Myths & Tips About Weight Loss

Myth #1: All Carbs make you fat.
Carbohydrates, also known as “carbs,” should never be avoided, but it is important to understand that not all carbs are alike. Carbs are your body’s primary energy source and play a crucial role in your body’s overall health. Carbs are an important part of a healthy diet, but there's much discussion about the “good” and “bad” carbohydrates.

So how do you know which is which? Carbohydrates can be either simple (“bad” carbs) or complex (“good” carbs) based on their chemical makeup and what your body does with them. "Bad" carbs are generally foods with refined carbohydrates, which means during processing, the essential layers of the whole grain kernel are taken out (fiber, vitamins and minerals) and what is left over is a plain starch or white flour and added sugars.

"Good" carbs is used to describe foods that use the "whole grain kernel." All three layers of the whole grain shell are included in this carb such as fiber, vitamins and minerals. Complex carbohydrates are carbohydrates that take longer to break down into glucose causing a longer transit time in your gut and helps you to keep full longer. Complex carbs also help to grab on to bad cholesterol and fats in your gut so they aren't absorbed into your body during digestion. Good carbohydrates also help regulate your blood sugar level.

TIP: Think of carbohydrates as the fuel for your body. You use this fuel to exercise and burn fat. Don’t avoid fruits, vegetables, legumes and other whole foods. In fact, these types of foods are powerful weight loss foods that you should be eating a lot of. Do avoid refined grains (white flour, white bread and white rice), processed foods, baked goods, soda, candy, artificial syrups, sugar and alcohol.

Myth #2: You will lose more by eating less.
If you are trying to lose weight and think skipping meals will get you to your weight loss goal faster -- you are definitely misinformed. When you skip a meal or two or three, you will trigger your body into starvation mode. Your body will actually react by slowing down your metabolism, which means slower weight loss.

TIP: Always eat breakfast and eat in intervals. Try eating and snacking every 2-3 hours to keep your metabolism going. If you are on the go or in between meetings, grab a snack bar high in protein and low in carbs or even a container of greek yogurt to keep your metabolism stable until your next meal.

Myth #3: Genetics determine your weight and body composition.
Overall there are a variety of factors that play a role in obesity -- behavior, environment, disease and genetics may have an effect in causing people to be overweight and obese. If you come from a family that has a history of obesity, you may be more likely to gain weight but that does not mean exercise and a healthy diet will be less effective for you over a person who has a more slender family tree.

TIP: Don’t use genetics as an excuse to give up on weight loss. If you are Diabetic or have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, you may be insulin resistant and this may cause difficulties in weight loss. In many cases, medications are a result of weight-related illnesses. If you have tried dieting and exercising with little or no results in weight loss, you may want to consult with a medical practitioner who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of particular illnesses that contribute to weight gain.

Myth #4: You don’t need to diet if you just exercise.
Exercise works in tandem with your calorie intake -- energy in must balance energy out. Being active is an important part of any weight loss or weight-maintenance program. When you're active, your body uses more energy (calories). If you consume the right balance of calories to support your exercise training you will see a loss in weight. You probably won’t be able to work out enough to make up for eating a huge meal. Exercise alone just does not burn enough calories.

TIP: Think twice before your have a slice. You will need to briskly walk for 96 minutes to burn off a slice of apple pie. A slice of cheese pizza will require a 36 minute brisk walk to burn off.

What weight loss myths have you heard of? Find answers at , located at BrickWalk, 1305 Post Road, #202, in Fairfield. Our group of physicians, certified nurse practitioners and registered dietitians will help you lose weight safely, quickly and without the risk of surgery! If you are overweight or obese and need to lose weight, our medically managed, customized weight loss program will help you achieve your weight goal and maintain it once the weight is lost. Call 203-255-0644 for a FREE Screening with a Medical Practitioner.

Reviewed by: Mark A. Perrotti, MD, Thomas Bondarchuk, APRN and Jessica Ehrentraut, MS, CHES, RD of MedTeam Weight Loss