As the new year kicks off, many are setting health goals, with a particular focus on tackling stubborn belly fat.
And fat loss coach Thomas Whitehead is offering his expertise to those struggling in this area. The weight loss guru regularly shares tips on his Instagram page, @thomasjwhitehead, where he has 66,900 followers.
One of his latest reels focuses on how to trim down belly fat and saw Thomas start the video by debunking common fat loss myths. He advised viewers to disregard claims that fruit or excessive protein consumption hinders fat loss, and dismissed the notion that “calories aren’t as important as the amount of carbs you eat“.
Thomas urged: “If you believe any of the things I’ve just said, you should seriously consider dropping me a follow, because I post videos like this pretty much every day, debunking these stupid myths and making fat loss a lot easier for you.”
Offering his own advice, Thomas suggested: “If your goal is to lose fat as quickly as possible, here’s what you need to do.”
His first tip was to “try and makeup 90% of your diet from single-ingredient foods”, adding: “Make sure that they’re foods you actually enjoy.” The specialist also highlighted the significance of increasing protein intake, saying: “Not because it’s magical and has fat-burning powers, but because it helps preserve your muscle mass, keeps you nice and full, and it is good for your metabolism.”
Reinforcing the necessity for a calorie deficit to slim down, he noted, “these two things help you do that.”
Simplification seems key, as he added, “The more simple you can make your eating habits, the better your results will be.”
Following up in his caption for the post, Thomas wrote: “BE CAREFUL TO WHO YOU LISTEN TO ONLINE. Keep things simple, focus on healthy habits and the rest will take care of itself.”
His video garnered plenty of positive attention with hundreds of likes pouring in. Yet some followers were puzzled over his initial mention of myths despite his later clarification of them as nonsense.
One person wrote: “30g protein rule has been disproved numerous times,” while another confused user posted: “Wait, so fruit is negative as it raises insulin levels (making you hungry) but then later you say those are myths. Confused now. Were the 1st 3 statements your POV? Or you feel these are are myths?”