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Overcoming Weight Gain Hype

The facts are in and they are not pretty. The average American is a bit on the hefty side. Much of this is blamed on the poor nutrition we get. This has, of course, resulted in a wide variety of myths and hype regarding nutrition.

There is a lot of money to be made in helping people lose those extra pounds. Tons of companies are doing just this, but all the different approaches to cutting weight makes it difficult to know what is true and what is not. Not anymore.

Whatever you do, definitely don't eat that. Wait, says another weight loss guru, do eat it. A body builder can tell you the stark truth. The issue is calories, not what you eat. Eat fewer calories than you expend and you will lose weight.

So, why the focus on the type of food in diets? The real reason is a diet is often designed to give you the maximum volume of food with the minimum of calories. Salads are examples. They have a lot of volume and low calorie counts.

If you eat late, you will gain more weight than if you eat the same amount of food earlier in the day. Wrong. Again, it is the total calorie intake, not when you eat it. It is best to eat something every couple of hours during the day and taper off at night.

Is rapid, large weight loss possible in a short period of time. The answer depends on whether you want to keep the weight off. Most of these miracle diets involve the loss of water weight. Once you stop the diet, the water pounds pile back on.

Fat is the reason we are all, well, fat. So goes the story. As with many stories, this isn't entirely true. The body needs monounsaturated fats that are found in nuts, seeds and olive oil for example.

To lose weight, you should just skip a meal each day. This could actually have the opposite effect. When the body notes a lack of quick energy, your metabolism may slow down. The slower the metabolism, the slower you burn calories.

The water before the meal myth is one that actually is true. If you drink a full glass of water prior to any meal, the water will help induce a full feeling in your stomach. You will stop eating sooner and take in fewer calories.

How many body builders do you see that are fat? Not very many, yet they inhale massive amounts of calories. So, what is their secret? Exercise. Exercise burns calories. Watch what you inhale, exercise often and watch the pounds drop off.