Dr. John Day, Cardiologist

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The Top 11 Weight Loss Myths

Weight loss myths are everywhere.  Is it any wonder that up to 98% of people can’t get back to a healthy weight?  In this article, I debunk the top 11 weight loss myths with the latest medical science.  You can regain a healthy weight relatively painlessly by following the simple principles discussed in this article.

1. Diets Don’t Work

Studies show that up to 98% of dieters will fail.  Based on these dismal numbers, most have concluded that diets don’t work.

According to medical studies, people really do lose weight on almost every diet studied. The problem is that the results are just temporary.

These people have not put in place healthy lifestyles.  Thus, as soon as their study or diet is over, they immediately regain the weight.

Diet is a “four letter word.”  I never recommend diets.  Many are not healthy.

The key to a healthy weight is a healthy lifestyle.  However, for some people, diets can be helpful to start the process.

I have found that for most of my patients, their weight and chronic medical conditions will melt away by eating more vegetables, tracking their steps, and avoiding sugar and processed carbohydrates.  A healthy lifestyle is really that simple.

2. You Have to Count Calories

For some people, counting calories bring awareness and accountability. I have found that tracking my nutrition helps me to eat more mindfully.

The problem is that counting calories is highly inaccurate.  While 3,500 calories equals a pound of fat in the science lab, 3,500 calories does not equal a pound of fat in the real world.  To make matters worse, studies show that it is human nature to significantly underestimate your food calories and overestimate your burned exercise calories.

Food is information to your body.  For example, 100 calories of a processed breakfast cereal will spike your blood glucose and insulin levels so high that you will feel compelled to snack before lunch.  In contrast, 100 calories of plain almonds doesn’t have this effect.

In addition to messing up your metabolism, processed breakfast cereals may cause food cravings through activation of the dopamine brain reward system.  In my practice as a cardiologist, I have yet to meet a patient with an irresistible urge to eat more plain almonds.

Digestion is also different.  You will likely absorb close to 100% of the processed breakfast cereal calories whereas many of the calories from almonds will pass through to your stool.  Indeed, one study showed that you absorb 32% less cal0ries from plain almonds than what it says on the food label.

If counting calories works for you, then stick with it.  If it isn’t working for you, it is time to stop counting calories.

3. You Need Willpower

Studies show that willpower is like a muscle.  If exercised for short intervals, muscles get stronger.  If overused, muscles tire or become injured.

While you could never lift weights 16 hours a day, you also can’t rely on your willpower muscle for 16 hours each day.  You simply can’t resist junk at home, work, and social events.  Something has to give.

It seems counter intuitive but most of my patients who have successfully maintained their weight loss have done so with minimal willpower.  In other words, they have created an environment where they are rarely tempted.

These people have a support team.  Spouses, friends, and coworkers all help.  For those without this support, they often find help from online groups or fellow gym goers.

These people don’t bring unhealthy foods into their homes.  They avoid the center isles of the grocery store.  They stay away from their temptations.

Just like the alcoholic should never go into a bar, the same holds true with food.  If you don’t want to slip, don’t go where it is slippery.

Don’t use up your precious willpower muscle at home.  Rather, save it for the office or social events where you have less control.

The bottom line is that if losing weight requires willpower then you are probably doing it wrong.

4. Exercise Causes Weight Loss

Often, when I talk with patients about getting back to a healthy weight, they tell me why they can’t exercise.  Truth be told, medical studies show that exercise doesn’t cause weight loss.

The reason is simple.  The more you exercise the more you eat.  Weight loss comes from food choices, not exercise.

While exercise doesn’t cause weight loss, studies show that exercise is critically important to maintaining a healthy weight.  The easiest way to exercise is to track your daily steps.

Studies show that you will subconsciously exercise 27% more by just tracking your steps.  You don’t even need to spend any money on fancy technology or exercise equipment.  Step tracking apps are free with any smartphone.  Absolutely no willpower is required to boost your exercise by 27%!

5. Carbs Cause Weight Gain

Not all carbs are created equal.  While it is true that carbs from sugar and processed foods cause weight gain, carbs from vegetables, legumes, and fruit have the opposite effect.

In general, what determines whether a carb causes weight gain or weight loss is determined by how fast it is converted to sugar by the body.  For example, the flour in whole wheat bread is converted to sugar faster than a Snicker’s bar.  In contrast, broccoli carbs take hours to digest.

In a 24-year study of 133,468 people, researchers from Harvard and Tufts University found that the more carbs you get from vegetables, fruits, and legumes the less you will weigh.  In contrast, another Harvard study of 120,877 people showed that the more carbs you get from sugars, sweets, and processed foods the more you will pack on the pounds.

The main exception to the eat more vegetables rule is the potato.  Studies show that eating potatoes, not sweet potatoes, is associated with weight gain.

In my experience, the number one factor of weight gain or weight loss is the type of carb you pick.

6. Fat Makes You Fat

In the 1980s, most people believed that fat made you fat.  I remember hating the skim milk on my breakfast cereal.  Little did we know then that future studies would show that the fat in milk helps prevent weight gain and diabetes.

Sadly, many people still believe that fat makes them fat.  Remarkably, in a study of 7,447 patients, even eating a liter of olive oil each week did not cause weight gain.

