Ten Common Dieting Myths

30.11.2011

There are many assumptions made about dieting and weight loss. Here are ten dieting myths – busted!

1. Skipping breakfast is a good way to lose weight

Skipping breakfast will result in a drop in your blood sugar level and make you feel tired, hungry and sometimes grumpy. The likelihood is you will be reaching for a high fat, high sugar, high calorie snack to keep you going. In fact people who do eat breakfast are more likely to maintain a healthier body weight than those who don't.

2. Dieting will help me lose weight
Faddy diets simply don't work. Eating only bananas and boiled eggs may well help you lose weight in the short term but does not offer a practical solution to effective weight loss. Re-educating yourself about food, understanding what will help you lose weight and keep the weight off is the only practical 'diet' there is, making adjustments to your eating habits that will last you a lifetime.

3. I have to give up all my favourite foods
Depriving yourself of all the foods you enjoy won’t work, so make a deal with yourself and enjoy them just occasionally and in moderation.

4. Eating at night makes you gain weight
It doesn’t matter when you eat if you are eating too much – a calorie is a calorie at any time of the day! It is healthier for your digestive system not to eat a heavy meal before you go to bed but a later dinner will not make you any fatter than an earlier one, it will just make you feel bloated.

5. It is possible to spot reduce, or to lose fat in one part of your body
As unfair as it may seem, we can’t pick and choose where we gain or lose weight from. When the body loses fat, it is lost throughout the body. Focusing on one area of the body when exercising may develop better muscle tone and an improved shape in that area but it will not remove more fat.

6. Certain foods, such as grapefruits or celery, can burn fat
No foods can actually help you to burn fat. Some foods with caffeine may speed up your metabolism slightly for a short time but they won’t cause significant weight loss.

7. Carbohydrate-rich foods, such as bread and pasta, are fattening
The problem here is that we eat too much of them. If we ate them in small quantities they would provide long lasting energy. Try swapping bread and pasta for green vegetables.

8. I shouldn’t snack between meals
Enjoying a healthy energy giving snack between meals stokes your engine and helps boost the metabolism – and that's a good thing.

9. I should avoid all fats
Omega 3, 6 and 9 are essential fatty acids and are often missing from our diets. They are responsible for cell regeneration, concentration levels, brain function, help maintain hormone balance and can help maintain a healthy heart.
 

10. Certain snack bars will help me lose weight
The key here is to check the ingredients on the label. Some of these products contain sugar. Sugar is an ingredient to be avoided when losing weight. Find products that do not contain sugar and go ahead, they make a useful and convenient between meal snack.