🎭 DIET MYTHS
🥩 Myth: High-protein/low-carbohydrate diets are a healthy way to lose weight.
Fact: ❌ The long-term health effects of a high-protein/low-carbohydrate diet are unknown. But getting most of your daily calories from high-protein foods like meat, 🥩 eggs, 🥚 and cheese 🧀 is not a balanced eating plan. You may be eating too much fat and cholesterol, which may raise heart disease risk. 💔 You may be eating too few fruits, 🍎 vegetables, 🥦 and whole grains, 🌾 which may lead to constipation due to lack of dietary fiber. 😰 Following a high-protein/low-carbohydrate diet may also make you feel nauseous, tired, and weak. 😔
Eating fewer than 130 grams of carbohydrate a day can lead to the buildup of ketones (partially broken-down fats) in your blood. 🩸 A buildup of ketones in your blood (called ketosis) can cause your body to produce high levels of uric acid, which is a risk factor for gout (a painful swelling of the joints) 😣 and kidney stones. 🫘 Ketosis may be especially risky for pregnant women 🤰 and people with diabetes 🩺 or kidney disease. 🫘
💡 Tip: High-protein/low-carbohydrate diets are often low in calories because food choices are strictly limited, so they may cause short-term weight loss. ⚖️ But a reduced-calorie eating plan that includes recommended amounts of carbohydrate, protein, and fat will also allow you to lose weight. ✅ By following a balanced eating plan, you will not have to stop eating whole classes of foods, such as whole grains, 🌾 fruits, 🍎 and vegetables 🥦—and miss the key nutrients they contain. You may also find it easier to stick with a diet or eating plan that includes a greater variety of foods. 🍽️
🍞 Myth: Starches are fattening and should be limited when trying to lose weight.
Fact: ❌ Many foods high in starch, like bread, 🍞 rice, 🍚 pasta, 🍝 cereals, 🥣 beans, 🫘 fruits, 🍎 and some vegetables (like potatoes 🥔 and yams) 🍠 are low in fat and calories. They become high in fat and calories when eaten in large portion sizes or when covered with high-fat toppings like butter, 🧈 sour cream, 🥛 or mayonnaise. Foods high in starch (also called complex carbohydrates) are an important source of energy for your body. ⚡
💡 Tip: A healthy eating plan is one that: 🥗
- ✅ Emphasizes fruits, 🍎 vegetables, 🥦 whole grains, 🌾 and fat-free or low-fat milk 🥛 and milk products
- ✅ Includes lean meats, 🥩 poultry, 🍗 fish, 🐟 beans, 🫘 eggs, 🥚 and nuts 🥜
- ✅ Is low in saturated fats, trans fat, cholesterol, salt (sodium), 🧂 and added sugars 🍬
🍊 Myth: Certain foods, like grapefruit, celery, or cabbage soup, can burn fat and make you lose weight.
Fact: ❌ No foods can burn fat. 🔥 Some foods with caffeine ☕ may speed up your metabolism (the way your body uses energy, or calories) for a short time, ⏱️ but they do not cause weight loss. ⚖️
🌿 Myth: Natural or herbal weight-loss products are safe and effective.
Fact: ❌ A weight-loss product that claims to be "natural" or "herbal" is not necessarily safe. 🌿 These products are not usually scientifically tested to prove that they are safe or that they work. ⚠️ For example, herbal products containing ephedra (now banned by the U.S. Government) 🚫 have caused serious health problems and even death. ☠️ Newer products that claim to be ephedra-free are not necessarily danger-free, because they may contain ingredients similar to ephedra. ⚠️
💡 Tip: Talk with your health care provider before using any weight-loss product. 👨⚕️ Some natural or herbal weight-loss products can be harmful. 🚨
🍽️ MEAL MYTHS
🍔 Myth: "I can lose weight while eating whatever I want."