Like carbs, not all fats are equal.  Some, like trans fat, causes intense weight gain and heart disease.

Trans fat is found in processed foods.  Virtually all processed food companies game the system and report “zero trans fat.”

You have to dig deeper.  If anything is listed as “partially hydrogenated” in the ingredient list, this is a trans fat.  As long as processed food manufacturers pack in less than a half gram of trans fat per serving, they don’t have to disclose the trans fat.

Most vegetable oils in processed and prepared foods are also problematic.  The goal is to get as much of your fat naturally, like from nuts and seeds.  Indeed, studies show that nuts are one of the best foods to lose weight.

The bottom line is that when most people cut the fat, they replace it with processed carbohydrates.  Is it any wonder that studies show low fat diets don’t work very well.

7. Metabolism Can Be Boosted by Eating Breakfast, Frequent Small Meals, or Certain Foods

A quick search on the Internet will tell you that if you just eat the right food, breakfast, or frequent small meals that you can boost your metabolism.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way.

While some foods, like chili peppers or green tea, have been shown to boost metabolism, the effect is so small that most people will never see a difference on the scale.  As I have discussed in previous articles, breakfast, snacking, and frequent small meals have not been proven to either boost metabolism or cause weight loss.

If eating breakfast, frequent small meals, or certain foods help you then stick with it.  The take home message is don’t feel compelled to eat breakfast, frequent small meals, or certain foods just because of something you have read on the Internet.

8. Gluten Causes Weight Gain

After reading a popular “health book” a number of years ago, I wondered if gluten could be contributing to me being overweight.  Just like the prominent doctor of this “health book” said, once I eliminated the gluten I lost weight.

It retrospect, this was because I eliminated processed carbs.  It wasn’t long before I found gluten free alternatives for my processed carb fix.  In no time, I had gained the weight back.

Gluten is simply the name of the protein in wheat and other grains.  While some people have digestive or autoimmune problems with this protein, gluten has never been proven to cause weight gain.  In fact, quite the opposite is true.  Studies show that those who eat real whole grains, even those containing gluten, lose weight.

9. You Have to Starve to Lose Weight

Hunger is like gravity, it always wins.  While you can starve yourself to lose weight short term, you will never be able to maintain that weight loss if you are hungry.

Hunger is complex.  While hunger can be your body telling you it is time to eat, often it is not.  Hunger can also be due to a lack of micronutrients in your diet, thirst, or just a psychological need to eat.

A simple way to tell if your hunger is real or not is what I like to call the “broccoli test.”  If you are hungry enough to eat broccoli then you are really hungry.

The key to keeping your belly full while losing weight is simple.  Eat more vegetables, fruits, and legumes while avoiding sugar and processed carbohydrates.

There is no limit to the amount of non-starchy vegetables you eat.  The more the better.  I have yet to meet a patient who gained weight from eating too much broccoli.

10. You Can’t Eat Your Favorite Foods

The psychological impact of “comfort foods” can’t be ignored.  We all have comfort foods.  If you feel deprived of these foods, you will likely gain weight.

The key is to eat your comfort foods while losing weight.  Healthy substitutions are an often overlooked secret to weight loss.  All of your favorite recipes can be very healthy with just a few key substitutions.

For example, it is well known that mashed potatoes cause weight gain.  By simply substituting in enough cauliflower, you can turn this comfort food into a powerful weight loss tool.  Indeed, based on a Harvard University study, no other vegetable comes even close to cauliflower for losing weight.

11. Don’t Weigh Yourself

You’ve heard the advice, don’t weigh yourself.  Weights fluctuate and you will become discouraged.

The reality is that you need real feedback.  You need periodic course correction.  Indeed, studies consistently show that frequently weighing yourself if one of the most important things you can do to maintain your weight loss.

There is Hope

While most people can achieve a healthy weight with a few minor course corrections, for others it is not so simple.  Regardless of how many times you have tried, you can beat your genes and the trappings of modern life.  Based on an eight-year study of 5,145 people, most of the people in this study were able to maintain their weight loss for eight years.

What was their secret?  The key is that they met regularly with other study participants, nutritionists, psychologists, and physical trainers for eight years.  The message is simple, you need a support team.

Fortunately, support groups are free and can be found in most cities.  Many of my patients with compulsive overeating or food addictions have found relief by joining Overeaters Anonymous.

If you have developed a condition related to weight gain, like high blood pressure, diabetes, or a heart condition, many insurance plans now cover nutritionists, psychologists, or a cardiac exercise program.  Check with your doctor and health plan administrator to see what benefits are available.

Take Home Message

The main reason why up to 98% of people can’t lose weight is because they don’t understand the science.  There are simply too many weight loss myths.

Maintaining a healthy weight is really simple.  For most people, a few small changes is all that is standing between you and a life of never having to worry about weight issues again.  A healthy lifestyle really boils down to eating more vegetables, tracking your steps, and avoiding sugar and processed carbohydrates.

What has worked for you?  Have you struggled with any of these weight loss myths?

Please leave your comments and questions below.  Also, if you like what you have read, be sure to share it with a friend and sign up for my free weekly newsletter.  In this newsletter you will find life-changing gems that can’t be found anywhere else on my website.