The Lies of Dieting

If you are like me and started your new year resolution off with dieting, then make sure you are smart about it. There are several lies surfacing about healthy dieting and I am here to explain the good and the bad about certain diets. Exercising is very important but what you consume is crucial. If you plan on losing weight just by eating healthier, do not waste your time. Without adding exercise into the mix, you will gain everything back once you return to your normal eating habits. Mixing in exercise will help you keep the weight off.

Photo taken by Alan Cleaver via Flickr.com.

Eating right before you go to sleep will cause weight gain. It does not matter if it is considered healthy for you, eating before bed does not give your body enough time to digest it so it will be stored as fat. Skipping meals also leads to weight gain. It is better to eat five small meals a day than three regular ones. Your metabolism functions off of what you consume so the more frequent you eat, the faster your metabolism will be. Another fallacy to dieting that is very common is, “I can work this burger off at the gym later.” People tend to think that since they plan on going to the gym later, they can eat something unhealthy. This mind set can lead to weight gain. Here is a fun fact, every 3500 calories equals 1 pound. So for every pound you want to lose, you need to burn 3500 calories. That cheeseburger is only standing in the way of your goal.

Stop avoiding carbs and fats. You need to decipher between good carbs and fats as opposed to bad carbs and fats. You need to consume carbs and fats for energy. Carbs keep you feeling fuller longer so you are less likely to keep eating empty calories all day.

There are other things you should know regarding “typical” foods for dieting. Salads can be a huge caloric intake when you add things to it such as, bacon bits, croutons, and fatty, oily dressings. Many people blame wheat intake as a result of weight gain but surprisingly has no effect on actual dieters. Red meat is also always under scrutiny but consuming lean red meat is considered a great protein booster for diets. I hope this will help all of you as you bring in the new year, as it has helped me.