Weight Loss Myths

DIETING: SEPaRATE THE FACT FROM FICTION

Common weight loss myths are heard through and through in our daily lives. Women, for example, think that we men don't care about our weight, and that we don't go on diets as often as they do.

Men tend to believe that weight loss, like a military operation, is something that should be undertaken only when truly necessary. We'll cut some slack on a bit of flab around the waist, but when things really get out of line, we're ready for action.

The problem arises when we are confronted with hundreds of possible ways to lose those extra pounds with the least amount of bother and fuss. Well, problem solved. The following are eight weight loss myths that we, as men, often believe for fact. Dropping a few pounds will be a snap once you discard these common weight loss myths.

pack on the starch

Myth: Starches make you fat.
Not true. Starchy foods such as potatoes, breads and pasta are the fastest-burning foods you can eat. All are carbohydrates, which provide the body's main source of ready-to-use fuel.

Nutritionists and dietitians recommend that the greatest share of our diet (60%) be composed of this fuel. "Only a tiny percentage of carbohydrates is ever converted to fat in the body," says Adam Drewnowski, Ph.D., director of the human nutrition program at the University of Michigan's School of Public Health.

It's easy to confuse high-carbohydrate foods with high-fat ones because the two ingredients often appear together, especially in baked goods like muffins and potatoes. And it is high-fat foods that obese people crave, not the carbs.

High-fat foods that disguise themselves as low-fat ones include crackers, croissants, baked potatoes, and microwave popcorn.

cutting calories

Myth: You need to cut calories drastically to lose weight. 

Not really. When you cut back too hard on calories, the body goes into a conservation mode in which your metabolism (the rate at which the body's calorie-burning machinery turns over) switches to a slower pace.

This actually decreases your ability to lose weight. To make sure your body keeps burning fat, experts advise that you drop your total caloric intake only a little while adjusting the fuel mix. According to one study, men who got 25% of their calories from fat (as opposed to 38% typically for most men), but ate as much as they wanted of other types of food, lost an average of a half-pound per week.

the drastic diet

Myth: Only drastic diets work. 

Sure, if you eat nothing but oranges all day long for a week, you'll inevitably lose weight. But if you're considering going on a diet of this kind, we suggest you ask yourself: "Can I eat nothing but oranges for the rest of my life?" Right, sure, uh huh.

The problem here is that these kinds of diets aren't realistic. All of us eventually get a craving for a rib steak, and once we get back to reality, the extra pounds start rolling in.

To take weight off, and keep it off, we suggest gradually changing your diet habits. The brain often does not perceive small changes, and you start getting used to it. For example, the next time you go to a hamburger joint and order a burger, tell them to hold the cheese. This will automatically reduce your calorie intake from fats by 100 calories.

keep the yummy stuff

Myth: You have to give up your favourite foods. 

You don't. In fact, you can eat anything you want. Depriving yourself of pleasure isn't fun, and it doesn't work. "There's something called the abstinence violation effect, which says that if you insist on completely avoiding something, human nature makes it likely that you'll break your resolution," says nutritionist Dr. Susan Kayman. "Then you'll tell yourself you've blown it and simply give up. It's much better to allow yourself enjoyable choices every now and then, which makes the real issue how much you have and how often."

For example, red meat can readily be part of a healthy diet if you eat small portions once or twice a week. Choose a lean cut that allows you to eat bigger portions. A simple rule to follow: anything with the words "round" or "loin" is low-fat, such as Sirloin or Eye of Round.

snacks are sinful

Myth: You shouldn't snack.
Actually, the right kinds of snacks can help you lose weight. Again, follow the rule of "low fat burns fat." Fruits and veggies are the best kind of snacks. So are low-fat sweets such as brownies and cookies.

overeating is caused by hunger

Myth: When you overeat, it's because you're hungry. 

Hunger has nothing to do with it. We overeat for emotional reasons, and if you know your emotional triggers, you'll start eating better.

One of the major reasons is stress, because it causes you to eat more quickly. And the foods you want to eat when stressed are more likely to be fatty, pleasurable things. The best way to foil a craving is to take your mind off it, preferably by keeping yourself busy with a task where it's impossible to eat, such as going for a long walk.

burn, baby, burn

Myth: Burning fat demands intense exercise.

Not so. Most any exercise burns fat. According to most physiologists, increasing your activity level up a notch or two can make you lose a pound per week.

Walking, chopping wood, mowing the lawn, and cleaning the basement are some examples of added activities you can add on to your daily routine. It was believed that you needed an average workout of three times a week of intense training to melt away those pounds.

Such workouts are important at increasing cardiovascular fitness, however, fat burning takes place at lower intensity levels.

aerobics or weights?

Myth: Aerobic exercise is better than weightlifting. 

True, you'll burn more fat during an aerobic exercise, but the benefits from aerobics end shortly after exercising.

Strength training (or weightlifting), however, keeps your metabolism alive long after the workout is over. Look at it this way; weight training is like a salary, whereas aerobics is the bonus.

dig out those old trousers

The best part of all of this is that with nutrition experts now advocating occasional splurges, you'll never have to make another resolution about what you eat. So enjoy yourself!


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