By Doc | Stronger Personal Training
Let me tell you about two conversations I had recently.
Same topic. Completely opposite problems. And both of them walking around thinking they had it figured out.
They didn’t. And there’s a good chance you don’t either — but not for the reason you think.
Part One: The “Bad Food” Trap
She sat down across from me and opened with this:
“I eat bad.”
Okay, I poked. What do you mean by bad?
“Well I’m not a salad girl. I like burgers, pizza, Mexican food, Chinese food, a few beers throughout the week, and honey — I love to snack.”
I stared into her soul.
“See!” she said. “A lost cause.”
Silence.
I’m still waiting for the bad food you implied.
Her eyebrow surged — whether in disbelief or utter confusion, I couldn’t tell. So let me explain what I told her.
Despite what shifluencers bark on social media, there are very few foods I would actually term as bad.
A burger? Packed with protein and a carb. Pizza? A carb with some protein and fats. Ethnic food — your choice — typically includes a mixture of carbs, proteins, and vegetables. Snacks are usually your body telling you that you’re stressed and underfueling.
Alcohol? That’s for the soul.
Sure, you can kablooey your calories by loading up a burger, getting a meat supreme pizza, and reaching for the General Tso’s. But don’t just label things. Foods have feelings too (just ask a vegan).
Here’s what labeling actually does: it creates resistance, stirs up emotions, and drops a cow patty on fun.
A good meal includes a protein, a carb, a little fat, and a vegetable. That’s it. Don’t overcomplicate it.
She had labeled foods, built a barrier, and created guilt around the things she enjoyed. She wasn’t doing it on purpose — she just didn’t know any better.
Part Two: The “Healthy Food” Trap
Now meet the other side of this coin.
She sat down with what I can only describe as a queenesque posture and opened with this:
“Food is something we don’t have to talk about. I’ve got that dialed in.”
Cool — tell me more.
“I start every day with a smoothie using yogurt, fruit, avocados, granola, banana, peanut butter, and oat milk. Then I have a protein bar mid morning — One’s my favorite — and snack on mixed nuts throughout the day. In the afternoon I get a locally pressed juice with some peanut butter. At night I have a salad with chicken, veggies, chia seeds, and balsamic vinaigrette. For a snack maybe some hummus with carrots and celery, followed by a yogurt bar.”
She leaned back. “See? I’m good there.”
I tapped my fingers a couple of times.
Good?
“Yes! Everything is healthy and high in protein. Now if I could just lose weight.”
(Sigh)
Some of you might look at that list and think she’s a boss (other’s more of a B). But pull out a calculator and you’ll notice the carbs and fats are through the roof — and the protein?
Womp womp womp.
She fell into the influencer health trap. Here’s how it actually breaks down:
Smoothies and pressed juices may come from fruits and vegetables, but most have over 50 grams of carbs per serving with minimal protein or fiber. You’re essentially drinking a sugar shuttle with good PR.
Nuts — I love them (whoa), but they’re not the health food they’re marketed as. Good fats yes, but a lot of them, with very little protein despite the promise on the label.
Protein bars can be a great staple, but most are glorified candy bars with a gym logo. If it has less than 15 grams of protein it’s not a protein bar. It’s a treat pretending to wear a lab coat.
Granola is just cereal with more sugar and better branding.
Salads are great for vegetables and protein when added, but we’re still missing a good carb source — and regardless of the dressing, fat city.
I poo poo’d on her parade. Here’s why.
Despite what we hope for, body change comes down to calories in versus calories out. Hammer that home with adequate protein, good carbs, and appropriate fats and you’ve just unlocked Amazon overnight shipping on your results.
But it all comes with knowledge and awareness. Something very few of us are actually taught — including most doctors.
Just because something has a health halo doesn’t mean it belongs in your plan.
The Real Framework
Both women were operating on incomplete information. One was avoiding foods that weren’t actually hurting her. The other was loading up on foods that were quietly sabotaging her goals.
Neither was doing it on purpose. They just didn’t know any better.
Here’s the framework that fixes both problems:
Every meal should have: A protein source. A carb. Some fat. A vegetable. In proportions that match your goal — not a social media post.
Stop labeling foods as good or bad. Start asking whether a food is serving your goal in the right proportion. A burger isn’t bad. Four burgers is a different conversation.
Protein is the non-negotiable. Everything else adjusts around it. If your meal doesn’t have a meaningful protein source — at least 20 to 30 grams — it’s missing its anchor.
Read the label on your “health” foods. That smoothie. That bar. That juice. What’s actually in it? How much protein? How many carbs? The label doesn’t lie even when the marketing does.
Awareness beats restriction every time. You don’t need to quit the foods you love. You need to understand what they’re actually doing so you can make informed choices, and enjoy the ones that work for you without guilt.
The Bottom Line
Bad food bigotry goes both ways.
There are people torturing themselves over a burger that was never the problem. And there are people wondering why they can’t lose weight while drinking 60 grams of sugar through a straw from a pressed juice bar.
The answer in both cases is the same — knowledge and awareness.
That’s exactly what we offer at Stronger through nutrition coaching with every membership. No crash diets. No meal replacement nonsense. No food guilt. Just the tools and knowledge to get healthier while still enjoying your life.
If you’re struggling to get your nutrition on track or simply don’t know where to start — reply and we’ll get you set up with Matt today.
Go nuts,
Doc