Fact vs. Fiction

Thursday already? Wow! Can I get a HELL YAH? Let me tell ya, for me, Friday can't come fast enough. What a week.

First off, let me apologize for my delayed posting today. Computers are FABULOUS when they're working, and my WORST ENEMY when they're not. Today, my computer has NOT been my friend.

This morning I heard about 5 advertisements on the radio for a new weight loss miracle pill. All of the DJ's here seem to be hooked on this stuff, and it seems that no matter what station I turned to, there was another commercial. I heard them say things such as, "Low carb diets don't work." and "Counting Calories are a waste of time." They really started to make me angry, because DJ's are people with power, who have dedicated listeners eating up (no pun intended) everything they say, listeners who will buy anything based solely on the suggestion of the people in the radio. The DJ's don't have any nutritional education or factual information to base their opinions, and their only reason to "sell" this new product is to fatten their wallets.

Thus, my topic of the day was born...Weight loss Myths...Fact vs. Fiction:

Madelyn Fernstrom from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, addressed 10 common MYTHS about weight loss, and to delivered the facts about healthy ways to reduce calories.

1. Myth #1: You don’t have to count calories Fact: Counting calories is important ~ You definitely need to count calories in order to lose weight. People tend to overestimate their physical activity and underestimate their calories. Don’t rely on eyeballing your caloric intake or trying to estimate it. Instead, every day write down what you eat, the corresponding calories, and your physical activity. To make it easier for you to quantify your physical activity, wear a pedometer. Do this every day. Don’t do it just once or twice a week. Consistency is important for dieting. Sure, this isn’t easy. But if you want to lose weight, this is important to do on a daily basis.
2. Myth #2: Always eat breakfast Fact: Eat some time during the morning ~ If you wake up at 7 a.m., you don’t have to immediately eat a big breakfast. You’re probably not even hungry right after you wake up. You don’t have to jump start your metabolism. You simply have to structure your eating throughout the day, so you’re not too hungry later on. It's best to eat within three hours of waking. If you get up at 7 a.m., eat something by 10 a.m. Have some yogurt or a piece of fruit. If you don’t eat in the morning, you will be too hungry when you finally have a meal, and then you’ll likely overeat. Remember, what counts is your total daily calories.
3. Myth #3: Eat three times a day — don't snack Fact: Eat when you want to maintain calorie intake ~ Once again, it’s all about calories. You can eat three times a day or six times a day, as long as you have the same caloric intake. However, you should have at least three meals a day. That structures your daily eating, so don’t become too hungry. And if you eat six times a day, you won’t be having six full meals.
4. Myth #4: Carbohydrates make you fat Fact: Carbs are necessary for a balanced diet. ~ Carbohydrates do not make you fat. Calories make you fat. Often it’s the sugar and fat contained in carbohydrates that make you fat. Also a lot of carbohydrates are processed, so you don’t get the advantage of feeling full from fiber found in unprocessed carbs. For example, whole grain pasta is more filling — and makes you feel satisfied longer — than white pasta, though both have the same amount of calories. What will change the number of calories is the amount of sauce and butter you put on your pasta. What you want to do is eat carbs in moderation.
5. Myth #5: Avoid fats Fact: Fats increase your sense of fullness ~ Fat is twice as fattening as carbohydrates and protein, but you don’t want to avoid them. Studies show that fat gives you a sense of fullness and adds flavor to many foods. Eliminating fat from your diet will increase your hunger. Fat keeps you fuller longer, because it prevents your stomach from emptying out too quickly.
6. Myth #6: Cut out desserts Fact: Don’t deprive yourself sweets ~ Deprivation is the downfall of all diets. You can have a small portion of dessert to satisfy your sweet tooth and still stick to your diet. You just don’t want to eat a large portion, or more! Food is pleasurable for many people. So, treat yourself but don’t overindulge. You can create a diet that lets you eat a sweet once a day or once a week. Dieters who deprive themselves tend to go overboard when they have candy, cake, or cookies. So make a good choice of what you include in your diet. Maybe you can have a small dessert after dinner or lunch.
7. Myth #7: Don’t worry about dieting — just exercise Fact: Exercising alone is not enough ~ You probably won’t be able to work out enough to make up for eating a huge meal. Exercise just does not burn enough calories. If you eat a slice of apple pie a la mode that is 500 calories, you’ll have to walk briskly for two hours to burn those calories. So, you won’t lose weight unless you also cut calories.
8. Myth #8: Don’t weigh yourself Fact: Get on that scale! ~ You really need to weigh yourself to keep your weight in check. Sure, you can notice if your belt is getting tighter — or looser — but chances are you don’t have an accurate assessment of your weight. Weigh yourself at least once a week. If you don’t have a scale at home, go to your doctor or health club and weigh yourself. Weighing yourself shouldn’t be seen as punishment. It’s just a way to keep an eye on your weight. And your scale doesn’t always have to tell you bad news. You may not have noticed that you lost two pounds the other week. You can weigh yourself once a day or once a week. But don’t weigh yourself more than once a day. (That means you’re obsessing about your weight.) Get on the scale the same time every day, so you have some consistency. You can record how much you weigh, but it’s not necessary; you probably won’t forget the number.
9. Myth #9 Never eat at night Fact: Calories don’t know time ~ What’s important is how many calories you consume; not when you eat them. Many successful dieters save 200 to 300 calories to eat at night. Sure, eating a big steak before you go to bed may give you some indigestion, but it won’t ruin your diet. Eating at night may be the best time for you. You’re at home, the kids are in bed, and you have time to enjoy your food. Oprah says she doesn’t eat after dinner, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t have a late snack and still stick to your diet.
10. Myth #10 No snacking between meals Fact: Calories are calories ~ Snacks aren’t the culprit; calories are. You can have a small container of yogurt for breakfast and a piece of fruit for a snack before lunch. Some dieters prefer to have more structure and limit themselves to three meals a the day and no in-between-meal snacks. Others are more comfortable having small, low-calorie snacks between their main meals. What counts is the total number of calories.

I am particularly guilty of believing myth # 5, 6, 8 & 9. I'm happy to read that eating a little fat can be good for me, and I no longer have to shut my eyes and hold my breath as I pack my kids cookies for lunch!

I hope you found some of this information useful!

Until Tomorrow!

Keep healthy, keep safe and keep going!

Have an awesome day!

©Fit~NOW~Girl©