The myth: Small portions are the key to losing weight.
The truth: It’s an out-of-date myth that you have to deprive your appetite in order to lose weight. We now know it’s not feeling hungry, but satisfied, that counts. Instead of focusing on the amount it’s wiser to pick your food that you plate carefully. It’s possible to lose weight whilst eating satisfying, filling meals and it’s done by choosing foods that are low in energy density.
Energy density is the amount of energy (or calories) per gram of food which means we can eat more of them while consuming fewer calories. Foods that are low in energy density include fresh fruit and vegetables, lean meat, fish, eggs, rice, potatoes, pasta and more.
Slimming World’s Food Optimising programme is based on this sciencce of energy density. Members can eat as much low energy dense and filling foods as they can, aka “free foods”, without having to worry of gaining weight and still see a great drop on the scales.
The myth: It’s harder to lose weight when you’re older.
The truth: There’s no proof that losing weight is much easier when you’re younger. It could actually be much easier to drop the pounds if you’ve swapped partying, takeaways and eating-on-the-go for home cooking and healthy snacks as you’ve got older.
If you follow a healthy eating regimen and support it with daily exercises, you’re sure to shed weight whatever your age group is.
The myth: Diets only work short-term and you always put weight back on again.
The truth: If your diet is a quick fix, restrictive and short term then it’s most likely true because with those types of diets, as soon as you go back to the way of eating that made you gain weight in the first place, the numbers on the scale will go up again.
There are many unrealistic diets out there. They may seem promising at first and at short term might get you some good results but they’re not just sustainable. At Slimming World the focus is on long-term lifestyle changes that are practical, realistic and sustainable.
The myth: I’m too busy to exercise.
The truth: You don’t have to hit the gym or run for
miles to count as exercise. You can start small by walking extra steps,
parking farther away from the office, using the stairs instead of the
lift, etc. The goal is to gradually build up your activity.
Slimming World’s Head of Nutrition and Research Dr Jacquie Lavin says:
“Breaking activity into manageable blocks will help you get in the habit
and you never know you might even really enjoy it!” Finding ways to
make being more active a habit is key.
The myth: It’s in the genes. If diets didn’t work for my mum, they won’t work for me.
The truth: If it didn’t work for a family member, it doesn’t mean that it won’t work for you just because you have the same genes. The important thing to remember, though, is that they didn’t fail at dieting – the diets failed them.
Credit: http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/healthy-eating-slimming-myths-busted/story-26168919-detail/story.html#aZFVYO3by5fSD4oF.99
