Diet Myths to Leave Behind in 2025.

Diet myths to leave behind in 2025:

New year, same tired advice? These myths have been recycled for decades. They're the reason people try everything and nothing works. Let's clear them out before 2025 even starts.

"It's just calories in, calories out."

The body is not a calculator. It's a hormonal system that responds to what you eat, not just how much. Two people can eat the same calories and get completely different results because blood sugar, inflammation, and stress hormones are running the show.

A 2016 study following contestants from "The Biggest Loser" found that six years after the show, their metabolisms had slowed dramatically and most had regained the weight. Calorie restriction had permanently damaged their metabolic rate. The calories in, calories out model completely ignores how the body adapts to restriction.

"Eat less, exercise more."

Eating less triggers the body's starvation response. Metabolism slows. Hunger hormones spike. The body clings to weight as protection. Exercising more while undereating makes it worse.

Here's what nobody talks about: nutrition is 80% of the equation. You cannot exercise your way out of a poor diet. A 30-minute run burns roughly 300 calories. One muffin puts them right back. The math will never work in your favor if the food isn't right.

"I do everything right and still can't lose weight."

This is real. And it's usually one of three things:

Blood sugar chaos. Eating "healthy" foods that still spike blood sugar (fruit smoothies, oatmeal with honey, whole wheat bread without protein) keeps insulin elevated. When insulin is high, fat burning is blocked. Period.

Silent inflammation. Those "healthy" packaged foods are loaded with inflammatory seed oils (soybean, canola, vegetable oil) that trigger immune responses and make the body hold onto weight as protection. Check the granola bar. Check the salad dressing. Check the rotisserie chicken. It's in everything.

Chronic stress and cortisol. Stress hormones signal the body to store fat, especially around the midsection. A 2000 study in Psychosomatic Medicine found that women with high cortisol stored significantly more abdominal fat. No amount of clean eating overcomes chronically elevated cortisol. Poor sleep, overexercising, undereating, and the mental load of trying to be perfect all keep cortisol elevated.

"You need more willpower."

Willpower is not the problem. Biology is. When blood sugar crashes, the brain floods you with hunger hormones that make it impossible to think about anything except food. A 2004 study in Annals of Internal Medicine showed that just one night of poor sleep increases hunger hormones and cravings for high-carb foods the next day.

You can't willpower your way out of biology any more than you can willpower your way out of needing oxygen.

"Carbs are the enemy."

No. Blood sugar chaos is the enemy. The brain runs on glucose. Muscles need carbs for energy. Cutting carbs completely triggers stress hormones, tanks energy, and isn't sustainable.

The solution isn't eliminating carbs. It's choosing whole food carbs with fiber (sweet potatoes, quinoa, berries, beans) and pairing them with protein or fat so they enter the bloodstream slowly instead of flooding it all at once.

"Fat makes you fat."

This myth made people fatter and sicker. When fat got removed from products, sugar got added. Fat-free yogurt, low-fat granola bars, light salad dressing... all loaded with sugar. That sugar spiked insulin, which stored fat.

Quality fats from olive oil, avocado, nuts, grass-fed butter, and full fat dairy support metabolism, keep you full, and balance hormones. A 2010 meta-analysis in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found no significant link between saturated fat intake and heart disease. The low-fat era was based on flawed science.

"Can I eat eggs every day? Is meat every day unhealthy?"

This one makes us laugh (or cringe). People worry about eggs and steak while eating granola bars made with soybean oil, yogurt with 18 grams of sugar, and "healthy" crackers loaded with inflammatory ingredients they can't pronounce.

The myth that dietary cholesterol raises blood cholesterol has been debunked. In 2015, the Dietary Guidelines removed the recommendation to limit dietary cholesterol because decades of research showed it has minimal impact for most people. Eggs are one of the most nutrient-dense foods available. Quality meat (grass-fed, pasture-raised) provides complete protein, iron, and B vitamins.

Worry less about whole foods. Worry more about what's hiding in the packages.

"I drink enough water."

Most people don't. And dehydration does more than make you thirsty.

It slows metabolism. It triggers false hunger signals (the brain often confuses thirst for hunger). It impairs the body's ability to burn fat. Cravings that feel like sugar cravings are often the body asking for hydration and minerals.

Here's what most people miss: water alone isn't always enough. The body needs electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium) to actually absorb and use that water. Drinking tons of water without electrolytes can dilute the ones you have, leaving you dehydrated even when you're drinking all day. And that sparkling water habit? Carbonation can interfere with mineral absorption and deplete electrolytes over time.

The fix: half your body weight in ounces of still water, minimum. Add a pinch of sea salt or a quality electrolyte supplement. More if you exercise, drink coffee, or live somewhere dry.

"Gluten free is healthier."

Unless you have celiac disease or a diagnosed sensitivity, gluten free products are not healthier. Many replace wheat flour with refined starches and add more sugar to compensate. Gluten free cookies are still cookies. The label isn't magic.

"Natural means it's good for you."

"Natural" has no legal definition. A product labeled natural can contain inflammatory oils, artificial flavors, and ingredients you can't pronounce. The FDA doesn't regulate this term. Ignore it completely.

"I need to detox."

The body already has a detox system. It's called the liver and kidneys. They work 24/7 filtering out what doesn't belong. No juice cleanse, tea, or supplement does this job better than the organs designed for it.

Detox products are marketing, not medicine. Most "detox" teas are just laxatives that cause water loss (not fat loss) and leave you dehydrated and depleted. Juice cleanses spike blood sugar repeatedly throughout the day while providing zero protein, crashing energy, and triggering the exact metabolic slowdown people are trying to avoid.

Want to support the body's natural detoxification? Eat quality protein (the liver needs amino acids to function). Drink enough water with electrolytes. Eat fiber to keep things moving. Sleep. Reduce the processed foods and inflammatory oils that burden the system in the first place.

That's it. No cayenne lemonade required.

What to actually bring into 2026:

Understanding nutrition, not following another diet

• Stabilizing blood sugar through balanced meals and strategic snacking

• Lessening inflammation by swapping what's harming you for what heals you

• Optimizing your lifestyle from hydration to how you manage stress

• Finding movement that works for your body, not punishes it

• Indulging in treats from a place of power, not failure

That's the Eat Shed Glow™ method. Not another set of rules. Just science that works.

🤎

Coco Pierrel, The Healthy Weight Loss Coach, helps you unlearn dieting and relearn eating for a healthy weight loss through the Eat Shed Glow™ method. Ready for personalized support? Book your free 15-min consult today.