We reveal the real skinny behind the myths that make you fat.
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Big Fat Diet Lies
Ask 10 people for weight-loss advice, and you'll get 10 different answers: Work out constantly. Set a large goal. Resign yourself to winter weight gain. "Most of us have been following certain rules for how to shed pounds our entire lives," says Nancy Snyderman, M.D., chief medical editor of NBC News and author of the book Diet Myths That Keep Us Fat. "But much of what we have been told about weight loss is actually false." Here, Snyderman weighs in on the diet myths it's time to ditch — and the surprising truths that will help you get and stay slim.
Ranplett/iStock
THE MYTH: The more you work out, the better.
You already know that exercise is one of the best things you can do to maintain your weight and boost your overall health, but overdoing it can actually have the opposite effect. "Working out seven days a week can weaken our immune system, strain our joints, and tire us out," Snyderman says. "Your muscles need time to repair so they can be more efficient during your next session." And if you're exercising with improper form due to fatigue, you'll actually burn fewer calories than if you were exercising correctly, she says. To prevent workout burnout, schedule at least one day off a week, and change things up a bit each session — by doing arm weights one day, say, and leg moves the next — to avoid overusing one set of muscles. Be sure to keep your back straight and not to lean on the handles of cardio equipment, to prevent injury and maximize calorie burn.
Steve Cukrov/iStock
THE MYTH: Muscle weighs more than fat.
If you've been working out and the scale reading is higher than you'd like, it's tempting to tell yourself, "Well, that's just muscle weight." After all, muscle's heavier than fat, right? Not so much: There's no such thing as "muscle weight," Snyderman says. A pound of muscle and a pound of fat both weigh...a pound! But because muscle is more dense than fat, having more muscle on your frame than fat makes you look leaner. And there's another benefit: One pound of muscle burns an estimated 50 calories a day, while a pound of fat burns about two calories a day — so the leaner you get, the higher your metabolic rate. "Aerobic exercise, like biking and running, sheds fat, while weight-lifting helps build muscle mass," Snyderman says. "Doing both is a surefire way to rev up your metabolism."
Charles Nesbit/Getty Images
THE MYTH: Fresh fruits and veggies are more nutritious than frozen or canned.
Frozen and canned produce can be equally as healthful as — and even more economical than — the fresh stuff, Snyderman says. Frozen fruits and vegetables are often flash-frozen straight off the vine, which helps them retain nutrients. And some canned produce is actually more nutritious than the fresh, raw kind, since we absorb antioxidants like the lycopene found in tomatoes and the beta-carotene contained in carrots more easily when they come from veggies that have been cooked. Bottom line: "It doesn't matter how you get your fruits and vegetables, as long as you're eating them," Snyderman says.
Marko Metzinger
THE MYTH: You gain more weight in winter.
When the temperature drops, it makes sense that our bodies would inevitably pack on fat for insulation. Except that's not what happens. In fact, our metabolism revs up to keep us warm in colder temperatures, which means we actually burn more calories every day, Snyderman says. So if you're gaining in winter, a change in habits — like exercising less frequently and indulging in comfort foods — is likely to blame. To maintain your weight, try to stick to a balanced diet (even if carbs are all you crave) and your usual exercise routine. Swap indoor activities for your usual outdoor ones — or do some of your workouts out in the cold to boost calorie burn.
Willie B Thomas/iStock
Big Fat Diet Lies
Ask 10 people for weight-loss advice, and you'll get 10 different answers: Work out constantly. Set a large goal. Resign yourself to winter weight gain. "Most of us have been following certain rules for how to shed pounds our entire lives," says Nancy Snyderman, M.D., chief medical editor of NBC News and author of the book Diet Myths That Keep Us Fat. "But much of what we have been told about weight loss is actually false." Here, Snyderman weighs in on the diet myths it's time to ditch — and the surprising truths that will help you get and stay slim.
Ranplett/iStock
THE MYTH: The more you work out, the better.
You already know that exercise is one of the best things you can do to maintain your weight and boost your overall health, but overdoing it can actually have the opposite effect. "Working out seven days a week can weaken our immune system, strain our joints, and tire us out," Snyderman says. "Your muscles need time to repair so they can be more efficient during your next session." And if you're exercising with improper form due to fatigue, you'll actually burn fewer calories than if you were exercising correctly, she says. To prevent workout burnout, schedule at least one day off a week, and change things up a bit each session — by doing arm weights one day, say, and leg moves the next — to avoid overusing one set of muscles. Be sure to keep your back straight and not to lean on the handles of cardio equipment, to prevent injury and maximize calorie burn.
