Super Slim's Dieting Myths

If contradictory nutritional advice leaves you turning to a bag of crisps for comfort, read on:

1. “You can't get fat eating carbohydrates”.

Whatever your source of calories, if you eat more than your body burns up, the excess will turn into fat. 
However, research suggests that, "diets that are high in carbohydrates are linked to leanness".  This may be true for several reasons:-
The carbohydrate-fat “see-saw” phenomenon.  Studies show that the more carbohydrates people consume, the less fatty foods they eat.  This effect may be explained by the fact that the less fat we eat, the less galanin (a hormone that makes us crave fat) is made by the body.

Carbohydrates foods stimulate the "I'm full" area of the brain, unlike fats.  This means you will not be so tempted to binge when eating carbohydrate-rich diets.

Carbohydrates foods tend to be physically filling.  In a recent study, volunteers who ate a breakfast high in carbohydrates subsequently reported fewer feelings of hunger than those who ate a high-fat breakfast.

Dietary fat is more easily stored as body fat than carbohydrates.

2.  “You can shed up to 7lb of fat in seven days”.

While your scales might show a 7lb weight loss within seven days, if you follow a very low-calorie diet, only 2lb of this will be body fat.  The rest will be a combination of stored carbohydrates (glycogen), water and lean body tissue.

This lean body tissue loss, is a recipe for disaster.  "Muscle is metabolically active.  The smaller the proportion of lean tissue in your body, the lower your metabolic rate".  A loss of 2lb of lean tissue means you burn 60 fewer calories per day.  To avoid loss of muscle tissue instead of body fat, it is important not to eat less than your resting metabolic rate (RMR) of calories.

This is the minimum intake required to maintain your lean body mass.  To get a rough idea of your RMR, multiply your weight in pounds by ten.  A sensible calorie intake to continue losing weight is 1400 - 1500 calories per day.

3.  “All fats are bad for you”.

Not true.  Some are absolutely essential for good health.  While too much total fat in the diet leads to weight gain and saturated animal fat leads to high cholestrol, some unsaturated fats must be eaten regularly. 

Essential fatty acids are needed to keep the cell membranes intact and are the raw material for hormone-like substances that influence many of the body's functions, from the regulation of blood pressure to sensitivity to pain.  If you don't eat enough of the right types of fats, you can suffer from depression.

If you are including visible fat in your diet should have olive or apeseed oil, plus sunflower, pumpkin or sesame seeds. For invisible fats oily fish or fish oil supplements are essential.

4.   “Chewing gum makes you hungry”.

The motion of chewing gum is claimed to help build up levels of serotonin in your brain.  This neurotransmitter is important in appetite control as it acts as the brain's conscience, helping it say no to bingeing.  When choosing gum, choose one containing the natural sweetener xylitol.

5.  “Rice  cakes are low in calories so they make a good snack”.

While rice cakes are relatively low in calories and virtually fat-free, they may still leave you feeling hungry.  White rice has what is known as a high glycaemic index (GI).  This means that once eaten, it leads, like sweets, to a rapid rise in blood sugar levels.

This in turn stimulates the release of insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels and also plays a key part in fat storage.  The more insulin circulating in your body, the more calories turn to fat.  The conclusion is to swap those rice cakes, biscuits and sugary snacks for fresh cherries, plums, oranges and pitta to keep your insulin levels low.

However, the far eastern diet is sustained by rice and we do not see many overweight people there.  The key, as always is moderation.

6.  “Heavy people have lower metabolic rates”.

There is always a great temptation to blame weight problems on metabolic abnormalities.  However, in more cases, the heavier and larger a person, the higher their metabolic rate, as they need more energy to maintain their body weight and fuel activities.

7.  “You need to eat less to lose weight”.

Fortunately, this is untrue.  The Chinese for example, eat almost 30% more food than the Americans by volume, but weigh, on average, 20% less.  The secret i is to eat more of the foods that supply fewer calories: unlimited helpings of vegetables and fruitand good servings of low-calorie, low-GI carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes, pulses and wholemeal pasta.

These high-volume foods cause the stomach to stretch and signal the brain that it is satisfied.  The result is that you eat more, feel full, yet lose weight.

8.  “The label says reduced fat, so it's fine to dig in”.

The fat may be reduced, but only in comparison to the amount present in the full-fat version.  The key is to check the label and see how much fat you are getting per serving.  Remember that if you eat 1,900 calories a day and are trying to keep your fat intake below 30%, your daily allowance is around 60g.  Low-fat foods are a safer bet.

To carry this claim, a food must contain less than 5g of fat per 100g.  The only exception to this rule is low-fat spreads, which can still have a massive 40g of fat per 100g.  If you do eat unlimited the fat-free versions of food, Remember your calorie intake may still be high.  In some cases these reduced fats are simply replaced by sugars and therefore can be equal in calories to the fat free variety.

9.  “Drinking water makes you bloated”.

On the contrary.  You need at least 1 1/2 litres of water a day, more if you are exercising.  Restricting fluid ntake can have far-reaching effects.  Low-level dehydration can lead to headaches and lethargy.  Further dehydration can cause renal and cardiovascular problems and impair mental function.

What you drink is important.  Coffee, cola or other drinks containing caffeine may act as a diuretic and stimulate urination, even though the body might need to maintain fluid levels.  Water really is the ideal drink.

10. “I’ve been to aerobics twice this week, I should have lost weight”.

We wish exercise was the miracle answer but unfortunately it is not.  Exercise is brilliant for your heart and lungs and will tone your muscles.  However, exercise simply does not burn thecalories we think.  We need to reduce our weekly intake by 3,500 calories to lose a 1lb.

A high impact aerobics session will burn about 350 calories.  So before reaching out for that Mars Bar after your exercise class think again!  To lose weight you must address you diet, as well as commit  an exercise regime.