How to Outsmart Your Appetite and Shed Pounds with This Simple Food Swap

Are you constantly battling cravings and wondering why your weight won’t budge? The secret might be hiding in your pantry. Today, let's talk about the little secret hack that healthy people use that simplifies nutrition. Get ready to learn the following:

• What "whole foods" really are

• Why processed foods are so easy to over consume on

• How to utilize this trick to start shedding pounds quick

The term "whole foods" is one of those phrases that used to make me want to scream into my pillow. It seemed like a buzzword phrase people threw around to feel smart! But when people say "whole food," what they really mean is an unprocessed food item.

If you're smart, you might say that every food goes through a process. A farmer picking a carrot from the ground is a process. Then, washing the dirt off the carrot is another processed. Packaging it and delivering it to a store is a process. Those processes are fine. The issues normally arise when the carrot gets sent to a laboratory, and a scientist extracts a part of the carrot and combines it with ingredients you've never heard of and calls it Carrot Bread.

Whole foods are minimally processed foods that come from nature, like a carrot. Contrast that with something like carrot bread, where ingredients are broken down, mixed, and altered in a lab.

So, while the carrot may go through processes before it gets to the store, that's not what people mean, and it would still be considered a whole food. In a recent Instagram video (click here to watch) I compared a sweet potato to a pasta noodle.

The sweet potato is a whole food because it is one item, while the pasta is a combination of items that went through processes to make them one. There is nothing inherently wrong with eating pasta, but there is a significant difference in density when comparing whole foods to processed foods.

By the way, before we go any farther, do you know your macros? Head over to www.heroesfitness.org/macros to plan our your day. You will need to know your total daily energy expenditure, but don't worry, you can find that out at www.heroesfitness.org/tdee.

If we pull out our scale to weigh food, it makes the difference really noticeable. In one gram of sweet potatoes, we have 1 calorie. In 1 gram of pasta, we have ~3.5 calories. That means pasta is 350% more calorically dense that sweet potatoes.

If you're weighing out your pasta to ensure you are only have one serving, or whatever your plan has you consuming, then there are no issues. However, since nobody does that, it makes it extremely easy to overconsume on pasta when comparing it to whole foods.

I promise I don't have an agenda against Big Pasta, but studies show that diets high in processed foods are linked to increased calorie consumption and weight gain compared to whole-food diets.

Look at ice cream versus a couple apples. Yes, apples are sugary, but for you to overconsume, you'd have to eat a lot of apples. With some ice creams, there are over 1,000 calories in a single pint.

Even foods marketed as healthy alternatives, like protein pancake mixes, can have drawbacks. While they’re marketed as healthy, I’m not a fan. Many of these products contain hidden additives, like artificial sweeteners or thickeners, which can disrupt digestion or blood sugar levels. Artificial sweeteners might alter your gut microbiome or cause blood sugar fluctuations in sensitive individuals. Thickeners and fillers can be hard to digest for some people, leading to bloating or discomfort.

These products also often use deceptive marketing. A 'high-protein' label doesn’t mean a food is healthy—it might still be loaded with calories and sugars. Worst of all, they’re typically more expensive than making your own version with whole foods.

That’s why I stick to simple, natural ingredients. For example, you can make your own protein pancakes using oats, eggs, and bananas. It’s cheaper, tastier, and better for your body.

I normally avoid foods that I think would have required a scientist to create it. However, there is wiggle room. It doesn't mean you should never have a processed food. But eating more whole foods will result in fewer calories consumed, and more than likely a cheaper grocery bill.

Here are some whole foods I suggest trying to eat in your diet:

1. Eggs

2. Sweet potatoes

3. Zucchini

4. Salmon

5. Shrimp

6. Oats

7. Quinoa

8. Beans

At the end of the day, eating more whole foods is one of the simplest and most effective ways to manage your weight and improve your overall health. Whole foods like sweet potatoes, eggs, and salmon are not only nutrient-dense but also naturally lower in calories, making it easier to avoid overeating.

Processed foods—whether it’s pasta or "healthier" options like protein pancake mixes—can sneak in extra calories, additives, and costs that you don’t need. That doesn’t mean you have to eliminate them entirely, but by prioritizing whole foods, you’ll likely see changes not just in your waistline, but in your energy levels and grocery bill too.

What are your thoughts on whole versus processed foods? Am I being too restrictive, or do you agree that simpler is better? By the way, my newsletter is free, so sign up for it by going to www.heroesfitness.org/newsletter

And if you're a Valrico Local who is ready to take your fitness and nutrition to the next level, sign up for a free personal training session at Heroes Fitness. Together, we’ll build a plan that works for you.

See you in the gym,

Connor Blackmon

Founder of Heroes Fitness

1528 Bloomingdale Ave., Valrico FL