10 worst diet tips

10 January 2014

I keep trying to lose weight... but it keeps finding me!

Read the truth about these tips and decide for yourself. You might still follow them, but at least then you can say that you’ve heard both sides of the story.

Fat makes you fat

Do you feel like wearing a necklace made out of garlic to protect yourself every time you see a drop of oil or a piece of salmon? Well, you shouldn’t. Anyway, garlic is not the best choice as a perfume or an accessory. It depends on the type of fats you're eating: fats in chips, crisps, biscuits and greasy foods such as fish and chips or most of the takeaways can increase cholesterol and your risk for certain diseases. But good fats, like nuts, seeds, avocados and salmon, protect your heart and support your overall health. When paired with a healthy diet, the right fats can help keep you from being, well, fat.

Snacking is a bad habit

Just the opposite, eating in small, frequent amounts is a great way to curb hunger, control portion sizes, and make better nutritional choices. We’re not talking Maltesers, crisps and Liquorice Allsorts. You should choose snacks like nuts, fruit, and yogurt – these will keep your energy levels high throughout the day.

All calories should be treated the same way

Not all calories are the same. Experts say that the type of calories, the timing of the calories, and the quality of the calories can significantly alter the effect of the calories on the body. Food creates reactions within our bodies and the type of food you eat is an important component in diets. For example, 50 calories of an apple will cause a different internal reaction than 50 calories of chocolate cupcakes. The quality of the calories is also important because the chemicals, hormones, and general byproducts that are found within processed food affects the absorption of real nutrients. Quality calories are nutrient dense, like spinach. Calories that don't contain any nutrients - also known as "empty" calories - are like the ones found in sugar. Bottom line: Calories are important for understanding portion control, but they’re not the only factor in good nutrition.

Cut out carbs

The research on carbohydrate intake is often misinterpreted. Yes, it is true that excessive intakes of refined carbohydrates, like white bread or white rice, may lead to weight gain or increased cardiovascular risk. But there is no research suggesting that healthy carbohydrates, such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, or pulses, can negatively impact health or weight. On the contrary, many studies suggest a diet high in these plant-based foods is associated with better overall health. A 2002 American College of Nutrition study that found replacing refined grains with whole-grain and minimally processed grain products, along with increasing the intake of fruits and veggies, can help lower dietary glycaemic load and insulin demand. This, in turn, can ultimately reduce the risk of both type 2 diabetes and heart disease. So, keep the carbs! And aim for those that come from 100% whole grains or fruit.

Load up on protein

Your body needs three macronutrients: Protein, carbohydrates, and fat. This means that focusing solely on protein for weight loss makes no sense. You not only deprive your body of fibre and other antioxidants found in healthy carbohydrates - whole grains, fruit, and veggies (look above) - you also run the risk of eating too much fat in your diet which can lead to high cholesterol levels.

Gluten-free is the best option

There's no scientific evidence that gluten is a particularly fattening ingredient. The problem is that we eat too many refined grains - foods made of white flour or other refined grains. Cutting out gluten without checking with your doctor first can lead to deficiencies in important nutrients, such as fibre, iron, vitamin B12 and magnesium. Unless you were instructed by your GP otherwise, focus on getting healthy whole grains in moderate portions.

You burn more calories working out on an empty stomach

It doesn’t matter whether you are working out with food in your stomach or not. That doesn’t affect the calorie burn. Moreover, skipping meals before sweat sessions may result in muscle loss, finds a study published in the Strength and Conditioning Journal. Before you settle for a sports drink, know this: while a quick sip of sugar energises your muscles, the drink’s other artificial additives can be harmful to your health. Instead, go for naturally sweet fruit, like bananas, peaches, and mangoes before your exercise session. Similarly have 3-4 pieces of dark chocolate for the same caffeine fix you get from a half cup of coffee.

Eat every two hours to speed your metabolism

Leaving four or five hour breaks between normally-sized meals will not make your metabolism slow down, experts advise. Eating more frequently may help stave off hunger, which can help you fight temptation. But if you want to do this, you have to be careful to keep your meals and snacks really small. Otherwise, eating every 2 hours can simply lead to taking in too many calories over the course of the day. It’s best if you stick to three main meals with 4-5 hour breaks during the day and have little healthy snacks (fruit, nuts, chopped veggies) in-between. That way your metabolism will always be up to speed, but not over-loaded with food.

Weekdays are for dieting, weekends are for feasting

Throwing caution to the wind on the weekends can offset the consistency and success you had all week. On the weekends, a lot of people tend to sleep in, maybe missing their workout or a jog, typically drink more alcohol and have heavier meals as a result of going out. So if you lose about one pound between Monday and Friday, you just might gain it back. Strictly speaking, if you're trying to lose weight, the weekends shouldn't be the eat-what-you-want-when-you-want-how-much-you-want days. You still need a plan. Some suggestions: having meals as close to the usual weekday time as possible, limiting your alcohol intake and treating yourself to a few pieces of chocolate, not to the whole chocolate cake. Also, just like on weekdays – keep on snacking between the meals, but don’t suddenly swap the healthy snacks for chocolates, biscuits and crisps.

The unhealthy foods are forbidden forever

A lot of dieters probably tend to be in 'all or nothing' mode. They never seem to find a middle ground. You swear off pizza, chips, and Mars bars all in the same day. A lot of dietary experts assure us that with careful planning you can enjoy these foods when they are presented to you. Just choose small portions, don’t go for seconds and share if you can. In fact, research shows that moderately indulging in "forbidden foods" is what keeps people from bingeing on the weekends and in the evenings.

Toma Sukyte - for Female First