Top Ten Fasting Myths Debunked (Major Update Nov 4th). Or . That would have fit almost as well. Ok, so in retrospect, I think I screwed up on the title. Many myths just happened to be connected to intermittent fasting (meal frequency, breakfast skipping, etc.). Well, live and learn. November 4th Addendum: Section added at the end of the article. Everyone who learns about nutrition through the usual channels, be it fitness magazines, mainstream diet books and forums, gets cursed with the prevailing belief system of what constitutes a good diet. Though specific dietary recommendations vary slightly depending on who you listen to, there are many common denominators and . Call it broscience, incompetence or ignorance, same thing. We've all been there and we've all followed these rules. Led like sheep, not knowing better. Trusting that those we listen to knew what they were talking about. While these dietary myths run rampant in the bodybuilding and fitness community, you'll find that many are being endlessly propagated in the mainstream as well. Upon closer scrutiny, the great majority lack scientific basis. They are born out out of half- truths, faulty conclusions drawn from poorly conducted studies or created when a study gets cited out of context. Sometimes, what's claimed is even in exact opposition to what really occurs at a physiological level. Many people believe that alcohol is fattening, more so than any other macronutrient. Yet, if you look at how inefficiently the body converts ethanol to fat, you'll find that it's completely backwards. I talked about this in . WebMD asks if eating six meals a day helps you lose weight. This website has grown so large that in order to see the transforming impact that our protocol is having in the lives of Morgellons sufferers and their families, one. Pink Shares Gym Selfie, Says She's 'Obese' by 'Regular Standards': 'Stay Off That Scale, Ladies!'. One of the more esoteric but much beloved tools in the paleo dieter. What is intermittent fasting? IF is the practice of. Excerpted and adapted from Fit Quickies; 5 Minute Targeted Body Shaping Workouts, by Lani Muelrath, Penguin/Alpha, 2013. The Plant-Based Fitness Expert Advisor.
Also note how the proposed negative effect of alcohol on muscle growth doesn't even exist in the scientific literature. You'll see similar examples in this article. For example, in short- term fasting, it's often claimed that metabolic rate slows down - yet looking at the studies, the opposite is true. The myths I'll debunk today are being kept alive by: 1. Repeat something often enough and it becomes the truth. If everyone is saying the same thing, it must be true. No need to look into it and think for yourself. The fact that bodybuilders and fitness celebrities keep propagating these myths doesn't help either. Most people reason that if these people do it, it must be great. Unfortunately, bodybuilders and fitness celebrities might just be one of the last people on earth you should listen to if you want objective and accurate opinions in nutrition. For example, the supplement industry benefits greatly from people believing that frequent feedings provide a metabolic advantage. People don't have time to eat six cooked meals a day. Instead, they turn to meal replacement powders, shakes and protein bars. The cereal and grain industry benefits by preaching about the virtues of breakfast for weight control, health and fat loss. There's no commercial incentive in telling people that they would do just fine with three squares a day. Few people have the knowledge or interest needed to interpret the scientific evidence and draw their own conclusions. In order to do this you would need an academic background that included critical examination of studies and study methodology as part of the learning process. However, an academic background, or an extensive education in nutrition or physiology, seems to correlate very poorly with truthfulness and objectivity in the field of dietetics in my experience. The advice and claims I have seen made by many RDs (Registered Dietitians) has been so shamelessly wrong that I put little stock in anything they have to say. The same goes for many . Perhaps they lose interest in keeping up with research. What we know today is a bit different from what we knew twenty years ago after all. Or maybe they're afraid that their credibility would be questioned if they change the advice they have been giving for years. I've been thinking about it quite a bit. Back to the topic. The top ten fasting myths debunked. The dietary recommendations and advice given in mainstream media and most fora will have you believe that fasting is a hazardous practice. On top of wrecking your metabolism, you should expect ravenous hunger, fat gain, muscle loss, and severe mental impairment. Or so you are told. Needless to say, people who are introduced to Leangains and the intermittent fasting diet concept have many fears that will make them think twice before embracing it. Fears grounded in years of a dietary indoctrination based on faulty ideas and lies. We've all been there. I've listed the ten most common fasting and diet myths that exist to make people resistant to intermittent fasting. I've explained why they're wrong and linked out to references and other resources for those who would like to read a more detailed review of the issues. I've also listed their origins, or what I believe to be their origins. I've dealt with each myth many times before on this site but it would be good to have everything in one place. Even if you've been following me for a while, you'll find some new information here I haven't discussed in the past. It's a long read but it'll be worth your while. Myth: Eat frequently to . Paradoxically, it takes energy to break down and absorb energy. This is the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF). The amount of energy expended is directly proportional to the amount of calories and nutrients consumed in the meal. Let's assume that we are measuring TEF during 2. We run three different trials where the only thing we change is the the meal frequency. A) Three meals: 9. B) Six meals: 4. 50 kcal per meal. C) Nine meals: 3. What we'd find is a different pattern in regards to TEF. The total amount of energy expended by TEF would be identical in each scenario. Meal frequency does not affect total TEF. It looked at many different studies that compared TEF during meal frequencies ranging from 1- 1. For a summary of the above cited study, read this research review by Lyle Mc. Donald. Earlier this year, a new study was published on the topic. As expected, no differences were found between a lower (3 meals) and higher meal (6 meals) frequency. Read this post for my summary of the study. This study garnered some attention in the mass media and it was nice to see the meal frequency myth being debunked in The New York Times. Origin. Seeing how conclusive and clear research is on the topic of meal frequency, you might wonder why it is that some people, quite often RDs in fact, keep repeating the myth of . My best guess is that they've somehow misunderstood TEF. After all, they're technically right to say you keep your metabolism humming along by eating frequently. They just missed that critical part where it was explained that TEF is proportional to the calories consumed in each meal. Another guess is that they base the advice on some epidemiological studies that found an inverse correlation between high meal frequency and body weight in the population. What that means is that researchers may look at the dietary pattern of thousands individuals and find that those who eat more frequently tend to weigh less than those who eat less frequently. It's important to point out that these studies are uncontrolled in terms of calorie intake and are done on Average Joes (i. Just because there's a connection between low meal frequencies and higher body weights, doesn't mean that low meal frequencies cause weight gain. Those studies likely show that people who tend to eat less frequently have: * Dysregulated eating patterns; the personality type that skips breakfast in favor of a donut in the car on the way to work, undereat during the day, and overeat in the evening. They tend to be less concerned with health and diet than those who eat more frequently.