Determined To Succeed

You know, I’ve always been just a little bit afraid of April Fools’ Day. Why? Because I’m gullible. Yes, yours truly has, from time to time, been known to feel quite stupid after being taken for “quite the ride” by others for the sole purpose of their amusement and entertainment. It started when I was a kid and that damned 52-card pick-up game. Do kids still do that prank? As an adult, I’ve been known to fall for many-a-line, including one about which I’ve written many times – about how this $125 food diary thingie from an infomercial was going to help me lose weight.

Yeah, right. Did I also mention I have a bridge I’d like to sell you?

Jokes and pranks come in all shapes and sizes from friends, co-workers or family. But, believe it or not, many jokes are played on us by the food and diet industries and not just on April Fools’ Day. These industries lay claim to so many promises of being able to help you lose weight it’s staggering. And we fall for them. Hook, line and sinker because 1) those of us who want to lose weight sometimes look for “help” – meaning something/someone else on which/whom to lean – anywhere we can get it no matter the cost so we don’t have to take full responsibility for ourselves 2) we all want some “magic pill” to cure us of the fat that ails us 3) because we believe anything that sounds “official.” But in the end, it’s us that’s fooled. Fooled into a false sense of believing the statements made by these products/companies because we so desperately want to lose weight we’re willing to try anything except the two things that are proven to work (especially by me) – eating better and exercising more.

So today, I am celebrating April 1st by not playing jokes on you, my friends. Instead, I’m going to debunk a few food myths in hopes of clearing some of the debris from the path of our weight loss journey so we don’t stumble (at least not as much) as we continue towards success.

Myth: Eating most of your calories in the evening promotes weight gain.

Fact: No matter when you eat them, you gain weight when you eat more calories than you burn off. However, mindless munching in front of the TV at night can push calorie intake over the top.

Myth: Fat free is calorie free.

Fact: Some people indulge in extra-large servings of fat-free foods, such as cookies, cakes and crackers, without realizing that these foods may contain the same amount or even more calories than regular versions. Get the facts on fat-free foods by checking food labels for the serving size and number of calories per serving. Fruits and vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories. However, other low fat or non-fat foods may still contain a lot of calories. To make such foods taste better, extra sugar, flour, or starch thickeners are usually added. These ingredients are high in calories and may lead to weight gain.

Myth: You can burn fat by eating certain foods, like grapefruit and cabbage soup.

Fact: The grapefruit diet requires you to eat half a grapefruit before every meal to reap the benefits of the fruit’s so-called fat-burning enzymes. Calories typically are limited to fewer than 800 a day, although some versions require that you eat until you are full. Grapefruit has no fat, is low in calories and sodium, and is packed with vitamin C. But the very low calories — and deficits in protein, fiber and several important vitamins and minerals — can make this diet dangerous. Similarly, the cabbage soup diet proponents report feeling lightheaded and weak because the diet is too low in protein, vitamins and complex carbohydrates. You may lose weight, but you’ll probably be too queasy to enjoy it. Remember, no foods can burn fat. Caffeine-rich foods/products (like those energy shots or energy drinks) may speed up your metabolism rate for a short time. However, they do not cause any weight loss. The best way to lose weight is to reduce the number of calories you eat and increase your physical activities.

Myth: It is better to eat six small meals during the day instead of three larger meals

Fact:  This can be okay but only if you are extremely good at controlling your portion sizes; it is all too easy to turn six small meals into six large meals. Again it comes down to the whole “calories per day” rule. If your three large meals contain as many calories as your six small meals, there is no difference at all. For the majority of people it is easier to put the time aside for three meals – so this is still the best choice for most.

Myth: Drinking diet soda will help you lose weight.

Fact: No expert is presuming that diet sodas themselves are making people gain weight. But there does seem to be some connection, and what is being further explored is the idea that by offering our tastes buds something that seems sweet, and seems to signal other parts of our bodies that glucose sugars are on the way, we set ourselves up for cravings — to which we eventually and often unknowingly, give in. In other words, consuming artificial sweeteners that seem real just might be setting us up to eat more later on.

There you have it my friends. Truths on a day sure to be filled with gags, jokes and other entertainments. Remember, there are a gagillion products on the market all claiming to be better than the other in helping you lose weight. But no magic pill, weight loss plan, food stuff or product will help you lose weight unless you invest the time it takes to make smarter food choices and exercise (yes, friends, movement is required sorry to say). And by the way, your shoe is not untied and please do not look down when someone asks “what’s that and points at your chest.”