Top Diet Myths Exposed: Myths That Keep You Fat

I know what your thinking; the above picture of BBQ chicken is not the right picture for a diet blog! Why not? Chicken is healthy when grilled and BBQ food is very similar. Leave the skin on, when it's cooked take the skin off, hey presto succulent meat.

Anyway, before I continue I would like you to take a minute and think about what the word diet means to you...

Diet is the way you eat for life not a fad that lasts two days until you're delirious with hunger and could eat the cats dinner. Diet refers to what you eat, ie my diet consists of fresh fruit, salads, dairy and white meat, or I am a meat lover so fish is not in my diet. In other words you should never be on a diet. The way you eat is your diet. Hope you got that.

First rule: Eat a good balance of foods that are good for you with a few treats that are not so good for you.

Second rule: The body you have is for life. Look after it. Why on earth would you only eat healthy for a couple of weeks or months.

Being fat doesn't add up, no matter how you look at it. It takes an unbelievable 3500 calories to gain one pound of body fat. That's a lot of extra food and a pound of fat is a helluva lot of fat.

Foods like grapefruit and cabbage soup will help burn fat, which in turn will result in weight loss .....

• It's true that some foods with caffeine can speed up your metabolism ie the way your body uses energy, but ultimately the reason you might lose weight is because the diet is so low in calories (less than 800). It's simple math; you burn more calories because you're eating less calories. However, eating so few calories is dangerous as your sugar levels will fall and you could experience dizzy spells and irregular heart function, not to mention being so tired you can't get off the couch. Oh! and I hope you have a down stairs loo. Especially if your on the cabbage soup diet.

Eating late at night piles on the pounds ....

• The key word here is EATING. If you're eating fatty foods it doesn't matter when you eat them. Back to the math. What comes in must be less than what goes out to lose those pounds. Eating more fatty foods puts on the calories not the time at which you eat them. The thing is, if that were true we'd all stuff ourselves silly during the day and stay slim. Tried and tested. Result; negative.

All Fast food is fattening and unhealthy .....

• A double cheese burger meal every day is never going to be good for you. However, a small burger, thin based pizza, BBQ chicken, a hot dog (easy on the dressing) or tacos for example are not going to ruin your waist line, if you eat them as an occasional treat. Depriving yourself altogether could result in a binge ..... and that's not healthy. You can't blame fast food for that; overeating is very simply the only culprit.

Starches are fattening and should be eliminated from your diet .....

• Many starches are low in calories: pasta, rice, cereals, bread, potatoes and beans. What are fattening are the creamy, cheesy, buttery toppings and sauces you insist on smothering them with. The portion you eat is an even bigger factor. Many people eat far more than the recommended amount, unfortunately it's back to the same story: Too much food. Simples...

Cereal bars have less calories than chocolate .....

• I have some good news; that's not always true. The only thing that can save you here is yourself. Read the label before you convert, as different cereal bars may contain even more calories than your favorite choccy bar. There is a God!

Nuts are forbidden; they are full of fats .....

• Some nuts have a low glycaemic index. This helps keep blood levels steady, leaving you fuller for longer. In other words know your nuts as they make a good energy snack.

A low metabolism prevents you from losing weight .....

• The bigger you are the more calories you need to keep your body going and the higher your metabolism. That means a fat persons metabolism is higher than a thinner person of the same height. On that note, lose that excuse because that's all it is; an excuse!

Giving up smoking Giving puts on the weight .....

• Smoking does increases your metabolism, but the amount by which it increases is so small it's insignificant. The fact is your eating more, probably substituting food for a fag. As a born again none smoker I can relate to this.

Wheat intolerance is your problem .....

• Sorry; 0.01 % of people suffer in the world with this problem. You have yet another excuse to dump. If you do think there's a genuine problem, go see your GP.

Weights bulk you up .....

• Weights build muscle and muscle burns about 10 calories more per pound than fat. Get yourself some light weights and start building those muscles. Low weight and high repetitions will give you a fine toning without the added bulk.

A little time invested in knowing what's in your food will see you reap the rewards. Learn a little at a time. Read food and drink labels. Low fat is less than 4 grams of fat to every 100 grams, otherwise it's simply not low in fat.

There are good fats and bad fats, but the bottom line is to eat a healthy balanced diet including fruit, vegetables, pulses, starches, meat, foul, fish and shellfish. Eating healthy is a really good place to start.

Enjoy your treats, but remember treats are not for every day otherwise they'd be on the list above with foods like fruit and vegetables.

The most important thing to remember is; the calories you eat daily must be less than the energy you use from those calories to burn stored fat hence lose weight. Keep a food dairy for a month and don't cheat. A small biscuit counts, and just because you eat it quick doesn't mean you didn't eat it.

A woman needs about 2000 calories a day to keep her body going. Introduce some exercises to your routine. Be honest with yourself and you will lose weight and reach a healthy goal and stay there.

Aim to lose 1 to 2 Ibs a week which is 3500 to 7000 calories. 2000 x 7 days = 14000 calories, the average calories per week you have to consume.

Lets take an average of 5000 calories which equals just under a 1 and 1/2 pound loss per week. 14000 - 5000 = 9000 calories you have to consume over a week. Your daily income must be no more than 1285 calories to achieve a 1 and 1/2 pound loss per week.

Exercise will help with weight loss, but more important will help tone up your body, preventing excess skin. Be patient and persistent. Enjoy all your favorite foods, but remember where they are on a scale of 1 to 10 in relation to what's healthy and what's a treat, what's eaten daily and what's reserved for the weekend.

Rome wasn't built in a day, the best sculptures take time, never forget that.

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© 2010 Gabriel Wilson All Rights Reserved