Debunking One Myth at a Time
We’ve had such a good conversation lately about theories with weight loss and how we all feel about them, so I thought I would continue this with one particular myth that always had me questioning it.
Myth #1: Always eat breakfast
Fact: Before you immediately sit up and say “What??” “We don’t have to eat breakfast?”
Yes, you do have to eat breakfast - that part of the myth is actually true - but here’s something you might not have known. You don’t have to eat first thing when you wake up… you only have to eat some time during the morning. If you wake up at 7 a.m., you don’t have to immediately eat a big breakfast. You’re probably not even hungry right after you wake up - I know I’m not!. You don’t have to jump start your metabolism right away, but you do have to do it relatively soon but not nearly as soon as they make you think you do. You simply have to structure your eating throughout the day, so you’re not too hungry later on. It’s best to eat within three hours of waking. If you get up at 7 a.m., eat something by 10 a.m. Have some yogurt or a piece of fruit. If you don’t eat in the morning, you will be too hungry when you finally have a meal, and then you’ll likely overeat. Remember, what counts is your total daily calories.
Here’s another one that I find interesting. I know as a previous Weight Watchers person that we count points which in this case is like counting calories, but for everyone else, here is another popular myth.
Myth #2: You don’t have to count calories
Fact: Counting calories is important
You definitely need to count calories in order to lose weight. People tend to overestimate their physical activity and underestimate their calories. Don’t rely on eyeballing your caloric intake or trying to estimate it. Instead, every day write down what you eat, the corresponding calories, and your physical activity. To make it easier for you to quantify your physical activity, wear a pedometer. Do this every day. Don’t do it just once or twice a week. Consistency is important for dieting. Sure, this isn’t easy. But if you want to lose weight, this is important to do on a daily basis.
And remember that a calorie is a calorie whether it’s fat, sugar, or protein. Still, some foods are more calorie-dense than others. That means that they contain more calories per ounce. Carbohydrates and protein have the same calories per ounce. Fat, on the other hand, has twice as many, so the calories found in fat add up twice as fast. Eat fatty foods — dairy products, skin on meat, fatty meats — in moderation. You want to limit your intake of fat, but you don’t want to stop eating fat. Fat increases your sense of fullness. Your body also needs a small amount of fat to function. Fat is part of our cell structure. The body can’t make some essential fatty acids on its own, so it needs to obtain them from an outside source.
Alright, well I hope I answered some of the most popular diet myths. What do you think about this - do you think they are myths or fact??
