The Truth About Food and Your Weight

By: Sol Ferdinand

Any way you cut it, the average American is overweight. There are many factors that have led us to this point, but our nutrition is certainly one of the big ones. That being said, there is some serious incorrect hype regarding food.

Weight loss is a multi-billion dollar industry. Companies make piles of money selling diets programs. This creates confusion for the average person as each diet touts one type of food while bashing another. Let's debunk some of the myths.

Whatever you do, definitely don't eat that. Wait, says another weight loss guru, do eat it. A body builder can tell you the stark truth. The issue is calories, not what you eat. Eat fewer calories than you expend and you will lose weight.

That being said, the type of food you eat is important. Why? Certain foods have low caloric counts and you have to eat a huge amount to gain weight. Carrots, grapefruit, celery and lettuce are all examples of such food.

Eat your last meal before five in the afternoon and you will lose weight. That's the old folks tale. It isn't accurate. The issue is what you eat, not when and the total amount of calories you take in during a 24 hour period.

Is rapid, large weight loss possible in a short period of time. The answer depends on whether you want to keep the weight off. Most of these miracle diets involve the loss of water weight. Once you stop the diet, the water pounds pile back on.

You should avoid fats like the plague. While most of us eat way too much fat, you should not avoid all fat. The body needs some as part of a balanced diet. No, not junk food fat. Monounsaturated fats found in olive oil or seeds and nuts are best.

The next myth to be debunked is the meal strategy. The story goes that if you skip just one meal a day, you will lose weight. Skipping a meal is not going to help if you make up for it by feasting during your other daily meals.

Drinking a full glass of water before a meal helps you lose weight. Ah, this one is true. The water does not do anything to the calories in the food, but it takes up space in your stomach. As a result, you eat less before you feel full.

Bicyclist in the Tour de France eat over 7,000 calories a day. Why? Because they are burning them off like mad riding 70 or 80 miles a day. You can lose weight following their lead. Eat sensibly and exercise every day. It always works.