Get Your Facts Straight! 5 Fat Loss Myths Debunked!!

Written by Shoshana Pritzker Tuesday, 13 April 2010 16:15

Myth 1: Caffeine is unhealthy.

Fact 1: There is some evidence that caffeine may have a positive effect on some diseases, including gout and Parkinson's disease, besides caffeine's famous alertness buzz. In addition, data shows that coffee intake actually helps with blood sugar regulation, especially in people with perturbed metabolism (i.e., pre-diabetics, diabetics). It’s a myth that caffeine is a strong diuretic that affects your fluid needs. Caffeine does not cause greater fluid losses over a 24-hour period, therefore, it is no longer considered a diuretic. I do caution that caffeine isn't always listed on product labels, and children who drink a lot of caffeinated energy drinks may get more caffeine than their parents expect. Caffeine is truly only unhealthy for those who are sensitive to it, have certain medical conditions, but in normal and generally healthy people, caffeine is a positive thing.

Myth 2: Food eaten late at night makes weight gain inevitable.

Fact 2: Many diets or diet programs tell a client not to eat after an arbitrary time. However, just because our metabolic rate slows as the day goes on, does it mean that we should not eat? Research actually shows that nighttime eating, when done within an overall day’s caloric allotment, will not affect your ability to lose weight. This is one time when it is totally true regarding eating less than what you need can work to your benefit. Those people who skimp on food throughout the day are doomed to eat with their eyes (overeat), as compared to those who nutrient time.

Myth 3: Fattening foods will make you fat.

Fact 3: Fattening foods are typically high-calorie and of course, high in fat. You need to eat an extra ~3,500 total calories to gain a pound of fat. If you follow a 90/10 rule (eat clean 90 percent of your calories with 10 percent of your daily or weekly intake to be whatever you want), gaining weight from one high-calorie/high-fat food would not be a reality. The reality is that it is OK to eat these foods in moderation, as long as you are also typically involved with exercise and in general eating a healthy diet.

Myth 4: Low-fat foods help you lose weight.

Fact 4: Low-fat foods only mean, by legal definition, that the food contains 30 percent or less calories from fat. A jellybean is considered a low-fat food as is a Tootsie Roll; are these examples at the top of your health food list? More to the point, low-fat or even fat-free does not mean calorie-free. Thus, many people think that a low-fat food is a “free food” and that watching serving sizes do not matter. The fact is that any food can be used for weight loss and that low-fat foods sometimes are not rich in nutrients and thus, is equivalent to eating empty calories.

Myth 5: Dieting means deprivation, death and eating lots of “puffed rice.”

Fact 5: Dieting by definition is just a descriptive term for what one eats. Diets are comprised of foods, beverages and the like; however, dieting is synonymous in this country with restrictive eating. When people restrict what they eat, often the feeling is being deprived of something and over time, the subconscious becomes resentful that you are taking away “pleasure.” Dieting for weight loss is better looked at as a lifestyle change to live so that your weight, fitness and health goals are a long-term reality.