With summer around the corner, many people are eager to lose a little bit of weight. Unfortunately, the pile of “What to do to do lose?” is quite high and can feel overwhelming. Should you count calories or drop carbohydrates? Drink shakes for your meals or go extremely high protein? In order to clear up a few of the prevalent diet myths – see how you score on my true and false test below!
True or False: The timing of your food has nothing to do with weight loss.
False! Timing has a lot to do with weight loss.
It is not the time itself that causes the weight gain, but the poor choices that are made at that time. In fact, recent research shows that most people begin to “blow” their diet from 4pm and on. This is often the time when fatigue, stress and mindless eating and cravings creep in and we opt for the wrong sugary or salty high caloric foods.
To ensure you are on track your entire day, have a planned healthy snack at 3-4pm pm such as a bar, fruit and cheese, hummus and vegetables or a small Greek yogurt. This will help you enter the dinner hour with more control and less hunger.
True or False: If you want to lose weight – you must give up bread and pasta.
False! Not all carbohydrates are the enemy of weight loss.
While it is true that too many refined floury wheat goods such as bread or pasta can cause blood sugar fluctuations, bloating and belly fat storage – the right type of grain can have a place in your diet. I am a big fan of using sprouted grain bread (a lower glycemic index bread), brown rice or quinoa as a grain option. The earlier in the day you have your grain (i.e. breakfast, lunch or afternoon snack) – the better. For optimal weight loss results, avoid having grain at dinnertime.
True or False: If you want to lose weight – you must cut calories drastically.
False! If you eat too few calories, your body will eventually enter a mode called the “starvation adaptation mode” where it resorts to a prehistoric protective mechanism and does not allow you to lose weight. In other words, if you go too low in your caloric intake (i.e. under 800 calories), your body will store fat instead of losing it.
True or False: It is impossible to lose weight after menopause.
False! While your metabolism has definitely slowed after menopause and fat deposition tends to build up in your waist region – but….you can definitely still lose weight and burn belly fat. At this stage of life –diet and regular exercise become essentials elements to keeping your weight at a healthy level. Eating lean protein, colorful vegetables, low sugary fruit options such as apples or berries, essential fats and a small amount of grain will keep you on the right track. To view an example of a 7-day meal plan, click here. You can also introduce green tea and/or a supplement that contains green tea and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) to help you boost your metabolic engine.
True or False: You must eat fat to lose fat.
True! Fat is essential for weight loss. I often encounter clients that are following a low fat diet and are not losing a pound. The right type of fat (omega 3 and monounsaturated fats) will help weight loss while the wrong types (trans fatty acids and too many saturated fats) will hinder it.
When choosing healthier fats, do not hesitate to eat 3-4 servings per day. Examples include:
• 1 tbsp. of olive oil
• 1 tbsp. of flaxseed oil or 1 tbsp. of ground flaxseeds
• 1 tbsp. of salad dressing (low fat dairy or oil based)
• 1 tbsp. of low fat mayonnaise
• ¼ of an avocado
• 2 tbsp. of sesame seeds, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds
• 1 teaspoon of butter
• 1 tablespoon of natural nut butter (almond, peanut, cashew)
• 10 almonds or cashews
• 6 walnuts
• 6-7 olives
Courtesy of www.drjoey.com
Twitter: @drjoeyshulman