Some well-known “facts” of slimming down are actually total **%^.
Make sure you break these rules and stop believing in these weight-loss lies today…
THE LIE: drinking water prevents overeating
REALITY: The more H2O in your stomach, the less room for grub… right? Not exactly, says nutritional scientist Prof Barbara Rolls. Water doesn’t trigger your satiety sensors the same way food does and, even if it did, you pee the stuff out pretty quickly. Without the bulk of digestion-slowing fibre, you’ll likely swallow just as many kilojoules. Instead of straight glugging pre-meal, aim to eat more foods that are rich in fibre and water, a combo that will help keep you full. Rolls suggests a 600 to 800kJ snack, like an apple or cup of stock-based soup, before your main course. “Our research proves this will help you consume 20 percent fewer total kilojoules,” she says.
THE LIE: fruit and veggies are magic bullets
REALITY: Produce may carry a “health halo” (it can do no wrong), but the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that while eating more of it may increase the nutrients in your diet, it had practically no impact on weight. Now, this isn’t a free pass to slash grapefruit and broccoli from your plate. The key is to home in on the form you’re eating them in. Once you’ve factored in cheese, nuts and other energy-dense additions, some restaurant salads, for instance, top 4000kJ – that’s more than a bowl of fettuccine Alfredo!
THE LIE: the fewer kilojoules the better
REALITY: It’s true that you need to drop kilojoules to drop kilos. But one of the main reasons people hit the weight-loss plateau is because eating too little can slow down the kilojoule-torching furnace known as your metabolism. And hunger pangs may interfere with the process that transforms white fat (the unhealthy kind that ups your risk of heart disease) into brown fat (the good-for-you type that helps burn kilojoules), according to US research. Get at least 5000kJ every day and never skip meals – doing so can also affect blood-glucose levels and send your appetite on a raging roller coaster that’s more likely to cause you to overeat.
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