Nutrition Myths & Weight Loss
There are so many weight loss theories and products that it is easy to get confused. This article will try to clear up some of the confusion about weight loss and nutrition so that you can make good decisions about your health.
Fad diets work for permanent weight loss. You will probably lose weight on these kinds of diets but they can be unhealthy because they often do not contain needed nutrients. Also, since some of these diets limit a food group altogether, you may become bored with the diet. If you improve your overall eating and exercise habits, you will develop a healthier lifestyle and make it easier to control your weight.
Skipping a meal is a good way to lose weight. You are more likely to make up for that skipped meal by eating snacks and or eating more at the next meal. It is actually healthier to eat many small meals throughout the day that include a variety of low fat, low calorie, and nutritious foods.
Eating after a certain time at night causes weight gain. What causes the weight gain is eating more calories than you use in a whole day. All extra calories, no matter what food they are from or when they are eaten will be stored as fat. Try to change your habits. Try not to snack while watching TV, playing video games or using the computer. If you snack, take a small amount with you instead of the whole bag and do not get up to get more.
Certain foods can burn fat and make you lose weight. There are no foods that are proven to burn fat. Grapefruit, cabbage soup, and celery are examples of foods that are supposed to make you lose weight. Although these products may aid in the digestive process, the best way to lose weight is still to cut back on calories and increase activity.
Eating red meat is bad for your health and will make it more difficult to lose weight. Lean meat (meat without a lot of visible fat) can be part of a healthy weight-loss plan if eaten in small amounts such as 2 to 3 ounces of cooked meat. This portion is about the size of a deck of cards. Fish, chicken, red meat and pork all have some saturated fat and cholesterol. They also have nutrients that are important for good health such as protein, iron, and zinc, although these nutrients are abundantly available in non-meat sources as well.
Fast foods are always unhealthy and you should not eat them when dieting. Choose grilled foods and salads (with low or no calorie dressing) instead of fried foods. Eating high fat or high calorie food once in a while is fine as long as it is in small amounts.
Low fat and no fat means no calories. This could not be farther from the truth. Most fruits and vegetables are low in fat and calories. Many low-fat-calorie foods have extra sugar, flour or starch as thickeners and add calories to the food. The number of calories in a product depends on the total amount of fat, protein and carbohydrate present.
Be sure to read the food labels as they are filled with information. Sometimes a label claims that the product is fat free, low fat or light. This can become confusing. Fat free means that the product has less than 0.5 grams of fat per serving. Low fat means that the product has 3 grams or less of fat per serving. Reduced or less fat means that the product has at least 25% less fat than the full fat version. Light can mean that the product has fewer calories or half of the fat of the non-light version, the food is clearer in color as light instead of a dark color or the sodium content is 50% less than the non-light version.
Most experts agree: to lose weight, increase physical activity and cut calories.