The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
To win a weight war, fight misinformation
Not all diet advice is accurate or wise; stick with the facts.
Who has the time to keep up with weight-loss research? It’s so technical and confusing — and often contradictory! Yet if you don’t know what’s going on in the world of calorie counting, you may not be seeing the pounds drop off as fast as you think they should.
In one European diet and exercise study, for example, participants who were given detailed explanations of the research itself were more likely to improve (exercise more or eat better, or both) than a less cluedin group. Fortunately, we have dug into the latest research. And as we did, we noted that a surprising number of dieting tactics accepted as gospel have recently been shown to be dead wrong. Knowing which still hold up and which are big (fat) lies can mean the difference between winning and losing at weight loss. Here, Good Housekeeping sets the record straight on two common weight-loss strategies, sending you on the path to slim.
Strategy 1: To lose a pound, you must cut 3,500 calories.
False. This much-quoted equation doesn’t account for the slowdown that happens to your metabolism as you drop pounds, explain researchers at the National Institutes of Health. “As a result, it drastically overestimates how quickly people lose weight,” said senior investigator Kevin D. Hall, Ph.D. That’s why his team has created a new computerized model that accurately predicts just how long you’ll have to say no to french fries. It takes into consideration not only the drop in calorie burn as you get slim- mer, but also your current weight, your age, how much you’re eating now and other variables.
Let’s say you’re a 46year-old woman who weighs 170 pounds. According to the traditional formula, if you cut 500 calories a day, you would drop a pound a week (500 multiplied by seven days equals 3,500, or one pound) — and lose 26 pounds in six months. But the new math shows that the weight loss is more likely to be 19.5 pounds.
Strategy 2: Three square meals a day works as well as a plan that includes several minimeals.
True: Dieters who stick to breakfast, lunch and dinner often are no hungrier than those who opt to have frequent small meals and snacks throughout the day, a new University of Missouri study found. Actually, if you’re a dieter who doesn’t want to have to be extra careful about portion control, eating three squares might be a better strategy. “Often people misinterpret the size of a ‘mini meal’ and end up taking in far more calories than they realize,” said lead author Heather J. Leidy, Ph.D. “Also, more meals means more exposure to food, which creates more opportunities for overeating.”