5 Dieting and Workout Myths You Need to Know

Everyone wants to be in the best shape possible, whether they want to fit into that size 2 dress, feel sexier for their partner, look better at the beach, or simply get healthier, dieting and getting in shape are on the minds of more people now that its summer time

People have all sorts of ideas when it comes to losing weight, some claim to have the diets or the workout plans that can make them look like the next Hugo boss model, and others have a pill or video tape that will cause them to “burn fat while watching tv” ;).  While some ideas I have heard are good, a vast majority of them caused my mouth to hit the floor faster than if Brook Burns walked past me naked

1. Less Calories, Less Weight

When you chop down the amount of food you eat, and go from let’s say a 3,000 calorie diet to a 1,500 overnight, what you are effectively telling your body is that you are starving

When your body is in “starvation mode” your body will make every effort possible to maintain your current weight and in doing so will slow down its metabolism in order compensate

In as short as a few weeks, calorie reduction can lead you to gain more weight than you previously had

Instead of cutting down calories, eat the same amount of food but break it up into smaller meals throughout the day

When your body is nourished 6 times a day with smaller meals instead of 2 or 3 larger ones, you put your body into “fat burning mode” and cause a radical increase in your metabolism as your body has more sustainable energy to work with throughout the day

2. Don’t eat late at night if you want to lose weight

This is defiantly one of the most common myths I run into

“But Gabriel, I thought that I couldn’t eat after 8pm”

“Maybe if you go to bed at 9pm every night ;)”

Studies have shown that a large meal eaten late at night does not make the body store more fat (Cambridge)

When you eat simply has to do with the amount of calories you are taking in on any given day

If you had eaten 2500 calories by the time 12am rolls around, and you find yourself fantasizing about the refrigerator, then maybe it’s best to think about how hungry you really are and get a tall glass of water instead

On the other hand, you should never go to bed hungry, as that can cause your body to crash as previously described

The rule of thumb is don’t eat anything 2 hours before bedtime, so if its midnight and your hankering for some snacks, feel free to rummage for something light and simple

Just make sure you don’t go to bed on an empty stomach

Dairy products like cheese and milk, combined with a fruit or vegetable can really help squash your hunger and help you get to sleep faster

3. Carbs are bad

Carbohydrates have been labeled the evil of foods in today’s diet market

You constantly hear about the Atkins diet, and various other spin-offs that tell you that you should eat 20g or less of carbs per day

What’s the bottom line?

You need carbs for energy

A minimum of 130g of carbs per day is necessary for a healthy lifestyle

Now does this mean you can stuff your face with pretzels and chips?

No

You need to fill your body with complex carbs, which include mostly whole grains

Reach out for 100% whole grain bread and fruits and vegetables instead of white rice and potato chips

Not only will you be getting the energy you need, but you will be filling your body with fiber and other essential nutrients to living a healthier, leaner lifestyle

4. Diet drinks can help you lose weight

While it is true that diet drinks such as diet soda and artificially sweetened foods do allow you to reduce your sugar intake, in the end, drinking diet anything can still cause you to GAIN weight instead of losing it

A study done by the University of Texas looked at the diets of over 600 people who drank diet products for over the course of 8 years

What they found was that even the patients who would drink as little as one bottle a diet of diet soda did not lose weight and also drastically increased their chances of gaining weight

Why this occurs is not for certain, but scientist believe that diet drinks give the brain artificial rewards that lead diet drinkers to desire more sweets

Ultimately, your best bet is to not have any refined sugars at all, and replace your drinking habits with water, or at least reach out for natural sodas or juices that don’t have high fructose corn syrup or other refined sugars

As long as natural soda is in moderation, and plenty of water is consumed in your diet, you are well on your way to weight loss bliss

5. Alcohol can help you lose weight

Now this is an interesting one

There are many arguments that certain types of red wine can lead to better heart function and blood circulation, but when you’re at the bar with your mates or girlfriends and you reach out for a drink, wine is typically the last thing you’ll be asking for

Margarita (500 calories)

Beer (200 calories)

Vodka cranberry (200 calories)

Any spirit or beer is going to represent 90% of the bar sales on any given night

It is these very drinks that people pay very little attention to when they are out, and can drastically reduce your ability for weight loss

Many people try to reach out for “healthier” drinks such as Bacardi and diet coke or vodka and cranberry juice, thinking that mixing alcohol and somewhat healthy mixers will cause in less potential calorie intake

While this is true, very few people go to a bar for a single drink, and in a course of an evening even if you are sipping on Bacardi and diet cokes all night, chances are your going to have a couple and maybe even one or two more because of your low calorie drink of choice

Your best bet is to limit your drinking to only certain nights of the week, or at least reduce your intake while you’re out on the town

By simply reducing the amount of drinks you have in a given week you could lose significantly more weight than by making every night a happy hour 😉