10 Weight loss Myths
and Facts
Everyone is obsessed with
diets and dieting today. Every day we are bombarded by seemingly new, and most
often confusing, information on what is the best way to shed those extra
pounds. There are fat-burning pills, exercise machines, low-fat-low-carb
snacks, and diet tips galore: Don’t eat carbs, stay away from desserts, don’t
skip breakfast, never nibble after 6 p.m., etc. New diet book are always
hitting the bookstore shelves with the latest weight-loss advice, and
celebrities feel compelled to share their diet successes. With all this
conflicting information, it’s difficult to find a diet that is right for you —
and that will work for you!
And it’s not that all
this weight-loss advice is useless or even unhealthy. It’s just that one
person’s diet secret may not work for you. The same doesn’t work for everyone.
So it’s important to know the truth behind common diet tips. Here are 10
popular weight-loss myths and the facts.
Myth #1: You don’t have to
count calories
Fact: Counting calories is important
You definitely need to count calories in order to lose weight.
People tend to overestimate their physical activity and underestimate their
calories. Don’t rely on eyeballing your caloric intake or trying to estimate
it. Instead, every day write down what you eat, the corresponding calories, and
your physical activity. To make it easier for you to quantify your physical
activity, wear a pedometer. Do this every day. Don’t do it just once or twice a
week. Consistency is important for dieting. Sure, this isn’t easy. But if you
want to lose weight, this is important to do on a daily basis.
And remember that a
calorie is a calorie whether it’s fat, sugar, or protein. Still, some foods are
more calorie-dense than others. That means that they contain more calories per
ounce. Carbohydrates and protein have the same calories per ounce. Fat, on the
other hand, has twice as many, so the calories found in fat add up twice as
fast. Eat fatty foods — dairy products, skin on meat, fatty meats — in
moderation. You want to limit your intake of fat, but you don’t want to stop
eating fat. Fat increases your sense of fullness. Your body also needs a small
amount of fat to function. Fat is part of our cell structure. The body can’t
make some essential fatty acids on its own, so it needs to obtain them from an
outside source.
Myth #2: Always eat
breakfast
Fact: Eat some time during the morning
If you wake up at 7 a.m., you don’t have to immediately eat a
big breakfast. You’re probably not even hungry right after you wake up. You
don’t have to jump start your metabolism. You simply have to structure your
eating throughout the day, so you’re not too hungry later on. It's best to eat
within three hours of waking. If you get up at 7 a.m., eat something by 10 a.m.
Have some yogurt or a piece of fruit. If you don’t eat in the morning, you will
be too hungry when you finally have a meal, and then you’ll likely overeat.
Remember, what counts is your total daily calories.
Myth #3: Eat three times a day
— don't snack
Fact: Eat when you want to maintain calorie intake
Once again, it’s all about calories. You can eat three times a
day or six times a day, as long as you have the same caloric intake. However,
you should have at least three meals a day. That structures your daily eating,
so don’t become too hungry. And if you eat six times a day, you won’t be having
six full meals.
Myth #4: Carbohydrates make you
fat
Fact: Carbs are necessary for a balanced diet
Carbohydrates do not make you fat. Calories make you fat. Often
it’s the sugar and fat contained in carbohydrates that make you fat. Also a lot
of carbohydrates are processed, so you don’t get the advantage of feeling full
from fiber found in unprocessed carbs. For example, whole grain pasta is more
filling — and makes you feel satisfied longer — than white pasta, though both
have the same amount of calories. What will change the number of calories is
the amount of sauce and butter you put on your pasta. What you want to do is eat
carbs in moderation.
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Myth #5: Avoid fats
Fact: Fats increase your sense of fullness
Fat is twice as fattening as carbohydrates and protein, but you
don’t want to avoid them. Studies show that fat gives you a sense of fullness
and adds flavor to many foods. Eliminating fat from your diet will increase
your hunger. Fat keeps you fuller longer, because it prevents your stomach from
emptying out too quickly.
Myth #6: Cut out desserts
Fact: Don’t deprive yourself sweets
Deprivation is the downfall of all diets. You can have a small portion of
dessert to satisfy your sweet tooth and still stick to your diet. You just
don’t want to eat a large portion, or more! Food is pleasurable for many
people. So, treat yourself but don’t overindulge. You can create a diet that
lets you eat a sweet once a day or once a week. Dieters who deprive themselves
tend to go overboard when they have candy, cake, or cookies. So make a good
choice of what you include in your diet. Maybe you can have a small dessert
after dinner or lunch.
Myth #7: Don’t worry about
dieting — just exercise
Fact: Exercising alone is not enough
You probably won’t be able to work out enough to make up for
eating a huge meal. Exercise just does not burn enough calories. If you eat a
slice of apple pie that is 500 calories, you’ll have to walk briskly for two
hours to burn those calories. So, you won’t lose weight unless you also cut
calories.
Myth #8: Don’t weigh
yourself
Fact: Get on that scale!
You really need to weigh yourself to keep your weight in check.
Sure, you can notice if your belt is getting tighter — or looser — but chances
are you don’t have an accurate assessment of your weight. Weigh yourself at
least once a week. If you don’t have a scale at home, go to your doctor or
health club and weigh yourself. Weighing yourself shouldn’t be seen as
punishment. It’s just a way to keep an eye on your weight. And your scale
doesn’t always have to tell you bad news. You may not have noticed that you
lost two pounds the other week.
You can weigh yourself
once a day or once a week. But don’t weigh yourself more than once a day. (That
means you’re obsessing about your weight.) Get on the scale the same time every
day, so you have some consistency. You can record how much you weigh, but it’s
not necessary; you probably won’t forget the number.
Myth #9 Never eat at
night
Fact: Calories don’t know time
What’s important is how many calories you consume; not when you
eat them. Many successful dieters save 200 to 300 calories to eat at night.
Sure, eating a big steak before you go to bed may give you some indigestion,
but it won’t ruin your diet. Eating at night may be the best time for you.
You’re at home, the kids are in bed, and you have time to enjoy your food.
Oprah says she doesn’t eat after dinner, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t
have a late snack and still stick to your diet.
Myth #10 No snacking between
meals
Fact: Calories are calories
Snacks aren’t the culprit; calories are. You can have a small
container of yogurt for breakfast and a piece of fruit for a snack before
lunch. Some dieters prefer to have more structure and limit themselves to three
meals a the day and no in-between-meal snacks. Others are more comfortable
having small, low-calorie snacks between their main meals. What counts is the
total number of calories.
Dieter’s tip: Reduce calories
The best way to think of cutting calories is to go backwards. Add up your daily
calories. If you eat 500 fewer calories a day, you can expect to lose a pound a
week, which is considered to be fairly fast weight loss. If you cut out 250
calories a day, you will lose two pounds a month. Of course, this depends on
your body type, age, health, gender, and level of physical activity. Men
typically need to eat from 1,600 to 1,800 calories to lose weight; women need
1,400 to 1,600. If you want to lose weight at a faster — or slower — rate, you
can adjust your calories.
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