Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Weight Loss Misinformation Can Sabotage Your Efforts - Don't Fall Victim to These Dieting Myths

By Keira Adams

Maybe you've often thought about starting a weight loss diet. Perhaps you held back because it seemed too difficult and complex. Judging by all the information about dieting that's out there, there are a lot of myths making the rounds. Our goal here is to disprove several of them.

1. One of the most common myths is that you can drop pounds quickly just by a severe cutback in food and calorie intake. This is an extremely unhealthy way to go about dieting. Your body thinks it's starving and will cling to its fat stores tenaciously.

2. Another myth we face in our quest for a slimmer waistline is one that tells us to eat only one specific type of food. The peppered water, grapefruit and the hot dog diet fads have resulted in many binges over the years. An unbalanced fad diet will result in not enough nutrients that are essential for good health and a strong immune system.

3. You may have also heard that you can never cheat on your diet. And if you do, you must pay the price by doubling up on your workouts. This just isn't true. There's nothing wrong with the occasional bowl of ice cream. It's only necessary that you cut back on your calories for a day or two. If you indulged yourself a little too much, a punishing workout certainly isn't necessary.

4. A particularly persistent myth is that you shouldn't eat just before going to bed because your body can't burn off the calories while you're sleeping. This one isn't true because a diet only means that you're eating healthy and watching your caloric intake for the day. If you have a small snack before bedtime, it won't have any real impact. That is, unless it's a three course gourmet dinner or a family size tub of ice cream.

5. Maybe you've heard of the one that tells you not to eat at all between established mealtimes? It's better that you do eat snacks. Consume several mini meals through your day and your hunger won't overwhelm you. You only cause yourself to be overly hungry at mealtime when you don't let yourself snack. This might lead you to eat much more than your body needs just to ease your hunger pangs.

6. There's another myth that says you shouldn't consume any dairy products at all because they're too fattening. However, don't ban dairy products from your refrigerator, because they are loaded with healthy substances that your body needs. In fact, some studies suggest those who consume dairy have better weight loss success. Just make sure you limit your amounts and go for the low-fat versions.

Try not to fall victim to the myriad of diet myths circulating the internet. Nutritious, mindful eating along with regular exercise can be the combination that will help you with your healthy weight loss.

About the Author:

1 comment:

  1. There are so many diets sprouting over the internet, books, dvds, and magazines that we think to ourselves; why so many? does that mean the previous diet didn't work that they have to release a later edition? Well in my experience, I have learned that you alone can determine what's going to work and these DIETS should only be treated as guidemaps not the bible...

    ReplyDelete