Food and Nutrition
3 diet myths busted
By Nicci Micco, January 4, 2010
http://www.eatingwell.com
“I’m working so hard and I still can’t lose weight.” As a nutritionist who specializes in weight management, I’ve heard this a lot over the years. Yes, these people usually are working
hard. Often too hard. One of the biggest mistakes people make when
they’re trying to shed pounds is to focus on the wrong things: false
promises, unproven gimmicks, misguided perceptions about what it means
to diet.
A smart, balanced approach to weight loss may not seem “sexy” or easy
but getting caught up in weight-loss myths will only sabotage your
success. Here are three top weight-loss myths, busted.
Myth: You can lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks.
Truth: You probably can lose 10 pounds in two weeks
if you crash diet, but you’ll feel terrible—and most of the weight will
return once you start eating normally. To truly lose 1 pound, you need
to “eliminate” 3,500 calories—the amount stored in a pound of fat—by
eating less and moving more. If you cut 500 calories (or cut 300 and
burn 200 through exercise) every single day of the week, you’ll lose
about a pound a week. And that’s real weight loss.
Myth: If you exercise, you can eat as much as you want.
Truth: Unless you’re working out like an Olympic
athlete, to lose weight you’ll still need to keep an eye on how many
calories you’re eating. “Calories in” add up much more quickly than
“calories out.” Consider this: two medium cookies cost you about 400
calories. To burn 400 calories, the average person needs to run or walk 4
miles.
Myth: You should expect to be hungry while dieting.
Truth: If you cut calories randomly, you’re probably
going to feel hungry. On the other hand, if you plan out your day so
that you’re replenishing yourself with nutritious foods every three or
four hours, you’ll likely feel quite satisfied on significantly fewer
calories. Aim to include a source of lean protein (e.g., skim milk,
turkey) and fiber (e.g., hummus, carrots) in every meal and snack.
