TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Diet rules made to be broken
You’ve probably heard all sorts of silly rules, maybe even followed them at some point. Lets weigh up a few common diet rules and see if there is any truth in them.
Change Size
Most commonly held beliefs about dieting won't help you lose weight or make dieting any easier.
(Shutterstock/-)
E
verybody seems to have some go to dieting rules when trying to lose unwanted kilograms. There are actually diet rules out there that are meant to be broken! You’ve probably heard all sorts of silly rules, maybe even followed them at some point. Lets weigh up a few common diet rules and see if there is any truth in them. Most commonly held beliefs about dieting won't help you lose weight or make dieting any easier.
Here are 8 food rules you can ignore:
“Eating at night will make you gain weight”
Putting on fat has more to do with the total calories you consume over a 24-hour period or over a week. When you eat calories doesn't matter as much as what you eat and how much compared to your activity levels.
(Read also: 5 things to consider before a detox diet)
“Eat 5 meals per day at regular times”
The best approach is to eat when you're hungry, not when the clock says it's time to eat. Everyone’s metabolism is different and there is no golden rule to stick to. If you are not active then eating five meals per day is a mistake, as it will elevate insulin levels that can cause a fat storing state instead of a fat burning state.
“Dietary fat keeps you feeling full longer, so you'll eat less”
This rule came to existence due to the fact that fat take longer to digest, but it will not help you control your appetite. Foods containing protein are more likely to fight off hunger the longest.
“When you ruin your diet, you might as well wait until the next day to get back on track”
Nothing could be farther from the truth- always try to get right back on track with your next meal.
“Refusing food at a party or when visiting is rude”
This olden-day way of thinking should have no place in the modern era. It is now socially acceptable to turn down food you know is not healthy or will hinder your weight loss goals. People are more likely to compliment you on your willpower.
“Skipping a meal every now and then will help you lose”
Skipping a meal means you will be even hungrier at the next meal, and are then likely to overeat. This can also effect your metabolism by causing it to slow down.
(Read also: Ten-year-old boy weighing 190 kg starts diet program)
“Fat is fattening"
Fat is an essential part of our diet and contains essential vitamins and nutrients our bodies require to maintain health. Furthermore, certain good fats actually turn off the fat storing genes and turn on the fat burning ones.
“All calories are equal”
Fortunately, experts have consistently proven this to be false. We need to take the focus off calories and place it firmly on nutrient density. Different foods affect the body in very different ways depending what nutrients, or lack of, are consumed with those calories.
In the end, nutrition experts say, many of the food and dieting rules we hold dear are meant to be broken! There is really only one rule that we should all try to uphold. That is to always “eat real food” and therefore stay away from processed foodstuffs. Your body will generally automatically regulate your weight in a healthy range if not clogged up with toxins and chemicals. (asw)
