3 diet myths debunked
(This high-tech scale from Herberger’s will estimate your body fat levels as well has how much water weight your carrying.)
By Brittany Anas
We’ve all heard of wonky diet tricks and bizarre celebrity slimming secrets: Eat baby food to drop pounds or only eat cabbage soup for a week. And, ugh, the “tape worm” diet that was once featured on Tyra Banks’ talk show? Sheesh. We heard if you cut off one of your arms, you’d lose weight, too.
We can agree those diet “strategies” are stupid, yes?
But there’s some much more common diet mistakes that may be wreaking havoc on our health.
Here are a few of those common “diet myths” — and reasons why you should snub them.
Skipping breakfast saves calories: People who skip the first meal of the day end up grazing and snacking more — actually consuming more calories, studies have shown. Those snacks often come in the form of “empty calories” that are high in sugar or fat. (The temptation that lurks at the office candy bowl, for example). Your body needs that first meal of the day to fuel your metabolism and help you burn calories throughout the day. When your tank is empty — so to say — your brain function is also lower, meaning eating a healthy breakfast can help improve your productivity at work. If your mornings are busy — plan ahead. Put a banana, cup of milk, tablespoon of peanut butter in a capped blender in your refrigerator the night before and blend in the morning. Or, slice up an apple, wrap 2 ounces of low-fat mozzarella cheese in plastic and bring a couple tablespoons of protein-rich nuts to work with you.
Weigh yourself daily: Here’s the thing: Your body weight fluctuates daily — and when you chug water after a workout and then step on the scale, you risk getting discouraged. On any given day, the human body fluctuates 2 to 4 pounds, with factors like sodium, water intake and hormones affecting your number on the scale. The best thing to do is to weigh yourself once a week, and at the same time each weigh-in. That way, you’re comparing apples to apples, so to say. We love how sophisticated scales are these day, as they can estimate — for example — how much water weight your carrying at any given time. Need a new scale? Check out this Bowflex Body Fat scale from Herberger’s. (Get 2 percent Cash Back when you buy through ShopAtHome.com)
Pasta makes you fat: Well, no. Too many calories make you fat. And that Alfredo sauce — or any other rich, creamy, high-fat sauce piled on your pasta — is more likely the guilty culprit of weight gain. Also, Americans tend to overeat pasta more so than other ingredients. Instead of thinking of pasta as a meal, think of it as a small side. One serving of pasta is actually just the size of one cupped palm. (Think about the last time you ordered a pasta dish at a restaurant. We’re guessing it was huge).
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