* Another feasible explanation for the association between low meal frequencies and higher body weight is that meal skipping is often used as a weight loss strategy. People who are overweight are more likely to be on a diet and eat fewer meals. The connection between lower meal frequency and higher body weight in the general population, and vice versa, is connected to behavioral patterns - not metabolism. Myth: Eat smaller meals more often for hunger control. Truth. Given the importance of finding the most favorable meal pattern for hunger and appetite control, there's a surprising scarcity of studies on the topic. The most widely cited study is one where obese males were fed 3. However, the single meal was now split into five smaller meals, which were consumed every hour leading up to the ad libitum meal. The results showed that subjects undergoing . The same setup was used by the same researchers on lean males and showed similar results. However, upon closer scrutiny it's clear how little real world application those results have. The macrocomposition of the pre- load was 7. The situation created was highly artificial and abnormal. Who sits around nibbling on pasta and ice cream, sipping orange juice, every hour leading up to a regular meal? The latest research, performed under conditions that more closely resemble a real- world scenario, shows the opposite result. In this study, three high- protein meals lead to greater fullness and appetite control when compared to six high- protein meals. You can read my summary of the study here: Three Meals Superior for Appetite Control. There's no doubt that meal frequency is highly individual. However, absolute statements claiming smaller meals are superior for hunger and appetite control are untrue and are based on studies using methods that greatly differed from real- world meal patterns. Current research with a normal meal pattern and protein intakes that are closer to what can be seen in a typical non- retarded diet, suggests superior appetite control when eating fewer and larger meals. Origin. This myth might have originated from the limited data from studies on meal frequencies and appetite control. How To Lose Weight Fast and Safely - Web. MDWorking on weight loss? Then you probably want results - - fast. Let me save you some time: skip the fad diets. Their results don't last. And you have healthier options you can start on - - today! You can safely lose 3 or more pounds a week at home with a healthy diet and lots of exercise, says weight loss counselor Katherine Tallmadge, RD. How to Lose Weight Fast. If you burn 5. 00 more calories than you eat every day for a week, you should lose about 1- 2 pounds. If you want to lose weight faster, you'll need to eat less and exercise more. For instance, if you take in 1,0. It's very important not to cut calories any further - - that's dangerous. Limiting salt and starches may also mean losing more weight at first - - but that's mostly fluids, not fat. For rapid weight loss, he recommends focusing on fruits, veggies, egg whites, soy products, skinless poultry breasts, fish, shellfish, nonfat dairy foods, and 9. Here are more tips from Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, author of The Flexitarian Diet: Eat vegetables to help you feel full. Drink plenty of water. Get tempting foods out of your home. Stay busy - - you don't want to eat just because you're bored. Eat only from a plate, while seated at a table. No grazing in front of the 'fridge. Don't skip meals. Keeping a food journal - - writing down everything you eat - - can also help you stay on track. Were you angry, sad, or bored? We often focus so much on foods and calories, but our emotions are a huge part of our eating habits. If you see a persistent pattern in your emotional eating, please consider talking to a counselor about it. They can be a big help in finding other ways to handle your feelings. Exercising for Fast Weight Loss. It's time to move more! Losing weight requires close to an hour a day of moderate exercise, one study shows. Plan to do cardio and strength training. To burn the most fat, try to break a sweat after your warm- up and keep sweating for the entire hour, Dansinger says. If you're not exercising now, and you have a chronic condition or a lot of weight to lose, it's wise to check in with your health care provider first. They'll be rooting for you! And they'll make sure that you're ready to work out. Pace yourself. Don't do too much, too soon - - work your way up to help prevent injury. One way to step up the intensity is to do interval training - - brief bursts of high- intensity, followed by a more mellow pace, and repeating that pattern throughout your workout. You hear about stars who did it and look incredible. But remember, if a diet plan sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Also, please skip any programs that promote detoxification pills, laxatives, fasting, or potions, and any that promise weight loss faster than 2- 3 pounds per week. Continued. The truth is that cutting calories below 1,0. You can't eat like that for long, and it's too likely that you'll rebel and end up back where you started. You deserve better than that! So by all means, attack your weight loss goal. Put it on the fast track. But please, do it right so you set yourself up for lasting success. Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, is Web. MD's director of nutrition. Her opinions and conclusions are her own. Web. MD Expert Column Sources. SOURCES: Michael Dansinger, MD, Tufts Medical Center diabetes reversal program; nutrition adviser, The Biggest Loser. Katherine Tallmadge, MA, RD, author, Diet Simple. Bonnie Taub Dix, MA, RD, director, BTD nutrition consultants; author, Read It Before You Eat It. Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, author, The Flexitarian Diet. Tara Gidus, MS, RD, team dietitian, Orlando Magic. Arthur Agatston, MD, cardiologist; associate professor of medicine, University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine; author, South Beach Diet Supercharged. Archives of Internal Medicine, July 2. National Institute of Health: .
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