Everyone has something to say about weight loss, or staying slim, or gaining weight. There are a lot of popular sayings and ways of thinking that may or may not be true. Are they truths or myths? Test your knowledge now.
Weight Loss Truths or Myths: Kids entering college the first year will gain 15 pounds, also known as “the freshman 15″
A. That’s totally true!
B. The myth may be partially true, but the numbers are exaggerated.
C. Bullsh*t! As if I had time to eat with so much to study…
Answer: B. Going to college implies a huge change in the lifestyle of students, and thus, they will probably gain some weight. However, according to different studies, the real number is closer to 3 pounds, not the scary 15, and men gain ore weight than women. Why is that? First, because students dramatically change their eating habits: late-night snacks, lots of cafeteria food, alcohol drinks, plenty of coffee and sugar, etc. Plus, going to college usually means doing less exercise than when you were attending high school. But the increment in weight is gradual and not as drastic as the myth wants us to believe.
Sources: http://healthland.time.com/2011/11/02/debunking-the-myth-of-the-freshman-15/, http://kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/college/freshman_15.html
Weight Loss Truths or Myths: Newlyweds gain 10 pounds each in their first year of marriage
A. I believe it. If you want to stay slim, never get married!
B. Well, I’m not sure; I think men gain for both of them!
C. I think it is a lie, you eat well but you burn down the calories during newlywed sex.
Answer: A. Unfortunately, this one is true! Of course, it doesn’t happen to every single married couple on the face of the Earth, but the tendency is real. And it shows more on women than on men, by the way. After strictly watching your weight in order to fit in your perfect white dress, after the wedding, we relax. And relaxing means eating more! Most married couples begin gaining weight during their honeymoon (especially if they choose an all-inclusive resort). After getting married, there are more home-made meals and less bike rides. Renting a DVD and eating chocolate becomes more frequent than going to the gym with your friends. And, let’s be honest, we are no longer “out there” trying to make a good catch, because we caught him already!
Sources: http://news.softpedia.com/news/Brides-Gain-Weight-Within-a-Year-of-Marriage-128722.shtml, http://edition.cnn.com/2011/09/09/health/fat-proof-your-life/index.html
Weight Loss Truths or Myths: When the female “eats for two”, her partner gains weight too
A. It is unavoidable for the man to gain weight as well. Pregnancy is in the air!
B. It is usually true, but it doesn’t have to be.
C. If a man gains weight during wife’s pregnancy, it is merely by chance.
Answer: B. It usually happens that men whose wife or partner is pregnant also gain weight. This is because snacks are more available, the servings on the table are larger, and men eat more out of “solidarity” with her partner. However, the actual myth is that a pregnant woman should eat for two. In fact, doctors do not recommend a huge weight gain. 20 pounds is more than enough for the last month. A pregnant woman should not “eat for two”, but instead, “eat twice as good”, that means, keeping a balance diet, including meat, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, cereals, etc. If men eat what their women are really supposed to eat, they shouldn’t gain excessive weight either.
Sources: http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/02/men-who-swell-with-pregnancy/, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1185627/Eating-Why-fathers-baby-weight-pregnancy.html, http://healthqm.com/do-man-gain-weight-during-wife-pregnancy/
Weight Loss Truths or Myths: “A minute on the lips is forever on the hips”
A. It is true: the food you eat faster makes you gain more weight.
B. It depends on what you put on your lips.
C. This is false! Nothing lasts forever, not even those extra pounds.
Answer: C. You can always lose weight if you try. You should never give up, and ‘forever’ is a dangerous word to use when it comes to weight loss. This myth is based on the fact that it takes longer to lose weight than to gain it from snacks. If you break your diet by eating a piece of chocolate, the pleasure you experiment will last a minute, but the weight gain may be noticeable weeks later. However, that doesn’t mean you should feel guilty every time you eat! If you cheated on your diet, you may recover by doing an extra exercise routine. Weight gain is not only because of what you eat, but because of the calories that you don’t burn.
Weight Loss Truths or Myths: ”Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dine like a pauper”
A. That’s right! Eat whatever you feel like, as long as you do it before midday.
B. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but you shouldn’t eat just anything.
C. Quite the opposite: skipping breakfast is good for losing weight.
Answer: B. Doctors recommend never skipping a meal, even if you are trying to lose weight. In fact, breakfast is the one meal you should never skip! Since you have been asleep for the past 8 hours, you body needs fuel in order to start the day. The breakfast you eat should provide 25% of the requested calories for you whole day. However, 25% is not 110%. If you eat a huge serving of bacon and eggs, plus chocolate milk and cereals, plus yoghurt and fresh fruit, plus two huge cups of coffee, plus a couple doughnuts, you’ll put on weight before you can say “your Majesty”. A good breakfast is a balanced meal: always include some infusion, bread or cereals, fruit and dairy, but just a limited serving of each.
Source: http://www.michaelvanstraten.com/factsheets/Breakfast.pdf
Weight Loss Truths or Myths Conclusion:
I have reviewed a couple of the most popular weight loss sayings. Some of them have a grain of truth in them, but that doesn’t mean we should regard them as universal truths. The important thing is, we can always do something about our weight and we shouldn’t resign. What’s thought to be true is not always true about weight loss.
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