There’s research, case studies, and even a few stats that look great on paper. There’s only one problem.

The weight loss hypothesis and overstated claims aren’t accurate. Many people want to know how to lose weight. But that’s much different from “how to lose fat.” Or more importantly, how to maintain that fat loss for the long-term.

Any book or program that highlights one food as the root of all problems is oversimplifying how weight gain works.

While there are plenty of reasons to remove grains from your diet (in fact, it’s something I do with coaching clients who need the adjustment), eating grains does not have a direct effect on weight loss and fat gain.

Or maybe more importantly: wheat and grains are not the cause of obesity.

These food sources do not automatically make you gain weight. And the removal of grains  (or carbs, fat that matter) doesn’t remove the laws of thermodynamics or the role of calories.

You see, if there’s one attribute that I’m universally disliked for it’s my somewhat agnostic approach towards nutrition. I’ve been in too many research labs, read too many studies, and worked with too many clients to ignore an undeniable truth: many diet approaches work for fat loss, muscle gain, and general health. From low carb diets to high carb diets–I’ve seen both more.

Why? Because there isn’t a single “cause” of fat gain.

It’s why the played out “eat less, move more” just doesn’t work as actionable advice that leads to better results.

And it’s not just opinion. Scientists have literally created a battle royale of diets, pitting one against the other, only to find out that…surprise!…there’s more than one way to drop pounds. Many diets work. That’s a scientific fact.

Create a diet that primarily (but not exclusively) consists of real foods (think proteins, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and yes, even grains) and you can lose weight and be healthy.

So after reading Wheat Belly and other similar demonizations of wheat, I was beyond frustrated with the overgeneralized claim that has scared many people into unnecessary wheat-less eating habits with the misguided belief that it offers weight loss magic.

But the recent influx of clients who have reached out about how they removed grains and gained weight has reached critical mass. And while it’s not my preference to undress the work of others, there is a social responsibility to help you make choices that make it easier to lose weight and enjoy eating.

Wheat Doesn’t Make You Fat: The Proof

To make a point about grains and weight loss, I’m going to do something I’ve never done before on this site: share a shirtless picture of myself.

I’m not a fan of playing the body image game, so why share now? To make a point that the over-generalized wheat hypothesis just doesn’t make sense.

If you’re going to make a blanket statement such as, “wheat makes you fat,” then disproving that theory would be pretty easy. If you have examples of people that eat wheat and aren’t fat, then we can’t apply the rule universally.

And that’s the issue with wheat and weight loss: any book or program that highlights one food as the root of all problems is oversimplifying how weight gain works. 

Having abs doesn’t make you healthy. But they are a pretty good indictor that you’re not resistant to fat loss.

This picture shows me on a diet where I ate cheesecake once per week. Yes, I was counting macros. And, sure, about 80 to 90 percent of what I ate was in the form of vegetables, fruits, proteins. Did I mention I also ate grains every day?

By this association, I should conclude that adding cheesecake to your diet once per week results in abs, right?

Obviously that sounds insane and isn’t true. But it’s the same style of reasoning that leads a researcher like Dr. Davis to say, “I have clients who removed wheat and lost weight. Wheat must be the problem.”

The point here is not that removing wheat is ineffective. Instead it’s that we can’t definitively draw a cause-and-effect conclusion that wheat causes weight gain.

Not only because the wheat hypothesis lacks proof to suggest that with certainty, but also because there are far too many case studies of people who do eat wheat and can lose weight.

Take the picture above. During that time of the above picture, this was my diet.

As you can see, wheat and grains were a prominent part of what I consumed every day. Eventually I achieved sub 10-percent body fat following this plan. And it’s not because I did anything special or removed any particular food.

I ate well, I exercised hard, and I was extremely patient with the process.

That’s not to say that people don’t have wheat allergies or sensitivities. Those are real and can be problematic.

Gut health can play a role in weight loss, and we continue to research and learn about the microbiome. And I do believe that many people can benefit from removing or limiting grains. 

But that does not mean grains cause weight gain or prevent you from dropping fat.

Whether it’s wheat, or gluten, or dairy, or carbs, or fat, the finger-pointing at the “cause” of weight gain must end.

