5 Common Myths From The Weight Loss Crowd
5 Common Myths From The Weight Loss Crowd
Myth: You’ll be OK with a high protein/low carb diet!
Fact: This type of diet aims to secure most of the daily
required amount of calories from protein foods, such as
meat, dairy products and eggs, with a very small part taken
from foods containing a lot of carbs (bread, pasta, potatoes
and fruits).
The biggest problem with this diet is that many common and
popular foods are forbidden, which makes it easy for the
user to get bored or frustrated.
When boredom and frustration set in, quitting time is never
far off.
Another problem is the lack of nutrients that are usually
brought in by carbohydrate foods, while allowing the user to
eat bacon and cheese that raise cholesterol levels.
The bottom line is that high protein/low carb diets result
in fast weight loss in some users, but it’s not just fat
that goes away. People also lose some of their lean muscle
mass and a lot of water as the kidneys work harder to rid
the body of excess waste from protein and fat.
The added stress to your kidneys is not healthy at all and,
in the long run, will lead to dehydration, headaches,
feelings of nausea and dizziness. Before engaging in a
long-term diet, you would do well to discuss it with your
physician. And if you are really keen on dieting, try a
balanced diet first, because it will help you lose weight
without hurting your system.
Myth: Permanent weight loss can be achieved with fad diets.
Fact: This is yet another common myth among the weight loss
crowd. Like any other diet that tells you to cut this or
that food from your daily meals, fad diets are not healthy
for you.
The cornerstone of any diet is supplying the body with all
the calories, proteins and minerals it needs. Diets that cut
out foods without regard for the needs of your body cannot
be healthy for you.
Fad diets fail to deliver on the promise of permanent weight
loss because people will always crave the forbidden foods
and will always end up breaking the rules and ditching the
diet.
The key to making weight loss permanent is more exercise and
to avoid eating food that makes you fat without nourishing
your body. Our extensive studies confirmed the importance of
exercising and of a well-balanced diet.
Myth: Low-fat or no fat food is always a good choice.
Fact: The only low fat foods that are also low in calories
are fruits. The rest of the huge low-fat or non-fat group
are not a safe choice if you are dieting. These products may
have added sugar, starch or flour to make them taste better,
which means extra calories that do not belong into your
diet. So make sure you check the list of ingredients on
packages whenever you decide to buy low-fat.
Myth: Switching to vegetarian food will help you lose weight
and stay healthy.
Fact: I know this is a hard pill to swallow, but no food
plan will work for you unless you take charge of your eating
and make sure that everything that goes past your lips is
the right kind of food. The key here is to be absolutely
sure that the vegetarian diet will give your body all the
nutrients and calories it needs. Eating heaps of foods that
do nothing for you from the nutritional point of view,
outside maybe of filling your stomach, can bring you a lot
of trouble in the future.
Since plants tend to have a lower concentration of nutrients
than meat, you will have to eat more food than before to
make up for this difference.
Not to mention that a strictly vegetarian diet will not get
you enough vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, calcium and zinc.
These substances are taken mostly from dairy products and
eggs in a regular diet, but true vegetarians can’t touch
those. You’ll have to rely on the few and uncommon
vegetables that can provide these substances.
Myth: Dairy products cause heart problems and make you fat.
Fact: Well, thanks to modern medicine everybody knows that
eating a lot of dairy products is a surefire path to high
blood pressure and stroke, although a large group of people
from France refuse to die despite the large quantities of
cheese and wine they consume.
Dairy products are the main source of calcium that keeps
your bones strong and healthy. It is absolutely essential
for children and can be in no way overlooked by adults.
Dairy products also contain vitamin D, which is crucial to
maintaining the normal levels of calcium and phosphorus in
your bloodstream.
If you don’t want to gain weight from dairy products, then
choose low-fat or non-fat brands. There are enough of those
around. If you are lactose-intolerant, drink soy or rice
milk. It does not taste exactly the same as true milk, but
it’s still good and nutritious.
Butter and margarine are the only products you should worry
about. They do contain big levels of fat. Still, if you
can’t do without them, at least eat butter. Margarine is an
over-processed fat that is not particularly good for you.
Butter may be a bit fatter, but it definitely is the
healthier of these two.
