#10       Intermittent fasting without exercise is the best way to lose weight.

Calorie restriction without exercise can cause weight loss from fat loss, but also from muscle.

Without your body being stimulated to maintain or even gain muscle during a weight loss program, the body will continue to feel weaker and calorie restriction will have to be more severe.

Exercise helps the food that we eat get stored in our muscles to be burned as energy. Otherwise excess calories get stored as fat.

Exercise helps keep metabolism high, which is good for weight loss. But after stopping exercise, getting metabolism back up can be a harder than expected.

When weight rebounds after weight loss from only a restricted diet a higher portion the weight gained will be fat. Additionally, the weight gained back that turns into fat will be mostly in the abdominal area, which increases risk of high cholesterol, hypertension and diabetes.

#9        I only gain fat when I eat carbohydrates, that’s why I eat a lot of protein.

All excess calories get turned into fat.

There are three macronutrients: protein, fat and carbohydrates. They all play a part in every one of the five main food groups: grains, protein (meats, legumes, nuts, seeds), dairy, fruits and vegetables, and other (aka high fat and sugar foods or commonly thought of as desserts).

In an average balanced diet, protein makes up 15-35% of the calories, fat makes up 20-30% of the calories and carbohydrates make up 40-55% of the calories.

One of the reasons most Americans have too much body fat mass is food manufacturing. White flour and sugar are put into things where they are not necessary. This increased the caloric value of the same food and people started eating more without knowing it. Even with this information, people today eat more than they know on a regular basis.

Some people like to track their food intake to try to hit a goal within these macronutrients, that goal usually involving either a percentage of each or a total amount of each. But people don’t eat carbohydrates, proteins or fats in isolation, we eat food.

For some people, I believe a very successful diet can be achieved not counting macronutrients. These three macronutrients all get used up by the body, fat and carbohydrates for energy and protein for building and maintain of the body (but if you eat too much protein too, it gets converted into fat).

Because our genes are different, each person’s nutritional requirements will be different. Each person needs to find out what combination of protein, fat and carbohydrates works best for their body and body chemistry.

#8        I may be able to extend my life past 100 years, but my brain cells are dying every day.

 

Recent research shows that few neurons are lost the brain is highly plastic, capable of reorganizing and rebuilding itself…at any age!

Evidence strongly suggests that certain good habits and simple lifestyle measures can preserve and even boost mental wellbeing.

Research has identified three key factors consistently associated with enduring cognitive function:

Education and mental activity

Emotional well-being

Physical activity

 

To keep your mind sharp:

o   Get consistent adequate sleep

o   Eat right

o   Mitigate stress

o   Limit alcohol and caffeine intake

o   Do not smoke

o   Treat chronic physical and mental problems

o   Limit screen time

o   Try new things

o   Exercise regularly

#7        Nutrition bars can replace a meal.

Even though the bar industry is growing rapidly and new bars with different make ups are coming out all the time, they usually contain approximately 200 calories, 25 grams carbohydrates, 12 grams protein, 5 grams of fat. While this can be good for athletics or if you are in need of a snack, it should not replace a meal. A dynamic meal with a variety of food groups gives you many more nutrients in a way your body absorbs and then uses them more efficiently. Bars can help you lose weight if you use them correctly.

Here are some guidelines for picking out a good bar:

Less than 5 grams of fat

Shoot for 3 to 5 grams of fiber

200 calories or less

Shoot for 15-20g of protein

Eat some real food with the bar

Drink at least 12 oz of water with the bar

 

#6        Exercise only after you lose your weight.

 

The way to lose fat is to exercise.

Muscles burn fat and glucose when we exercise. People who exercise are better fat burners.

From about 35-85% intensity, we burn about the same amount of fat, as the intensity increases, we burn more carbohydrates with the fat.

#5        Exercise is only worth it if you go hard.

Studies have shown significant weight loss  and improved fitness can be achieved through exercise and diet over the course of months, although very small differences between people are found based on different exercise durations and intensities for overweight people (classified by BMI).

It has also been shown that high intensity or moderate intensity exercise can similarly reduce abdominal fat and tighten up the waistline.

People who practice consistent exercise frequency and duration over intensity are more successful at long term weight loss and fitness benefits.

#4        High protein diets cause kidney damage.

The effects high protein diets on kidney health are poorly understood. Eating 2.0g per kg body weight or less is thought to be a safe but high amount of protein.

Very high amounts of protein are not recommended for people with chronic kidney disease.

Animal protein affects renal function more than dairy, egg-white or soy protein.

It takes more calories to process protein than carbs or fat, thus eating more of it over a period of time can add to more calories burned and weight loss. The higher cost of processing more protein can help you lose weight over many months.

Protein helps you stay full so you eat less at your next meal.

#3        Fruit and vegetables are not fattening and can be freely consumed.

 

All food had a caloric value. Some food have higher calorie counts and we can gain energy very quickly and others are lower in caloric value so it takes a large volume to gain energy.

No matter what the calorie count on the food is, we can always eat too much. When we eat too much too often, our body fat stores start to grow.

Along with sedentary lifestyles, eating more contributes to Americans gaining unhealthy weight. It’s important to monitor and control our caloric intake or it can upset our body and cause unnecessary hunger and cravings, especially with sugar and carbohydrate rich foods.

#2        Liquid calories help you lose fat

 

Not true. The way to lose fat is to exercise. Muscles burn fat and glucose when we exercise. People who exercise are better fat burners.

Liquid calories can be part of a weight loss strategy, but most people consume more calories than they realize when drinking them.

#1        Diet soda is better than regular soda.

 

Artificial sweeteners induce glucose intolerance by altering the gut microbiota.

Any acidic or carbonated drink (usually with artificial sweeteners) can harm tooth enamel and should be consumed moderately.

Consumption of sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened beverages has been increasingly associated with negative health outcomes such as being overweight, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.