Diet myths
More and more young people are dieting to get their bodies to a
shape that they find acceptable. But, where are you getting your
dieting tips from? There is so much conflicting advice out there
that it’s hard to know what to believe. We’re going to set the
record straight on some of the most common dieting myths.
Eating after 9pm – The rumour flying around is that eating after
a certain hour leads to weight gain because you’re less active and
so burn less calories. Though some people swear that it works for
them, the truth is that your body will store extra fat regardless
of the time you eat. That body fat is in fact determined by what
you eat over a twenty-four hour period.
You can eat what you want and still lose weight – It’s a common
thought that, as long as you are exercising regularly, you can
still shed pounds even if you eat whatever you like. But, the fact
is that the only way you will lose weight is by using up more
calories than you take on board. Indulging in an unhealthy diet
will make this extremely unlikely.
It's low-fat, so it must be low in calories - A
low-fat food, such as a cereal bar or muffin, is not lower in
calories and less likely to make you put on weight. Lots of low-fat
or fat-free alternatives have so much sugar that they contain as
many or even more calories as the full-fat versions!
Fewer meals will help you lose weight - Missing
meals is not a good move. You’d be better off eating smaller
portions but more often. Starvation diets will make you put on
weight. At first you will lose weight, but you can’t go on forever
with just one small meal a day and when you do go back to a normal
diet you’re likely to put weight on faster and you could end up
heavier than when you started!
Working out for longer is healthy – Long
periods of exercise if fine as long as you're doing it correctly.
If not, then you could be doing yourself more harm than good. A
more effective way of fat burning is to do shorter bursts of a
high-intensity exercise, as opposed to plodding along on the
treadmill for longer. You need to eat well in order to have
enough energy to exercise well and avoid injury.
Cutting out certain food groups is a good way to lose
weight - Many fad diets suggest avoiding one or more food
groups. It’s not a good idea to do this because you need a varied
diet to get a healthy balance.
You can lose weight without exercising – it is
true, you can lose weight just through dieting. But it isn’t the
easiest or quickest way. It’s much better to combine a sensible
exercise programme with a healthy diet.
Diets don’t lead to lasting weight loss or health
benefits for most people - You would be better off not
going on a diet at all. Your weight would be pretty much the same,
and your body would not suffer the wear and tear of losing weight
and gaining it all back. Instead, swap calorie-controlled plans for
a balanced diet and regular exercise.