(ARA) - It's one of the seasons of the year when people are
thinking of losing weight. Whether it's for a family or class
reunion or trips to the beach, finding your own motivation for
losing weight is critical. It's also important not to jeopardize
your success by believing the myths and misconceptions about
weight loss.
Getting started with a healthy weight loss plan can be a
minefield of confusion. Luckily, there are some programs designed
to reveal the truth about losing weight the healthy way. The
Mayo Clinic Diet - which focuses on changing habits and
developing a more healthy, yet still enjoyable lifestyle for a
lifetime - is a trustworthy example that breaks through the myths
and misconceptions with simple, evidence-based recommendations.
The Weight-control Information Network, a national information
service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and
Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of the National Institutes of Health,
provides a list of weight loss and nutrition myths on its website.
Here are a few:
Myth: Fad diets work for permanent weight loss.
Truth: Diets that
strictly limit calories or food choices are hard to follow for long
periods of time and may not be healthy. You may experience success
in the short term, but if you feel the program is not sustainable
for you long-term, you will likely gain the weight back
quickly.
The Mayo Clinic Diet includes a two-week quick start program
that focuses on breaking unhealthy habits and adding healthy
habits. According to the book's medical editor-in-chief, Dr. Donald
Hensrud, "It's the healthiest way there is to lose weight fast.
It's safe and evidence-based, and is intended to be a two-week
quick-start program that gets people motivated, helps them
understand how their lifestyle habits affect their weight, and gets
them on the right track to make permanent lifestyle changes."
Myth: Eating late in the evening will make you gain weight.
Truth: It doesn't matter when you eat - a calorie is a calorie
at all times of the day. What you eat, how much you eat, and how
much physical activity you get on a daily basis are much more
influential factors. No matter when you eat, your body will store
extra calories as fat.
Myth: Skipping meals will help you lose weight.
Truth: Studies show that people who skip breakfast and eat fewer
times during the day are, on average, heavier. The Mayo Clinic Diet
recommends eating a healthy breakfast and balanced meals, as well
as a virtually unlimited amount of fruits and vegetables throughout
the day. Weight loss doesn't have to mean starvation or
deprivation, and you just might benefit from the added nutrients of
a more well-rounded diet.
Myth: Low-fat or fat-free means no calories or fewer
calories.
Truth: Many processed low-fat or fat-free foods have just as
many or sometimes more calories as the full-fat versions of the
same foods. They may contain added sugar, flour, or starch
thickeners to compensate for the flavor that is lost when the fat
is removed. All of these ingredients add calories.
Myth: It's possible to lose weight by eating whatever you
want.
Truth: There are some diets that say this is possible, but there
are some major qualifiers to the point. It comes down to calories
in and calories out. Portion control is key, and learning how to
gauge portion sizes can help you avoid needing to count calories or
points. The Mayo Clinic Diet offers simple visual cues to help you
learn healthy portion sizes of calorie-dense foods.
It's easy to get lost in the confusing strategies that a lot of
diets ask you to follow. But weight loss doesn't have to be a big
mystery. With a good diet plan that you can live with for a
lifetime, this might just be the last summer you have to stress
about looking good in your bathing suit.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