Fact: ❌ To lose weight, you need to use more calories than you eat. ⚖️ It is possible to eat any kind of food you want and lose weight. You need to limit the number of calories you eat every day and/or increase your daily physical activity. 🏃 Portion control is the key. 🔑 Try eating smaller amounts of food and choosing foods that are low in calories. 🥗
💡 Tip: When trying to lose weight, you can still eat your favorite foods—as long as you pay attention to the total number of calories that you eat. 🎯
🥛 Myth: Low-fat or fat-free means no calories.
Fact: ❌ A low-fat or fat-free food is often lower in calories than the same size portion of the full-fat product. But many processed low-fat or fat-free foods have just as many calories as the full-fat version of the same food—or even more calories. ⚠️ They may contain added sugar, 🍬 flour, or starch thickeners to improve flavor and texture after fat is removed. These ingredients add calories. 📈
💡 Tip: Read the Nutrition Facts on a food package to find out how many calories are in a serving. 📋 Check the serving size too—it may be less than you are used to eating. 🍽️
🍔 Myth: Fast foods are always an unhealthy choice and you should not eat them when dieting.
Fact: ✅ Fast foods can be part of a healthy weight-loss program with a little bit of know-how. 🧠
💡 Tip: Avoid super-size combo meals, 🍔🍟 or split one with a friend. 👥 Sip on water 💧 or fat-free milk 🥛 instead of soda. 🥤 Choose salads 🥗 and grilled foods, like a grilled chicken breast sandwich 🍗 or small hamburger. 🍔 Try a "fresco" taco 🌮 (with salsa instead of cheese or sauce) at taco stands. Fried foods, like french fries 🍟 and fried chicken, 🍗 are high in fat and calories, so order them only once in a while, order a small portion, or split an order with a friend. 👥 Also, use only small amounts of high-fat, high-calorie toppings, like regular mayonnaise, salad dressings, bacon 🥓 and cheese. 🧀
🚫 Myth: Skipping meals is a good way to lose weight.
Fact: ❌ Studies show that people who skip breakfast 🍳 and eat fewer times during the day tend to be heavier than people who eat a healthy breakfast and eat four or five times a day. 🍽️ This may be because people who skip meals tend to feel hungrier later on, 😰 and eat more than they normally would. It may also be that eating many small meals throughout the day helps people control their appetites. ✅
💡 Tip: Eat small meals throughout the day that include a variety of healthy, low-fat, low-calorie foods. 🥗
🌙 Myth: Eating after 8 p.m. causes weight gain.
Fact: ❌ It does not matter what time of day you eat. ⏰ It is what and how much you eat and how much physical activity you do during the whole day that determines whether you gain, lose, or maintain your weight. ⚖️ No matter when you eat, your body will store extra calories as fat. 🧈
💡 Tip: If you want to have a snack before bedtime, 🌙 think first about how many calories you have eaten that day. 🤔 And try to avoid snacking in front of the TV at night 📺—it may be easier to overeat when you are distracted by the television. 😰
🥜 FOOD MYTHS
🥜 Myth: Nuts are fattening and you should not eat them if you want to lose weight.
Fact: ✅ In small amounts, nuts can be part of a healthy weight-loss program. Nuts are high in calories and fat. 🥜 However, most nuts contain healthy fats that do not clog arteries. 💚 Nuts are also good sources of protein, 💪 dietary fiber, 🌾 and minerals including magnesium and copper. ⚡
💡 Tip: Enjoy small portions of nuts. 🥜 One-half ounce of mixed nuts has about 270 calories. ⚖️
🥩 Myth: Eating red meat is bad for your health and makes it harder to lose weight.
Fact: ✅ Eating lean meat in small amounts can be part of a healthy weight-loss plan. Red meat, 🥩 chicken, 🍗 and fish 🐟 contain some cholesterol and saturated fat (the least healthy kind of fat). They also contain healthy nutrients like protein, 💪 iron, 🩸 and zinc. ⚡
💡 Tip: Choose cuts of meat that are lower in fat and trim all visible fat. ✅ Lower fat meats include beef round steak, tenderloin, sirloin tip, flank steak, and extra lean ground beef. 🥩 Also, pay attention to portion size. 🍽️ Three ounces of meat or poultry is the size of a deck of cards. 🃏
🥛 Myth: Dairy products are fattening and unhealthy.
