Jacelyn McCune, Nutrition Coach
iNLeT Fitness
Can I eat all the fun summer junk food and still lose weight? The answer is YES!
Say what? How does that work exactly?
It’s all about energy expenditure. Meaning, if you are eating in a calorie deficit, you WILL lose weight. The sources of calories are NOT more important than the total number of calories.
So for example, if a caloric deficit for you is 1500 calories, and you eat 500 of those calories as lean protein and veggies and then eat the remaining 1,000 calories as a doughnut, a burger and some chips, then you WILL STILL LOSE WEIGHT.
That being said, are all food source calories created equal in terms of body composition? Of course not. Primarily because as an example, protein is more thermogenically efficient than carbs or fats. In addition, “junk food” and sugar also tends to be less satiating and calorie dense.
To support this, there was even a study done by professor Mark Haub who ate nothing but junk food and protein shakes, but stayed in a caloric deficit. He lost nearly 30 lbs and also improved his blood lipids, blood pressure and insulin sensitivity.
So if you want to indulge here and there this Summer it’s perfectly ok to do so, just make sure you continue to stay within your allotted calorie budget! You should be able to keep making progress and still have a good time at those summer BBQs.
For questions and nutritional consults and coaching please contact Jacelyn McCune at [email protected]
