7 diet myths

With all the quick fix diets, pills and potions we are still battling the obesity issues in Australia. Thanks to our diet we are now fatter than ever before in history.

Here are a few diet myths and the truth as I see it:

Eat grapefruit and it will melt the fat away – no food can do this.
You have to starve to lose weight – this is the worst thing you can do to lose weight, in fact if you eat too little your body will not lose weight. Having a balanced diet with the right amount of fats and calories is the answer. Never go lower than 1200 calories in your day for women and 1500 for men.
When exercising no pain means no gain – this is so false, going too hard too quickly can cause injury and then you spend weeks on the couch recuperating, not a good idea. The key is to get your heart rate up and sweat a little. You can achieve this by doing a brisk 30 minute walk.
Potatoes make you fat – no it’s not the potato that is the problem it is how you cook it or what you add to it. For example fried chips or covering a jacket potato with sour cream and cheese will destroy the benefits of a humble spud.
Avoid sugar –A diet high in sugar can be detrimental to your health as it creates a very acidic body. For example lollies, cakes and biscuits and soft drinks are loaded with sugar. My question to you is how much of these type of foods do you have on a regular basis? Small amounts of sugar aren’t harmful – everything in moderation is the key to good health.
Skip meals and you will lose weight – this is a crazy way to lose weight. You only land up bingeing and in turn will gain more weight. It is better to have 3 meals and a few healthy snacks to keep you happy and satisfied.
The healthiest choice on a menu is salad – This isn’t always the case. One of the highest fat choices on a menu can be caesar salad which has a high fat dressing, fried bread and bacon…not for a slimmer that’s for sure. I always ask for the dressing to be served on the side so you have control how much you use. Also always ask what is in the salad as they may add things like nuts and cheese that can up the fat count. I always ask for balsamic vinegar on my salads to be safe. Check out my healthy version of a caesar salad in the recipes section.

What other diet myths do you know about? Please share in the comments below.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.com

58 Comments

- - mom103920 said
  - 14 Oct 2015
    10:25 am
A lot of good tips here. We eat a lot of salad picked fresh from our garden, and eaten without any type of dressing. Might sound boring to some, but at least food tastes like food and not disguised behind oily artificial flavours.

- - aliceou said
  - 14 Oct 2015
    7:18 am
It is very interesting to read.

- - mom101628 said
  - 13 Oct 2015
    11:08 pm
Everything in moderation is the way to go.

- - shlles said
  - 13 Oct 2015
    10:19 pm
I was worried about the no pain no gain one. I exercise and my heart rate goes up but I don’t always feel the burn before I have to stop so this is good to know.

- - 4littlemunchkins said
  - 11 Oct 2015
    5:34 pm
A balance of healthy food choices and exercise is the best way to lose weight.

- - curlytops said
  - 07 Oct 2015
    5:27 pm
So true especially about the Salads ladened with creamy dressings, crutons, bacon bits, etc.

- - coastalkaryn said
  - 04 Oct 2015
    11:34 am
another great post by the genius Annette. Thanks for sharing your wisdom!

- - mom90758 said
  - 02 Oct 2015
    9:47 am
I’ve heard people saying that drinking coffee or caffeinated drinks help losing weight. I think caffeine is quite bad for your health, so I can’t believe it’s true. What do you think?
- symplytoogood replied
  
  06 Oct 2015 , 10:07 am
  The thinking behind this is probably that increases metabolism but there are much better ways to improve your metabolism. I don’t think coffee is something that’s part of a healthy lifestyle and I would also be wondering if having a coffee may be associated with having a biscuit as well.
  - mom90758 replied
    
    10 Oct 2015 , 5:15 pm
    
    Thank you very much for your answer. I completely agree.
- - Tracro3 said
  - 01 Oct 2015
    9:05 pm
always eat breakfast
- symplytoogood replied
  
  02 Oct 2015 , 9:28 am
  Definitely! Breakfast sets you up for the day 🙂
  - mom81333 replied
    
    03 Oct 2015 , 5:21 pm
    
    This is definitely good advice. If you miss out on breakfast you will probably end up eating more later or eating the wrong things as you get very hungry. If you have a good breakfast it will take you through to lunchtime.
- - Tracro3 said
  - 01 Oct 2015
    9:04 pm
Low fat doesn’t mean it’s better for you as it is often full of sugar
- symplytoogood replied
  
  02 Oct 2015 , 9:26 am
  This can be true, so it’s always good to read the labels on products – if sugar or fat is listed in the first three ingredients it might be a good idea to put it back on the shelf.
- - mom103936 said
  - 01 Oct 2015
    3:25 pm
There are some great tips here. Everything in moderation!
- mom81333 replied
  
  03 Oct 2015 , 5:22 pm
  Agree. It’s alright to have a treat every now and then as long as the majority of your diet is healthy, and moderation is the key.
- - mom112217 said
  - 30 Sep 2015
    4:21 pm
Good point about the salad,we have low-fat at home so you not to assume it will be the same else where!

- - mom109229 said
  - 30 Sep 2015
    3:46 pm
I agree. When I finally decided to get off my bum and do something about my weight, I cut down my portion sizes and watched what I ate. And I exercised. And it worked!

- - kymichelle said
  - 30 Sep 2015
    9:16 am
This is the most sensible diet related article I’ve read in ages!

- - Carolineb said
  - 30 Sep 2015
    9:02 am
Might try having a grapefruit each morning.

- - Melanie said
  - 29 Sep 2015
    8:44 pm
So true!

- - Toni Rowland said
  - 29 Sep 2015
    8:15 pm
Too many people these days are hung up on diets, fads and quick fixes. It’s about healthy eating & exercise.

- - mom113055 said
  - 29 Sep 2015
    7:32 pm
diet myths

- - dbhall82 said
  - 29 Sep 2015
    2:32 pm
Oh I believed some of these myths so thanks for clarifying! Great article!!!

- - Gorgeybee said
  - 29 Sep 2015
    10:59 am
I think any philosophy that identifies things you cannot eat or things you must eat is something to be weary of. The human body is astounding, and I think learning to listen to your body helps you nourish it in any given season of life.