Fact: ✅ Low-fat and fat-free milk, 🥛 yogurt, 🥣 and cheese 🧀 are just as nutritious as whole milk dairy products, but they are lower in fat and calories. Dairy products have many nutrients your body needs. 💪 They offer protein to build muscles and help organs work properly, and calcium to strengthen bones. 🦴 Most milks and some yogurts are fortified with vitamin D to help your body use calcium. ☀️
💡 Tip: Consuming 3 cups per day of fat-free/low-fat milk or equivalent milk products is recommended. 🥛✅
🥗 Myth: "Going vegetarian" means you are sure to lose weight and be healthier.
Fact: ⚖️ Research shows that people who follow a vegetarian eating plan, on average, eat fewer calories and less fat than nonvegetarians. 🥗 They also tend to have lower body weights relative to their heights than nonvegetarians. Choosing a vegetarian eating plan with a low fat content may be helpful for weight loss. ✅ But vegetarians—like nonvegetarians—can make food choices that contribute to weight gain, like eating large amounts of high-fat, high-calorie foods 🍰 or foods with little or no nutritional value. 🍪
Vegetarian diets should be as carefully planned as nonvegetarian diets to make sure they are balanced. ⚖️ Nutrients that nonvegetarians normally get from animal products, but that are not always found in a vegetarian eating plan, are iron, 🩸 calcium, 🦴 vitamin D, ☀️ vitamin B12, zinc, ⚡ and protein. 💪
💡 Tip: Choose a vegetarian eating plan that is low in fat and that provides all of the nutrients your body needs. 🥗 Food and beverage sources of nutrients that may be lacking in a vegetarian diet are listed below:
- Iron: 🩸 cashews, spinach, lentils, garbanzo beans, fortified bread or cereal 🌾
- Calcium: 🦴 dairy products, fortified soy-based beverages, tofu made with calcium sulfate, collard greens, kale, broccoli 🥦
- Vitamin D: ☀️ fortified foods and beverages including milk 🥛, soy-based beverages, or cereal 🥣
- Vitamin B12: 💊 eggs 🥚, dairy products, fortified cereal or soy-based beverages, tempeh, miso (tempeh and miso are foods made from soybeans)
- Zinc: ⚡ whole grains 🌾 (especially the germ and bran of the grain), nuts 🥜, tofu, leafy vegetables 🥬 (spinach, cabbage, lettuce)
- Protein: 💪 eggs 🥚, dairy products, beans 🫘, peas, nuts 🥜, seeds, tofu, tempeh, soy-based burgers 🍔
🏃 THE IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN CONTROLLING WEIGHT
⚖️ Balancing Energy
Physical activity is important for physical health, 💪 emotional well-being, 😊 and achieving a healthy weight. ⚖️ Physical activity may help you control your weight by using excess calories that would otherwise be stored as fat. Most foods and many beverages you eat and drink contain calories, 🍽️ and everything you do uses calories. This includes sleeping, 😴 breathing, 💨 digesting food, 🍽️ and of course, moving around. 🏃
Balancing the calories you eat with the calories you use through physical activity may help you maintain your current weight. ⚖️
📊 Energy Balance Formula
- Calories in Food MORE THAN Calories Used = Weight Gain 📈
- Calories in Food LESS THAN Calories Used = Weight Loss 📉
- Calories in Food EQUAL TO Calories Used = Weight Control ⚖️
Being physically active may also make you more energetic, ⚡ improve your mood, 😊 and reduce the risk of developing some chronic diseases. 🏥
💪 How Much Physical Activity Do I Need for General Health?
Experts recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, if not all, days of the week. ⏱️ This amount of physical activity may reduce your risk for some chronic diseases. 🩺
To lose weight, experts recommend that you should follow a nutritious eating plan 🥗 and consume fewer calories than you burn each day. 🔥 Remember that your weight may be affected by the balance of "calories-in" and "calories-out". ⚖️ You may wish to speak with your health care provider, 👨⚕️ a fitness specialist, 💪 or a dietitian 🥗 about the right amount of activity and calories for you. 🎯