I also have many clients who wanted to eat wheat and were terrified about removing some of their favorite foods. We made sure that their diets were not devoid of carb sources. Here are their “wheat bellies.”

The Science of Fat Loss: The Only Undeniable Truth

Selecting a diet based on blind removal of a food group can lead to weight loss. But that should be a choice that matches your lifestyle, not one that is done on undeserving faith that any food possessing a magical “weight gain” gene.

And just because an adjustment in a diet leads to weight loss doesn’t mean that altered variable is the cause of weight gain. 

If you want to remove wheat because it’s not something you enjoy or eat often, then do it.

If you have reason to believe (medically) that wheat is a problem for your digestive system, then make the adjustment.

Or if you feel better not eating grains, then you should alter your diet and do what works best for you.

But don’t believe that any one food–especially one that is “natural” and is has numerous studies suggesting health benefits–is suddenly problematic.

In the end, any diet that suggests absolute certainty on a topic and doesn’t even acknowledge other possibilities is just delivering more hype, which is likely to lead to long- term frustration.

Is Wheat Your Problem?

If you’re interested in why wheat is not the cause of weight gain (as well as other research claims), click here for a full review that analyzes all of the research presented in Wheat Belly. Unraveling the truth about wheat and weight loss.

READ MORE: 

Wheat Belly Deception: Understanding Wheat, Insulin, and Fat Loss

Do Carbs Actually Make You Fat?

Why Weights are Better Than Cardio for Fat Loss

Adam Bornstein

Adam Bornstein is a New York Times bestselling author and the author of You Can’t Screw This Up. He is the founder of Born Fitness, and the co-founder of Arnold’s Pump Club (with Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Pen Name Consulting. An award-winning writer and editor, Bornstein was previously the Chief Nutrition Officer for Ladder, the Fitness and Nutrition editor for Men’s Health, Editorial Director at LIVESTRONG.com, and a columnist for SHAPE, Men’s Fitness, and Muscle & Fitness. He’s also a nutrition and fitness advisor for LeBron James, Cindy Crawford, Lindsey Vonn, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. According to The Huffington Post, Bornstein is “one of the most inspiring sources in all of health and fitness.” His work has been featured in dozens of publications, including The New York Times, Fast Company, ESPN, and GQ, and he’s appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, and E! News.

The post Grains and Weight Loss (A Twisted Relationship) appeared first on Born Fitness.

While I knew “how” to serve, the mechanics were wrong. My toss sucked, my footwork was off, and I wasn’t even striking the ball in the right place. I could envision what I had to do (we’ve all seen a serve), but I didn’t know how to do it correctly and consistently.

Sure enough, 4 weeks later I was able to serve the ball consistently. That’s not to say I was firing aces or overwhelming anyone. But I could do it. My job from there was to get better, keep improving, and turn that 4-week investment into bigger gains.

The real fat loss secret: Most times you just need to let the process run it’s course.

If I told you I could teach you to serve in 4 weeks, what would your expectation be? Do you believe you’ll be on your way to the ATP tour, or would you just be happy seeing results and knowing you can do it?

I wanted to know, so I asked 10 people. All 10 said the expectation was progress, not an end result. That’s a good response.

You could replace a tennis serve with almost any “skill” or task in life, and the same truth would remain. And yet, when it comes to how to lose weight fast, the progress-patience ratio is obliterated.

Fast is a time consideration that needs to be redefined if you really want to see results that last and not be stuck in perpetual diet hell.

You see, most cover lines and headlines on books and magazines are awful. Sure, they get you to buy and read, but the truth is murky at best. At worst? These promises are oftentimes the reason you don’t see results, follow bad fat loss programs, and are pushed into inevitable failure.

If you want to stop the vicious cycle of reading “how to get abs” and end up worse than you started, it’s time to learn more about how weight loss works and how long it will really take to transform your body.

You Can Have Abs (No Joke)

The photo above is the cover of a book I wrote. It’s one of my favorite books I’ve written and it’s packed with great, accurate information with one exception: the 4-week promise stamped on the front of the book.

It’s something I argued against. I understand and respect my publishers decision (books must be sold!) but I didn’t like the misleading mindset that plagues most fat loss plans. In fact, in the actual text you won’t see such bold claims and there’s a good reason.

