A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away….
I used to believe evil carbs were the main culprit in our expanding waistlines.
I knew that cutting back on carbs would result in weight loss.
And it worked!
If people followed this advice, they would most likely see a smaller number on their scale
Unfortunately, it worked…but for the wrong reasons!
It turns out “Carbs are the problem” as a philosophy is scientifically inaccurate, and unhelpful.
Obesity rates continue to rise, even as our sugar and carb intake have decreased over the past 20 years:
I’ve been studying nutrition and helping people at Nerd Fitness for 15 years, and I have been revisiting a lot of our popular posts that explain my overall philosophy.
7+ years ago, after more research and discussions with experts, I updated my philosophy on carbs and nutrition:
- Weight loss isn’t from carb elimination, it’s from overall calorie reduction.
- We need to find ways to sustainably and enjoyably eat fewer calories.
- Behavior change and our environment are unbelievably important.
- Food is not “moral.” There are no good foods or bad foods.
- Carbs and fat both belong on your plate.
I was rereading my Guide to “Healthy Eating”, which helps dispel a lot of the myths and unhelpful guidance around demonizing certain foods or macronutrients. We have enough guilt, judgment, and shame in our lives, we don’t need to add food morality to the list.
As I was rereading that article, thinking it was pretty damn good (if I do say so myself)…
I saw mention of a 10-level Nutrition PDF, so I downloaded it.
And I audibly gasped.
The 10-level system was built around the old philosophy of “carbs = bad.” Each level effectively picked another specific food and labeled it “off limits.” By the time I got to Levels 8, 9, and 10…I was shaking my head thinking “ hell, I would never eat like this!”
So I dropped what I was doing and started fixing it.
And now it’s fixed!
The 10 Levels of Nutrition
These levels now better reflect the prevailing philosophy at Nerd Fitness for the past 7 years.
It’s the leveling system we help each NF Coaching Client work through at their pace, which is unique to each person.
This is an agnostic philosophy for eating. It can work for somebody who’s Vegan, or trying to eat fewer carbs or fewer fats, etc. No foods are off limits, except the ones that you’re allergic to or don’t enjoy.
Each level introduces a concept that helps you get more comfortable with taking nutrition into your own hands. Each level can be done at your pace. And each level builds on the previous level.
I’m continuing my year of updating and improving my content from the past 15 years, so if you happen to stumble across an article on NF that makes you say “hmmm, this doesn’t seem like it reflects how Steve thinks anymore…” please let me know!
There are 1000 plus articles and just one Steve (hey that’s me!) so even finding all the content I’ve written is a challenge, let alone rereading and fixing it all!
But I’m going to try.
Because I like you and think you look nice today. Also because I care that much about making sure Nerd Fitness is the best source of evidence-based, approachable content that helps people not feel alone on their journey.
You can download the free 10-Level Nutrition Guide right here. I’d love to know what you think!
Thanks for reading!
-Steve
