Why You Might Not Lose Weight on a "Diet"
2:11 PM
It's one thing to feel disappointed that you're lugging around a few extra pounds when you know you've been a little lax with your eating or exercise. But religiously following diet rules and not making progress (or, worse yet, gaining weight) is infuriating and depressing. If you're watching your weight and not getting any closer to your goal, look closely at the weight-loss principles you're following. It could be that diet myths are causing you to pack on pounds.
Also, remember as a teen you are still growing and while it is important to be at a healthy weight, it is not healthy to be on a “diet”. Try making lifestyle changes like incorporating more fruits and vegetables in your diet and at least 30-60 minutes of moderate activity daily. Check with your doctor or a dietician before starting a weight loss program because it may not be right for you at the time and a professional can give you regulations to ensure you are staying safe.
Myth #1: As long as you're eating healthy foods, calories don't matter.
Truth: Not necessarily. Whole-wheat pasta (or bread or, um, pie crust) has just as many calories as regular. Same goes for brown and white rice. Avocados, nuts and olive oil deliver heart-healthy fats -- and significant calories. Red wine and dark chocolate are full of antioxidants, but if you indulge every day without accounting for their calories, you're likely to gain weight. Upshot: Pay close attention to calorie counts of all foods (OK, maybe not plain steamed broccoli) so that "health halos" don't lead your eating astray.
Myth #2: You can lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks
Myth #2: You can lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks
Truth: You probably can lose 10 pounds in two weeks if you crash-diet, but that pace is rarely sustainable -- and most of the weight will return once you start eating normally. To truly lose one pound, you need to "eliminate" 3,500 calories -- the amount stored in a pound of fat -- by eating less and moving more. If you cut 500 calories (or cut 300 and burn 200 through exercise) every single day of the week, you'll lose about a pound a week. And that's real weight loss.
Myth #3: If you exercise, you can eat as much as you want.
Truth: Consider this: Eat two medium cookies and you'll take in about 400 calories. But to burn 400 calories, the average person needs to run or walk 4 miles. So essentially, "a moment on the lips" can mean an hour or more on the treadmill. Bottom line: Unless you're working out like an Olympic athlete, to lose weight you'll still need to keep an eye on how many calories you're eating.
Myth #4: It's better to eat lots of mini meals rather than eating fewer, larger meals.
Myth #4: It's better to eat lots of mini meals rather than eating fewer, larger meals.
Truth: There's a kernel of truth in this myth, as EatingWell contributing editor Joyce Hendley reported in The 13 Biggest Diet and Food Myths Busted. Our metabolisms rev up slightly each time we eat, as our bodies process what we&'ve consumed. So by having many mini meals instead of fewer, larger ones, we shift our metabolism into a higher gear more often -- and burn a few more calories. But "the calorie difference is so small it doesn't add up to a hill of beans," says Dr. John Foreyt, director of the Behavioral Medicine Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. And for some people, eating more often may mean eating more, period.
Myth #5: It's always a good idea to go with the salad.
Truth: "Salads trip up many of my clients," Anne Daly, R.D., director of nutrition and diabetes education at the Springfield Diabetes and Endocrine Center in Springfield, Illinois, told EatingWell's advisor Dr. Johnson. Most of us could use more vegetables -- so what's not to love? In a word, toppings. The pecans and Gorgonzola cheese on Panera Bread's Fuji Apple Chicken Salad (580 calories, 30 grams fat, 7 grams saturated fat), for instance, propel it into double-cheeseburger territory. A McDonald's double cheeseburger has 440 calories, 23 grams fat, 11 grams saturated fat.
Myth #5: It's always a good idea to go with the salad.
Truth: "Salads trip up many of my clients," Anne Daly, R.D., director of nutrition and diabetes education at the Springfield Diabetes and Endocrine Center in Springfield, Illinois, told EatingWell's advisor Dr. Johnson. Most of us could use more vegetables -- so what's not to love? In a word, toppings. The pecans and Gorgonzola cheese on Panera Bread's Fuji Apple Chicken Salad (580 calories, 30 grams fat, 7 grams saturated fat), for instance, propel it into double-cheeseburger territory. A McDonald's double cheeseburger has 440 calories, 23 grams fat, 11 grams saturated fat.
Article: “5 Diet Myths Keeping You From Losing Weight” by Nicci Micco, Editor-at-Large for Eating Well Magazine. Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eatingwell/diet-myths_b_1063650.html?ref=diet-and-nutrition
Best Teen Diets recommends a well balanced diet of fruits vegetables, whole grains and low-fat or fat-free diary. We offer nutrition information for teens, parents and teachers that emphasizes the importance of healthy eating for teens.
0 comments