There are two prevailing beliefs about fat loss:

1. Abs are made in the kitchen
2. Abs are made by your parents. Hope to win the genetic lottery because that’s all that matters.

Both have hints of truth. You need a good eating plan to see your abs. And some people will have abs even if their diet consists of Skittles and McDonalds. Sorry, but it’s true.

But there’s another truth that no one discusses: Anyone can have abs if they are willing to be patient.

For the average person, losing fat takes time. In general, the more fat you have to lose, the quicker it will come off. Most “overweight” people can expect to lose around 2 to 3 pounds per week. They can lose more, but that’s the average. The less you have to lose the slower it will come off, with leaner people maybe losing about 1 to 2 pounds per week. And those that are already really lean, the process is even slower.

Fat Loss: 4-and 8-Week Lies

Below is a picture of my client, Justin. He looks great. The before and afters are a point of pride. But you know what? This wasn’t 4, 6 or 8 weeks.

What you see is the result of 6 months of hard work. We went in with eyes wide open, and tackled the goal the right way, with realistic expectations, and a plan that could be maintained.

The same can be said of my client David. We’ve worked together for more than a year. When we started there were no false promises or hopes. Just an honest assessment of where he was and where he wanted to go. We mapped out a plan and then made adjustments as necessary.

Here’s what you need to really know if you want to build a successful workout and diet plan: fat loss is not acute. That means you don’t have to stress every small decision.

Fat loss doesn’t react to the whims of one particular day, exercise, or macronutrient. Fat loss is a process. And it occurs when many steps are taken and executed correctly.

The biggest problem for most is over- or under-reacting. We want results immediately. And what we fail to realize is that in most cases, our impatience results in us make changes prematurely that end up stunting progress. Maybe it’s changing a diet or shifting a new workout. In many situations, a food group (like carbs) is blamed and removed entirely.

The real fat loss secret: Most times you just need to let the process run it’s course. Learn the steps, understand how it works, and then continue practice until you’re firing fat loss aces.

Look at the picture below of Olivia Langdon. She is a former client turned mentor (who you can work with directly) in Born Fitness online coaching. She looks incredible, but this wasn’t an overnight success. That was four years of patience, hard work, and readjusting her goals.

It’s funny, but the Karate Kid “wax on, wax off” philosophy was way ahead of it’s time. You start by doing simple motions and you don’t see anything changing. Heck, sometimes it doesn’t even seem like you’re doing anything.

Then one day, you know karate. Or in this case, you’re burning fat and seeing results.

Fat loss and abs are real. But the reality is that it’s a game of patience and realistic timelines. According to survey results, 60% of people that start a diet plan never make it past 4 weeks.

What makes this stat so important? For visible results, most people need to be on a consistent diet and fitness plan for a minimum of 8 to 12 weeks. So it’s no wonder why so many people start with the right intent and are even doing what needs to be done, but quit prematurely.

Be patient. Work hard. Focus on the process and not the outcome, and if the program is right, then your results will only be a matter of time.

No More Empty Fat Loss Promises

Want help figuring out the best fat loss approach for your body. Click here to learn more about personalized coaching and creating a plan design for you.

READ MORE: 

Winning the War on Hunger: Practical Solutions to Overeating

Eating at Night Does Not Make You Fat

How Much Fat Should I Eat?

Adam Bornstein

Adam Bornstein is a New York Times bestselling author and the author of You Can’t Screw This Up. He is the founder of Born Fitness, and the co-founder of Arnold’s Pump Club (with Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Pen Name Consulting. An award-winning writer and editor, Bornstein was previously the Chief Nutrition Officer for Ladder, the Fitness and Nutrition editor for Men’s Health, Editorial Director at LIVESTRONG.com, and a columnist for SHAPE, Men’s Fitness, and Muscle & Fitness. He’s also a nutrition and fitness advisor for LeBron James, Cindy Crawford, Lindsey Vonn, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. According to The Huffington Post, Bornstein is “one of the most inspiring sources in all of health and fitness.” His work has been featured in dozens of publications, including The New York Times, Fast Company, ESPN, and GQ, and he’s appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, and E! News.

The post 4-Week Fat Loss Lies appeared first on Born Fitness.