Shedding Pounds for Summer? Don’t Fall for These 5 Weight Loss Myths

Skinny jeans. Swimsuits. Tank tops. Skirts and shorts. Yes, we all would like to look our best for summer, and maybe losing 5-10 pounds would help us feel a little more confident as we spend more time outdoors and on vacation.

If you’re thinking of shedding weight for summer, don’t believe the myths or fall for the gimmicks you see on TV or read about online. None of them follow the Triad of Health and integrate physical, nutritional and psychological components in a way that’s balanced and healthy. Remember, the scale and the mirror are far less important than our actual body composition and proper blood values.

So many of these myths produce short-term results – if any results at all – and lead to a lifetime of poor, unhealthy habits and decisions. In fact, named diet plans have more than a 90 percent failure rate after three years. That doesn’t sound like a great investment. Let’s learn the science and implement good habits for life – not just to fit into a bikini or a new dress. Here are five common weight loss myths.

Myth 1: Eat Less, Exercise More

Many self-proclaimed “experts” who host infomercials, appear on talk shows and write books claim that the ticket to weight loss is eating less and spending more time working out. Just take in fewer calories than you can expend.

The reality is that this actually leads to weight gain! How is this possible? When you deprive your body of the nutrition it needs to function properly, the body stores what few calories you have by lowering your metabolic rate – the exact opposite of what you want to do. First, you plateau. Then you gain weight.

A highly conditioned athlete like swimmer Michael Phelps eats 10,000 calories a day, but his metabolic rate is high and burns fuel like a furnace. Let’s start building stronger furnaces!

Myth 2: All Calories are Created Equal

You may have seen the recent commercial from a famous soda company explaining that their product has calories just like all other food and beverages, and a calorie is a calorie. Not so fast.

Do you think the same amount of calories from a salad of green leafy vegetables, lean organic protein and a serving of brown rice is healthier than a sandwich of processed meats on white bread, soda and a cookie? The number of calories is important but the quality of our calories is critical.

Myth 3: Cut the Fat

During the last 80 years or so, Americans have drastically decreased their fat intake. Yet, the obesity epidemic is spiraling out of control.

The problem is that most people don’t know how to recognize the good fats, like organic flaxseed oil, from the bad fats, like the lethal trans fats (margarine and hydrogenated vegetable oil) developed by the food industry to extend the shelf life of food products.

Also, low-fat diets are usually high in carbohydrates that contribute to increased insulin production, which has been proven to cause weight gain and promote the development of Metabolic Syndrome and Type II Diabetes.

Myth 4: Cut the Carbs

Just like fats, there are good carbs and bad carbs. Good carbs, like those found in vegetables, fruits and natural whole grains, are part of a balanced diet, providing valuable vitamins and nutrients and enhancing the digestive process. Remember, there is more fiber in fruits and vegetables than grains, so eat those vegetables!

Low-carb diets can cause kidney problems, heart disease, high cholesterol and even cancer. The long-term danger isn’t worth the short-term weight loss.

Myth 5: Cut Meals

If three meals a day make it difficult to lose weight, just cut back to two meals a day, right? Makes sense on paper, but not in reality.

Deprivation and starvation are not part of a healthy lifestyle. People who skip meals tend to actually eat more, eat unhealthy foods, and eat later in the day – strikes one, two and three if you want to lose weight and improve body composition.

Breakfast should be the biggest meal of the day, followed by a moderate lunch, and dinner that satisfies your hunger until you go to sleep. Eat fruit and other healthy snacks when you get hungry over the course of the day instead of starving yourself.

The Bottom Line

Many corporations exist and thrive in America because they successfully sell dangerous, unhealthy foods. Others sell weight loss gimmicks, from fad diets to pills.

Take your health back from these corporations that profit from making people unhealthy. We at Natural Healthcare Center would love to sit down with you and help you get on the right path to smart, healthy weight loss. It starts with stepping on a scale that doesn’t just measure gross weight, but also body fat percentage, fat mass in pounds, and other biometric measurements. This, along with a complete blood test, starts the process.

NHC is also offering a free informational seminar on May 16 from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Dr. Coetzee and I will talk about Metabolic Syndrome and how the Metabolic Training Program is specifically designed to target and reverse the conditions that lead to it through clinical nutrition and exercise.

Please call Natural Healthcare Center at 732-222-2219 to register for the seminar or to schedule your free consultation.

This is the year of the family, so if you or someone you know is looking to shed a few pounds for summer, be sure to incorporate and balance the physical, nutritional and psychological components that make up the Triad of Health. Have a fun and HEALTHY summer!

What steps are you taking to look your best this summer?

Dr. James Prood­ian is an accomplished chiropractic physician and health educator who founded Proodian Healthcare Family of Companies to help people feel better, function better, and live longer. His expertise for the past two decades has been in physical rehabilitation, and he has successfully established himself as a spinal specialist. In his practice, he advocates the science of functional medicine, which takes an integrative approach to treating patients by addressing their physical, nutritional, and psychological needs. Alarmed by the escalation of complex, chronic illness in our country, Dr. Proodian has been speaking to companies and organizations through his “Wellness at Work” program since 1994, motivating thousands of people to make positive lifestyle choices and lead healthier, more productive lives. He can be heard weekly on his radio program, “Proodian Healthcare By Design,” on Tandem Radio.