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The dieting world is full of myths, hearsay and
soundbites. We all have heard them a thousand times, but does that make
them true? Is it really a good idea to ban sugar completely from your
diet? Is it really a good idea not to touch fat and alcohol ever again?
This seems to me like an invitation to failure. Too few people can
swear off certain foods forever and stick to the oath. The rest of us
need a little treat now and then. And there’s nothing wrong with
getting a treat once in while, provided that treats don’t happen
every day.
 The
basic idea of any diet is to eat food that contains fewer calories than
your body needs to maintain its current weight. This way, the body is
forced to use the accumulated fat in order to make up for the energy it
doesn’t get from food. But a diet also has to be tasty and
nutritionally sound. Simply banning certain types of foods and
ingredients is not a solution because anybody following such a diet
will have to acknowledge sooner or later that he or she wants those
foods and ingredients badly and a relapse into the old eating habits
becomes inevitable.
People should also learn not to put their faith
into meal replacements, such as Mypoplex, Slimfast or Eat-Smart. These
combinations of low-fat and high-protein substances cannot substitute a
proper diet. They should never be used for more than 4 four weeks in a
row. Calories are important to the body and nobody can go on for long
without them. Cutting calories out of the long-term nutrition is a huge
mistake because the internal organs and muscles need them to function.
Using meal replacements for a week or two, as a shock treatment, is
fine. Relying on them for two months is asking for trouble. And the
same goes for single-food diets, such as the cabbage soup diet, because
they are based on the same idea.
Another widespread myth is the idea that the best approach to weight loss is a low-carb, high-protein diet.
This is one of the myths that emerged from the Hollywood slimming
industry. Nearly all movie stars and singers are on some such diet.
However, this approach is not exactly good for you because a diet low
in carbohydrates and calories forces the body to use existing carbs
located in the liver and the muscles. In time, this diet leads to
weight loss mainly from water stored in the body, instead of fat, and
also strains the internal organs.
And people should not be so afraid of potatoes, bread and pasta, the leading sources of carbohydrates.
Carbs are actually good for you because they quell the feeling of
hunger without bringing in too many calories. So you can safely eat
moderate amounts of potatoes and bread as long as you don’t use
butter or sauces, which are laden with fat. Naturally, you also have to
pay attention to how these foods are prepared. French fries are not a
low-fat food. Still, a high-carb, low-fat diet is far better than
banning potatoes and bread from your daily meals and it’s also
easier to stick to.
Drinking a certain quantity of water every day is a good idea because it keeps the body hydrated and fills the stomach.
Water also keeps the intestines healthy by facilitating the movements
of undigested food to the exit point. However, simply drinking water
does not trigger weight loss. There is only one way to lose weight and
that is to burn up the existing fat and water cannot do that. Nor
should a diet be judged solely by how much weight is lost per week.
Some people claim that a diet can be considered effective if the weekly
loss of weight is above two pounds. Frankly, two pounds per week is a
lot of weight to lose and you can be sure that not all of it is fat,
but also the lean tissue that makes up the muscles.
Another myth claims that fat is absolutely bad for you.
It’s not. Quite on the contrary, the body needs some fat in order
to get the important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K circulating
through the cardiovascular system. Moreover, fat also brings into the
body the essential fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6 that cannot be
synthesized in the body. The word “essential” means that
these fatty acids simply have to be present in your daily food since
they play an important role in your health. The recommended dose of fat
is 35 percent of your daily calories. And last of all comes the idea
that a diet or eating plan is enough in itself and does not have to be
coupled with exercising. But exercising is the most effective way of
burning up the extra calories stored as fat. Simply sitting at your
desk all day long is not going to do the trick, regardless of what diet
you’re on. Remember that a diet that has plenty of food (the
right kind of food) and plenty of exercise is far better than sitting
on the sofa and drinking cabbage soup every six hours. It works faster
and is less stressful to your body. |
