“Lose 10 kilos in 30 days!”
“Eat as Much as you Want But still lose Weight!”
“Try the Thigh Buster and lose Inches!”
You must have heard similar claims everywhere you go. In today’s fast-paced, fast weight losstools and weight loss packages are everywhere but for the common man or woman it can be pretty bewildering. Let me discuss some myths and provide some facts and tips about weight loss and nutrition. These are questions that are often posed to me by many of my clients and through this article I hope to dispel some of the doubts regarding these points.
Weight Loss and Diet Myths
Myth: Quick Diets will help me lose weight and keep it off.
Fact: fad weight loss diets can help you lose weight only for a temporary period of time. These diet plans will promise you fast weight loss but only if you reduce your portions drastically and avoid certain types of foods. These diets may help you lose weight initially but they are hard to follow for a long time. Most people get easily bored of these diets and regain back their earlier weights once they stop these diets.
Fad diets are also unhealthy because your body may not be getting all the nutrients that it needs. There is also the added risk of developing gallstones if you lose a large amount of weight rapidly. Also being on a diet of just 800 calories a day for a long period of time can compromise the health of your heart.
Myth: Grain products such as bread, pasta and rice are fattening. I should avoid them when trying to lose weight.
Fact: Grains can be divided into two subgroups – whole grains and refined grains. Whole grains contain the entire grain kernel viz. the bran, germ and endosperm. Examples of whole grains are brown rice, whole wheat bread, cereal and pasta. Refined grains are milled which in the process removes the bran and germ. This may give the grans a fine texture and improve their shelf life but at the same time, this process removes the dietary fiber, iron and B vitamins.
Eating whole grains reduces your chance of developing chronic diseases. Choose whole wheat bread instead of white bread and brown rice over white rice.
Myth: Some people can eat what they like and still lose weight.
Fact: The simple equation of weight loss is: Calories Burnt must be more than Calories Eaten. It is simply impossible for anyone to lose weight if they do not use more energy than what they take in though food and drink.
Also a lot of factors can also influence your weight and rate of weight loss such as age, genes, medicines and lifestyle habits
Myth: “Low-fat” or “fat-free” means no calories.
Fact: A single serving of low fat or fat free food has less calories than a single serving of the full fat product. But when it comes to processed foods, low fat foods can have the same amount of calories as the full-fat foods and in many cases even more! This is because these foods contain extra flour, salt, starch, salt and sugar in order to enhance the flavour and also the texture of the foods because removing fat can make foods taste pretty bland.
Myth: Fast foods are unhealthy and you should not have fast foods when you are on a diet.
Fact: It is true that many fast foods are unhealthy and may make you put on weight. However you can eat fast food provided you choose the menu options with a little more thought. Whether you are at home or outside you can choose healthy foods that are rich in nutrients, low in calories and have smaller portion sizes. You can choose value meals instead of oversized meals when ordering out, choose fresh fruit or nonfat yoghurt for dessert, limit your use of toppings such as bacon, cheese, mayo and other salad dressings. You can also pick steamed or baked dishes instead of fried items. Instead of soda, you can simply drink water or fat-free milk.
Myth: Skipping meals will help me lose weight
Fact: Skipping meals every now and then is not a very healthy habit because eventually you would feel hungrier causing you to eat more than normal. Skipping breakfast is particularly harmful because it can lead to obesity. People who have breakfast everyday have healthier weight than people who skip breakfast.
Myth: Eating healthy food can be expensive
Fact: Eating healthier does not cost more than eating unhealthy food. In fact the reverse is true. In a country like India as opposed to countries in Europe and North America, buying fresh produce, fresh fish and farm raised poultry and livestock is generally more expensive than buying tinned or canned goods. In India on the other hand, we are lucky to be able to buy fresh vegetables, poultry, eggs and fish at the local market. Tinned and canned goods on the other hand is expensive to buy in India. So eating healthy in India is easier on the wallet. All the more reason for you to lose weight and get back into shape!
Myth: Eating meat is not good for my health and makes it harder to lose weight.
Fact: Eating lean meat in small portions is advisable if you are non-vegetarian and can be a part of a healthy meal plan for weight loss. Lean meats like chicken and fish are advised and though they do contain cholesterol and saturated fats, they also contain healthy nutrients such as iron, zinc and protein which are important for building lean muscle mass.
Myth: Dairy products are fattening and unhealthy.
Fact: Dairy products are an important part of a diet plan because they offer protein which builds muscles and calcium that strengthens bones. Most people do not get enough Vitamin D in their day to day lives. Dairy can be a good way to get more of these nutrients.
Remember Meal planning and daily physical activity can go a long way towards boosting the quality of your life as well as increase the longevity of your life. Contact me on 9820607875 for a consultation if you’d like lose weight or just do correct meal planning for healthy living.
A lot of my clients tell me that maintaining a healthy diet while traveling is extremely difficult. I tell them that it may be difficult but not impossible. I tell them that a little bit of planning and a bit of mindfulness about what you are eating can go a along way and you will come back from your trip feeling refreshed and light and not end up a few kilos heavier. Health Food Blogger Molly Patrick wrote an article with pictures on her blog recently on how she managed to stick to a healthy eating plan when she went for a 5 day vacation. At the end of the trip, she did not feel bloated nor did she put on any weight. More importantly, she did not have the common feeling of needing a vacation from the vacation!
