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List of Dieting Myths by Trisha Ellington
List of Dieting Myths by Trisha Ellington 
After reading our list of dieting myths be sure to take the Dieting Myths Quiz
Here is a list of almost every dieting myth known in the modern world.
Myth: Bananas are high in fat. Truth: Bananas are actually very low in fat. They only contain five grams of fat, 95 calories and are a very healthy snack high in potassium.
Myth: Low carbohydrate high-protein diets are a healthy way to lose weight. Truth: Any unbalanced diet will lead to health problems more than actually contribute to weight loss.
A low carbohydrate diet will only make you feel tired, weak, constipated and even nauseous. More serious health problems in a high-protein low carbohydrate include heart disease, kidney stones, gout and swollen joints.
Myth: You can lose weight and still eat whatever you want. Truth: Eating a balanced meal will allow you to choose pretty much any foods you want and still allows you to lose weight.
However, the portion sizes are what determine how many calories your body receives. Smaller portions contain less calories and will contribute to permanent weight loss.
Myth: Stopping smoking causes you to gain weight. Truth: Stopping smoking in itself does not cause weight gain. Your metabolism does not change.
Some people may eat more to keep their mouths busy while avoiding cigarettes, however there are many healthier things to do to keep your mind off smoking.
Myth: Fast foods contribute to weight gain and should be avoided while dieting. Truth: With the proper knowledge, fast foods can be an enjoyable part of your diet.
Simply avoiding sugary sodas and shakes, super sizes, deep-fried foods and generous toppings will allow you to enjoy fast foods without putting on the pounds. Salads, grilled foods and tacos are good fast food choices.
Myth: Cholesterol is bad for you. Truth: There are two types of cholesterol. The good kind, known as HDL, transports cholesterol away from the arteries. The bad kind, known as LDL, transports cholesterol to the arteries.
A diet low in saturated fat, but high in unsaturated fat will help your cholesterol.
Myth: Slow metabolism means that you cannot lose weight. Truth: Actually, the heavier you are, the more calories your body burns to keep going.
This is especially true with vigorous exercise as your body has more weight to move around which takes more energy.
Myth: You should not eat nuts if you wish to lose weight. Truth: Nuts are can actually be in a very good part of your diet. Unless you are allergic to nuts, eating nuts will provide a good source of protein, beneficial fats, fiber and minerals.
Nuts eaten in controlled servings will not contribute to weight gain.
Myth: Whole milk has more calcium. Truth: Actually, whole milk has less calcium since the fat in the milk contains no calcium itself, but does take up a greater proportion of the liquid milk which contains the calcium.
Myth: Starches should be extremely limited when trying to lose weight. Truth: Starches are actually low in calories and contain very little fat and are essential to providing energy for your body.
Eaton in the appropriate amounts, starches will not contribute to weight gain any more than other foods.
Myth: Eating meat is unhealthy and will contribute to weight gain. Truth: Meats contain protein and iron and are in important part of a balanced meal.
Since meat can contain saturated fat, simply choosing leaner cuts and trimming visible fat can make meat much more healthier to eat. Smaller portions of lean meat will not contribute to weight gain.
Myth: High fat foods cause rapid weight gain. Truth: Weight gain is a slow process and is based on caloric intake, but the form the calories take does not matter that much.
You will be pleased to know that that batch of brownies you couldn't resist will only put about one ounce of weight on at the most.
Myth: Lifting weights is not good for losing weight due to the increase in muscle mass. Truth: Actually, the more muscle you have the more calories your body will burn even when sedentary.
Simply having muscle causes more calories to be burned which will contribute greatly to weight loss. Only extremely vigorous weight lifting combined with large muscle size will cause a large amount of muscle weight gain.
Myth: Crash dieting helps you lose weight. Truth: Fasting or extreme low calorie crash diets are not a very good way to lose weight in the long term. First of all it slows your metabolism which leads to weight gain.
Secondly, much of the weight that is lost is water and muscle tissue and not fat. Finally, fasting can hurt your cholesterol levels.
Myth: You can take off the pounds with low-fat foods. Truth: Low-fat foods contain the same amount of calories as their high-fat counterpart. The fat is simply replaced with some form of carbohydrate.
Often times the portions are also smaller which will only make the dieter eat more. Either way, the pounds will not come off by simply eating low-fat food.
Myth: Certain foods can help you to burn fat. Truth: No foods can actually help you to burn fat. It is believed that foods like celery, cabbage and grapefruit will cause your body to burn fat. The only way to burn fat is with exercise.
Myth: Dairy products are high in fat and contribute to weight gain. Truth: Low fat milk, yogurt and cheeses will help balance your diet and are healthy for you.
These foods contain calcium and protein which are essential for muscle and bone development. Choosing small portions of low-fat dairy products will not contribute to weight gain.
Myth: You cannot gain weight if you are vegetarian. Truth: There are many non-meat foods that contain protein which will help to build muscle just as much as a meat eater. Common high-protein vegetarian foods include nuts and grains.
Myth: Natural herbal weight-loss supplements are a safe and effective way to lose weight. Truth: Herbal weight-loss products are not necessarily safe.
One ingredient, ephedra, has actually been shown to cause serious health problems and even death. These weight-loss products have also not been proven to provide permanent weight loss.
Myth: Eating right before bed contributes to weight gain. Truth: It does not matter what time of day you eat. What matters most is how much you eat, but leaving too much of a gap between meals can slow metabolism.
Eating a small snack before bed can actually be beneficial to losing weight as it shortens the fasting period and which in turn causes less slowing of metabolism.
Myth: Fad diets allow for permanent weight loss. Truth: Fad diets will not help you to permanently lose weight.
Dieters that make extreme changes to their diet to lose weight will soon tire of the restrictions and gain the weight back and sometimes even more.
Fad diets also contribute to many health problems including gallstones, heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.
Myth: A grain food that is brown must be whole-grain. Truth: The only way to be sure that the food is whole-grain is to check the first few ingredients and make sure that they are whole-grain.
Eating whole-grain foods help you lose weight because they make you feel full sooner. Whole grain foods are also healthy as they help to prevent diabetes and heart disease and also contain vitamins B and E.
Take the Dieting Myths Quiz
Here is a list of almost every dieting myth known in the modern world.
Take the Dieting Myths Quiz