When it comes to dieting and losing weight, we’ve heard some real doozies. We want to clarify some of these “myths” to help you make healthy choices, and not live in fear of food.
1. “Never eat late at night/after a certain time (i.e. after 8pm) because you’ll gain weight and store more fat.”
Well this isn’t always true. The two important things to keep in mind are total calories you are taking in for the day and what your schedule is like. Total calories translates into weight gain. If you take in more calories than you need and expend throughout your day you will start to put on some extra pounds. Second, knowing your schedule and when you’ll be wake is very important. If you work night shifts, you may be eating breakfast at 1 p.m. and dinner at 9 p.m.
2. “Low-fat and no fat diets are good for you.”
Wrong! This isn’t true at all. Your body needs and depends of fat in order for your body and brain to function properly. Also, keep in mind that when you use a fat-free product the manufacturers had to use something else in the fat’s place…if the label says “fat-free,” but you can’t pronounce the ingredients, I would probably steer away from that product.
3. “Crash dieting or fasting/starving yourself is the best way to lose weight quickly.”
You will lose weight quickly, but ultimately you won’t keep that weight off. In fact, you’ll probably gain more back. Remember, you didn’t put that weight on over night, so don’t expect to lose it over night!
4. “You’ll gain weight when or if you stop smoking.”
This is not the case for everyone. The individuals that do gain weight when they stop smoking do so because they use food as a distraction to satisfy their hands or oral gratification. They are so used to putting a cigarette in that sometimes people will put comfort food in their mouth instead. Try sugar-free gum or snacking on veggies instead.
5. High-protein, low-carb diets are the easiest and quickest way to lose weight.”
Wrong! Research shows that individuals placed on a high-protein, low-carb diet versus a regular reduced- or calorie-controlled diet lose the same amount of weight in the end. As always, a diet that has you avoid a particular food or food group is normally a good sign that it’s a fad diet and you can find a healthier way to lose weight.
If you are moving through phase two and into phase three of the South Beach diet, you might like to try the Kardea gourmet wellness bar. All natural, lower glycemic sweetening, 7g fiber, 7g protein and only 150 calories. Also contains recommended nutrients fournd in Dr Agatston South Beach Heart Program (including 1g of plant sterols and the soluble fiber (oats and psyllium) associated with cholesterol management. Almond base also provides the good fats. If you are interested in a sample, email
that’s so great. yes there are many myths out there about weight loss for sure. I think it is for most part about being able to listen to our bodies and we’ll know for sure for example that a fat free diet isn’t good for us. brain needs fat! better to choose good fats, like unsaturated ones and also coconut oil.