There are nearly as many diet myths out there as there are diets, which means people trying to lose weight are often overwhelmed and confused. The result? Yo-yo dieting. We tend to bounce from one big diet idea to the next in hopes of finding the end-all, be-all to our weight struggles; but what we find is the rules from one never apply to another, making it difficult to adhere to a diet plan. When you clear out the clutter of all that dieting noise, you'll find a few common rules that make sense: eat a variety of foods, don't restrict food groups and choose portion control and moderation. Let's debunk some of these myths so you can start your healthy weight loss journey. Eat More Negative Calorie Foods: False The assumption is that foods like grapefruit and celery have negative calories, meaning it requires more energy to digest them than they actually contain. The Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) is generally estimated about 10% of all calories consumed. You don't calculate this for a single food; instead, you calculate it based on daily calories. A 1,500 calorie day uses 150 calories to digest and store food. Because of the fiber, vegetables have a high thermic effect, at 20 percent of calories consumed. This does not exceed 100 percent, so there aren't negative calories. Don't Eat after 8 p.m. or Late at Night: False They key here is to eat within your total daily calories. If you're supposed to consume 1,800 total calories in a day, and you consume more than that, you'll gain weight. It's best to balance out those calories and spread them throughout the day. So a 200-calorie snack in the evening, within your calorie budget, won't make or break your plans. Avoid Low-Fat Diets: False This one isn't true, either. The human body actually needs and uses fat to fuel brain and body functions. It's important to eat the right kinds of fat, though. Limit saturated and trans fats, as these can effect both your weight and heart health. Examples are red meat, butter and fast food. Healthy fats are the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Examples of these include olive oil, vegetable oil, avocados and nuts. Try a Fasting or Starvation Diet to Lose Weight: False You will certainly lose weight rapidly, but you won't keep it off. In fact, it's likely you'll even gain once you resume your normal eating habits. A healthy rate of weight loss is recommended to be one to two pounds each week, and you should do it by fueling your body with healthy, balanced meals and regular exercise. Fasting and starvation diets strip your body of essential nutrients and don't allow the body to properly shed unwanted pounds; they can even lead to greater health problems. The weight didn't go on overnight, so don't expect it to fall off that soon either. Stop Smoking and You'll Gain Weight: False This is not a fact for every ex-smoker. The people who generally put on pounds after giving up a smoking habit are those who've replaced one bad habit with another, say food. They tend to feed the absence of the vice with food to satisfy their busy hands or an oral fixation. You can completely avoid this by replacing the bad habit with a better one: Try munching on fresh vegetables or chewing on a piece of sugar-free gum when the cravings strike.
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