Steve Cukrov/iStock
THE MYTH: Muscle weighs more than fat.
If you've been working out and the scale reading is higher than you'd like, it's tempting to tell yourself, "Well, that's just muscle weight." After all, muscle's heavier than fat, right? Not so much: There's no such thing as "muscle weight," Snyderman says. A pound of muscle and a pound of fat both weigh...a pound! But because muscle is more dense than fat, having more muscle on your frame than fat makes you look leaner. And there's another benefit: One pound of muscle burns an estimated 50 calories a day, while a pound of fat burns about two calories a day — so the leaner you get, the higher your metabolic rate. "Aerobic exercise, like biking and running, sheds fat, while weight-lifting helps build muscle mass," Snyderman says. "Doing both is a surefire way to rev up your metabolism."
Charles Nesbit/Getty Images
THE MYTH: Fresh fruits and veggies are more nutritious than frozen or canned.
Frozen and canned produce can be equally as healthful as — and even more economical than — the fresh stuff, Snyderman says. Frozen fruits and vegetables are often flash-frozen straight off the vine, which helps them retain nutrients. And some canned produce is actually more nutritious than the fresh, raw kind, since we absorb antioxidants like the lycopene found in tomatoes and the beta-carotene contained in carrots more easily when they come from veggies that have been cooked. Bottom line: "It doesn't matter how you get your fruits and vegetables, as long as you're eating them," Snyderman says.
Marko Metzinger
THE MYTH: You gain more weight in winter.
When the temperature drops, it makes sense that our bodies would inevitably pack on fat for insulation. Except that's not what happens. In fact, our metabolism revs up to keep us warm in colder temperatures, which means we actually burn more calories every day, Snyderman says. So if you're gaining in winter, a change in habits — like exercising less frequently and indulging in comfort foods — is likely to blame. To maintain your weight, try to stick to a balanced diet (even if carbs are all you crave) and your usual exercise routine. Swap indoor activities for your usual outdoor ones — or do some of your workouts out in the cold to boost calorie burn.
Reid Veto/iStock
THE MYTH: Weight gain is inevitable as you get older.
"This myth stems from the fact that belly fat begins to creep on as we get older, but a bulgeis avoidable," Snyderman says. Most of that fat isn't gained — it's weight that's shifted due to hormone changes, childbirth, or weakening bones. And you can slow the shift with strength training, according to a study from the National Institutes of Health: Overweight and obese women who lifted weights just twice a week saw a smaller increase in intra-abdominal fat (7 percent over two years) than those who didn't exercise (their intra-abdominal fat went up 21 percent in two years). The sooner you start pumping iron, the easier it is to keep that belly trim down the road.
Aldo Murillo/iStock
THE MYTH: Yo-yo dieting wrecks your metabolism.
It's become common wisdom that depriving yourself of food — a.k.a. dieting — puts you into "starvation mode," in which you burn fewer calories because your body needs to hold on to what little nutrition it's getting; over time, the theory goes, your metabolism slows down for good. But "while extreme low-calorie diets do temporarily lower your metabolism, the effects don't last," Snyderman says. Researchers in Canada compared the resting metabolic rates of women who'd yo-yo dieted for an average of 18 years with what their metabolism should be for their height, weight, and age — and found no difference in 92 percent of the subjects. "Yo-yo diets don't hurt you, but they do frustrate you because they mean you haven't found the right way to keep the weight off," says Snyderman.
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THE MYTH: You need to lose a significant amount of weight to see any health benefits.
Meeting your weight-loss goal can be daunting, especially when you have a double-digit amount to lose. But shedding even just a few pounds can have a huge impact on your health. For every two pounds of excess weight you lose, your cholesterol drops an average of 3 points. And in a study from the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, men and women were able to bring their blood pressure down after losing as few as nine pounds. "Our bodies can tell when we lose weight, even when it's a minimal amount, and they adjust very quickly," Snyderman says. "So even if you have a significant amount of weight to lose, taking it a few pounds at a time will boost your overall health — and make your ultimate goal more manageable."
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