You no doubt have heard your fair share of dieting myths, some of which you may not have recognized as myths. For example:
** The PT dieting myth: Weight loss is very difficult, and you need to have a personal trainer to achieve a decent amount of weight loss.
That simply isn’t true. Weight loss doesn’t have to be that difficult, and you definitely do not need a personal trainer to lose weight.
Whether you are 5 pounds away from achieving your fitness goal or you need to lose 300 pounds, weight loss can and will happen if you want it to.
Well then, how hard is it to shed those unwanted pounds? Not really all that hard.
Having said that, let me stress that it can take some dedication and some self-control over your eating habits. There are certain things you should be eating and certain things you should not be eating.
Here is a good dieting rule of thumb: Eat from the earth. By this I mean that if it doesn’t grow in or on the ground and comes prepackaged, you can likely do without it.
Grains, vegetables, meat and fish are eating from the earth. Packaged crackers, cookies, non-perishables, chips, sodas, most sauces - basically anything prepackaged - you can do without.
That rule of thumb is a good starting point for anyone looking to eat healthier. Throw in a little exercise and you are well on your way to losing some serious weight.
Remember, myths are prevalent in the dieting industry. Here are a few others:
** Low-fat or no-fat diets are the way to go.
The fact is, your body needs fat for energy, tissue repair and to transport vitamins around the body. Eating fat does not make you fat, taking in excess calories makes you fat.
Related to this myth is the idea that eating low-fat food will help you lose weight. Dietitians warn that “low-fat” or “fat-free” doesn’t necessarily mean low calorie or calorie-free. Check the calories on those low-fat and fat-free labels. And don’t fall into the trap, as many people do, of eating twice as much of something just because it’s labeled fat-free. That’s called “defeating the purpose.”
** Crash dieting or fasting are good ways to lose weight.
Well, they’ll work in the short term, but the weight almost always returns once you quit the diet. Besides, crash dieting and fasting are not safe ways to lose weight. Be patient. Stick with losing weight over the long term – that’s the safe way to burn off fat, and your body will thank you for it.
** Don’t eat just before you go to bed. Your body will just store it as extra fat.
Studies have shown that’s just not true. It's not when you eat that's important, it’s how much you eat in a 24-hour period.
** Cholesterol is bad for you.
This often is a case of getting too much of a good thing. Yes, cholesterol CAN be bad for you, because it can clog your arteries, and clogged arteries can lead to heart disease. But you need SOME blood cholesterol because it's used to build cells and make important hormones.
Keep in mind there are two types of cholesterol – the good and the bad. Saturated fats, such as those found in red meat, cheese, cream, butter and processed pastries, tend to raise the bad cholesterol, that kind that can clog the arteries. The good cholesterol, found in the unsaturated fats in such foods as vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, transports cholesterol away from the arteries, back to the liver.
** Vegetarians are pale-faced wimps.
Vegetarians can be as muscular as meat eaters by getting their protein from vegetable sources such as cheese, nuts, and grains. If you don’t believe that, try hand-to-horn combat with a bull sometime. Then ask yourself, “How much meat do bulls eat?”
** “I would stop smoking, but I would just gain weight if I did.”
The fact is, some people gain weight when they stop smoking, some lose weight and some stay the same. The problem is that some people replace a cigarette with some sort of prepackaged, high-calorie comfort food. Replace that cigarette with something like sugar-free gum instead. And don’t forget, it’s much healthier to be an overweight non-smoker than a slim smoker.
Take care of yourself.
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Dave Tishendorf is a retired award-winning journalist whose passion for writing and physical fitness has led him to a new career in article marketing. If you’re interested in learning more about fitness and in how to lose weight and keep it off, go to http://www.davetishmarketing.net.
