Dieting Facts and Fiction
Every day we're bombarded with confusing information on the best way to shed those extra pounds. New diet books are always hitting the shelves with the latest weightloss advice, and celebrities feel compelled to share their diet successes. Conflicting advice is everywhere, and you're stuck in the middle.
What does it really mean to eat a healthy diet? It's hard to know, when the foods that are "good" and the foods that are "bad" seem to be changing all the time. So, we've decided to tackle six of the most popular diet myths and give you the real facts.
Myth 1: The more you cut calories, the more weight you'll lose.
It's true that to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you take in through your diet. But if you cut your calories too far, you'll end up with two problems. Firstly, your metabolism will slow down, making further weight loss increasingly difficult. Second, you'll lose precious muscle tone as well as fat. To get the most out of the calories you eat, choose foods rich in protein, such as lean meat, chicken, fish, Sculptress or Definity. Fruits and vegetables are also important as they have a higher "nutrient density" than refined foods, and pack more vitamins and minerals into fewer calories.
Myth 2: There are special "negative calorie" or "fat burning" foods such as grapefruit or celery, that will burn fat and make you lose weight.
Unfortunately, there are no special foods that will automatically cause weight loss. Foods rich in protein do tend to leave you feeling fuller for longer, so you eat fewer calories over the course of the day. And some herbal formulas, such as Thermobol, can speed up your metabolism (the rate at which your body uses energy, or calories) and support weight loss when combined with a good diet and regular exercise. But so-called "fat burning" foods just don't exist.
Myth 3: If a food is low-fat or fat-free, you can eat as much of it as you want.
A low-fat or fat-free food is often lower in calories than a similar size portion of the full-fat product. To replace the fat, they usually contain added carbohydrates in the form of sugar or starch. The problem is that because they're low in fat, people tend to eat more of them - completely eliminating any advantage the low-fat food had to offer in the first place!
Myth 4: Skipping meals is the best way to lose weight.
Studies show that people who skip breakfast and eat only once or twice during the day tend to weigh more than people who eat a healthy breakfast and eat 4-6 times a day. Skipping meals means that you end up feeling hungry later in the day, and as a result you eat more than you normally would. Grazing rather than gorging by eating small meals throughout the day also helps with appetite control. An approach that's popular with many women is to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner and then have a Sculptress shake as a mid-morning and/or midafternoon snack.
Myth 5: Carbohydrates make you fat.
Carbohydrates do not make you fat. Excess calories - taking in more calories than you burn – are the real culprit when it comes to weight gain. It's true that a lot of carbohydrates are processed, so you don't get the advantage of feeling full from the fibre found in unprocessed carbohydrate-rich food. Carbohydrates, consumed in moderation and balanced with a sufficient amount of exercise, are fine.
Myth 6: To lose weight you must avoid fat.
Many women make the mistake of cutting out all the fat from their diet in an attempt to get lean and toned. Some fats, especially the omega-3 fats found in fish, are essential for your health and offer a host of important benefits, including faster fat loss, improved muscle tone and a reduced risk of heart disease. More interesting still, studies show that fat keeps you fuller longer, because it prevents your stomach from emptying out too quickly. A high-quality EFA formula, such as Finesse Omega makes it easy to boost your EFA intake, especially if you don’t each fish every day.
Send this article to a friend
