A diet myth is advice that becomes popular without facts to back it up. When it comes to weight loss, many popular beliefs are myths and others are only partly true. Here are some facts to help you sort through what you hear.
The Less Fat You Eat, the Better
Your body needs three nutrients to thrive: protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Yes, fats! Good-for-you fats found in foods like nuts, seeds, fish, avocado, olives, and low-fat dairy give you energy, help rebuild cells, and produce needed hormones. The fats to limit or avoid are saturated and trans fats, found in foods like butter, high-fat dairy, red meat, and many processed foods.
Drink More Water to Peel off Pounds
There’s no doubt water is vital for your body — but a weight loss aid? Not really. If drinking water keeps you away from high-calorie drinks, it can certainly help you lose weight. But adding more water to your diet, without changing anything else, makes no difference in lowering the numbers on your scale.
If the label says “no-fat” or “low-fat,” you can eat all you want and not gain weight.
Many low-fat or no-fat foods have added sugar, starch, or salt to make up for the reduction in fat. These “wonder” foods often have just as many calories, or more, than the regular version. Check the nutrition label to see how many calories are in a serving. Be sure to check the serving size too.
Athletes Need a Ton of Protein
Everyone knows an athlete needs tons of protein to build strength and muscle, right? Well, not exactly. Most American diets provide plenty of protein even for athletes. The real secret to boosting athletic strength and muscle is to get enough calories, focus on intense training, and get a carb- and protein-containing snack (such as nonfat chocolate milk) soon after an intense muscle workout. Special powders, bars, and supplements need not apply!
Carbs Lead to Weight Gain
Stop believing this diet myth. Not all carbohydrates are bad for you. But it seems like people lose weight on low-carbohydrate diets, right? Those diets almost always restrict calories, too, and fewer calories add up to fewer pounds over time no matter how many of your calories come from fat, protein, or carbohydrates.
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