Comments on: Diet Myths You Should NEVER Believe

By: How To Survive Holiday Shopping : COED Magazine

How To Survive Holiday Shopping : COED Magazine — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 19:53:20 +0000

[...] don’t know about you but when I get hungry, I get cranky and that leads to bad decisions. Your diet affects more than just your weight but your emotions as well. Some foods to consider before [...]

By: Marcus

Marcus — Mon, 05 May 2008 14:18:16 +0000

First of all, I applaud Elizabeth for posting this article. Secondly, I like the additions that Andy had. I have spent more than a little time researching nutrition, with an emphasis on the aesthetic perspective, and have a few things I want to add.
1st- Eating just before sleeping: It is very common for people to believe that this will cause a gain in fat, and the logic behind this belief is very reasonable. Your Net Calories for ANY given time, but whether those calories come from carbs, protein, or fat DOES matter. It matters just as much as whether you just want to lose weight (fat & muscle) or if you want to lose body fat. Yes- carbs are rapidly converted to glucose (blood sugar), and often can result in fat gain. This actually has much more effect than most people realize because it also effects hormone levels that STIMULATE storing fat (Insulin). Furthermore, consuming more carbs just before working out is only good if you NEED the extra energy to workout IN PLACE OF using energy store within your body to fuel that workout.

Wow, i could go on forever, but i'll spare all of the 5 people who will ever read this far.

Basically- Net Calories effect weight gain/loss, but calorie SOURCES and TIMING of eating effect weight gain/loss AND whether that gain/loss comes from muscle or fat.
The number 1 rule- do not eat a meal/snack comprised of only carbohydrates. ALWAYS include a source of protein and fat. protein and fat help to reduce the carb-initiated spike in Insulin, helping to reduce the immediacy of the body's "use-it-or-store" response.

Keep in mind, there's a difference between "weight loss" and "fat loss".

By: Andy

Andy — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 18:02:39 +0000

I’ve long been a believer in the theory that weight gain or loss is derived from a person’s net caloric intake, but it’s probably a good idea to explain some of the logic behind the other theories as well.

In the case of low-carb diets, the operating theory is that carbohydrates are quickly converted into fat by the body – true, but only if the carbs aren’t used for energy first. Carbs offer an immediate energy boost when eaten, because they are pretty easy for the body to break down. Where low-carb nutritionists claim carbs become a problem is the point at which they are stored as fat. The theory is that once a food is stored as fat, the body must invest a certain amount of energy in the use of that resource. That is that it takes a certain amount of energy to convert fat into usable energy, and that that amount is more than the amount it would take to convert protein into usable energy. The argument is that unless carbs are quickly burned off, they will be stored as fat, and fat reserves will be burned after protein reserves, such as muscle.

The eating before going to bed theory works on the same principle – not using food right away causes problems. The idea here is that you don’t use much energy while you sleep, and the food you’ve just consumed will be stored as fat, no matter what you ate.

For those of you still reading, cutting out sugary drinks is always a good idea, but switching to diet drinks isn’t necessarily a better answer. I personally was raised on diet soft drinks, but I’ve cut them out of my diet. The problem with diet drinks isn’t risk of cancer or phenylketoneuria or any of those ailments. Those are unproven claims of very low risks. The problem is that apparently, the artificial sweeteners in diet drinks cause you to crave sweets later on, and that without knowing it, you consume more sweets, and accordingly, more calories. Personally, I find that the healthiest way to go is to drink water often, and when you need something sweet, try something that gives you vitamins as well – like juice. I’m also a big milk person, but that’s beside the point. Just be careful how many calories you’re getting from those things – juice has a lot of sugar, even 100% juice.

Anyway, now that I’ve rambled, I’ll shut up.

P.S. In point #2, you accidentally mentioned that “Taking in more calories on any given day than what you’re burning is what will make you BURN FAT,” when I think you want to say “lose weight.”