories

“So when you stop using oats and start putting almond flour in everything, you are effectively doubling the calories In that food,” she says. “I go over women’s food logs every day, and almost every single one of them makes the same mistakes,” she says, going on to reveal them.

Carb Mistake 1: Trading Carbs for Fat

One common mistake is trading carbs for fats. “For example, she’s restricting foods like fruits and starches, but she’s loading up in the nuts and all the ‘healthy fats.’ Did you know that a cup of almond flour has over 600 calories, while a cup of oats has around 300? Sounds like a bad trade to me!” says Sarah.

Carb Mistake 2: Not Getting Enough Fiber

Another faux pas? “She’s barely getting 15g of fiber per day,” says Sarah. “Once again, the fear of carbs gets us doing weird stuff - like eating lots of high-protein & high-fat foods but skimping on fiber-rich fruits and veggies. And what happened to almost everyone I’ve coached who doesn’t eat enough fiber-rich carbs? They have uncontrollable cravings in the evening!”

Carb Mistake 3: Adding Flax and Chia Seeds to Everything

She also sees a lot of people who think “that adding flax and chia seeds to everything is a great way to increase fiber,” she says. “Sorry ladies, these foods are just a classic example of foods that are high in energy density and low in nutrient density - therefore, don’t provide you any satiety!”

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Carb Mistake 4: Not Eating Carbs for Breakfast

If you aren’t eating carbs in the morning, you are probably going to be hungry later. “Either intermittent fasting and skipping breakfast” or “eating two eggs with some avocado for breakfast” is “not only a missed opportunity to trigger MPS (muscle protein synthesis) but also will guarantee her to be ravenous later on,” she says. And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 15 Quick Ways to Lose Body Fat Percentage in a Week.