FOOD
MYTH?
OR
FOOD FACT?
By Carin Decker
Lean At Last
Just because you've heard something, doesn't make it true. If it were, I would tell you I was a fairy princess, and that would make it so. Let's look at some myths and facts about food. Just because you've heard them doesn't make them true.
QUESTION #1
MYTH OR FACT? To lose weight, you must cut down on your caloric intake. The more you cut back, the faster you will lose fat, and the better you will do.
MYTH. The fact is that both eating too few calories and going long periods without eating trigger your body's defenses against starvation. In the long term, this only raises your body's "set point," makes your body conserve energy (stored fat) more effectively and makes you fatter.
QUESTION #2
MYTH OR FACT? It is best to ignore hunger. Find ways to keep busy and keep your mind off of food. Don't give in. You must live with hunger to be successful. Being hungry indicates that you are doing well and losing fat. Eating means giving in and not having enough willpower.
MYTH. Prolonged hunger merely triggers starvation defenses and leads to binge eating. Eating is essential and should be enjoyed whenever there is a need for food (which may be every few hours). A normal relationship with food will produce much better long term results.
QUESTION #3
MYTH OR FACT? All calories are created equal. A piece of cake will affect you just the same as 375 calories of any other food. Save your calories for something you really want.
MYTH. It's the type of calories that matters, not an arbitrary number of them. I can talk on and on about this--as a matter of fact, I often do.
If you feel you simply can't lose weight without a pocket calculator, then start using it to see where your calories are coming from. (You may need to buy more batteries!) Are your calories coming from complex carbohydrates? About 55% of them should be. Are they coming from protein? About 25% of them should be. Are they coming from fat? If more than 20% of your calories are coming from fat, it will be difficult to lose weight on any number of daily calories.
Published in
The Daily Sun