Contrary
to what all of the "diet rules" out there would lead you to believe,
losing weight doesn't have to be complicated. And, truth be told, it shouldn't be complicated.
To help
you streamline your efforts, we talked to top weight-loss experts about
less-than-stellar weight-loss strategies that are total waste of time.
From the
minimally effective to absolute B.S., these common weight-loss tips have got to
go.
1.OD'ING ON GREEN TEA
Okay, research shows that drinking green tea
(without sugar or artificial sweeteners) could help you lose weight, but the
effect is pretty "meh," says Craig Primack, M.D., a diplomate of
the American Board of Obesity Medicine. In one study, people who drank two
to four cups per day increased their metabolism by 50 daily calories. That's a
ton of brewing for so little benefit.
Meanwhile, all of the green tea weight-loss
supplements out there are just a waste of money. "Don't get fooled into
believing that any company has found a new natural superfood that will easily
help you lose weight," Primack says. "I can comfortably say that in
2017 there are no magic superfoods."
2. CUTTING OUT GLUTEN
If you have celiac disease, yeah, avoiding
gluten is a must. Otherwise, cutting out gluten is not only a waste
of time—it can work against your efforts, Primack says. That's because when
food manufacturers take gluten (usually from wheat) out of foods, they
typically substitute it with rice flour, which increases its sugar content.
That can lead to a quick spike and drop in your blood sugar levels, leaving you
hangry.
"When we compare the average body weight of
patients diagnosed with celiac disease, who are forced to consume a gluten-free
diet, they demonstrate a higher body weight than their gluten-consuming
counterparts," says Ethan Lazarus, M.D., director of the Clinical
Nutrition Center in Denver. In fact, a 2017 Harvard University study of
approximately 200,000 adults even shows that reducing or eliminating gluten is
associated with a 13 percent greater risk of developing diabetes.
3. DITCHING DAIRY
Shake off the dairy haters. "More often than
not, studies show that drinking milk and eating dairy foods, which are high
in protein, results in weight loss," Primack says. For instance, in
one 2016 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study of 8,000
normal-weight women, those who ate the most dairy gained less weight over the
course of 11 years compared to those who consumed little to no dairy.
Bonus: Those who ate the most full-fat dairy reaped
the greatest weight-loss benefits.
4. TRIMMING FAT INTAKE
Back in the 1970s, "fat makes you fat"
seemed like a pretty easy conclusion to make. But it was also wrong, Lazarus
says. Drastically reducing your fat intake can actually make it harder to lose
weight. Fun fact: Getting less than 15 percent of your daily calories from fat
can throw your hormones levels off (including muscle-building testosterone) and
stoke your appetite. After all, dietary fat is awesome at boosting satiety and
squashing cravings.
Plus, when food manufacturers subtract fat from
products, such as ice cream, chips, and cookies, they often add in extra sugar,
calories, and salt to keep your taste buds happy. So stop worrying so much
about your fat intake. As long as you're filling up on naturally occurring
fats—rather than the ones packed into processed foods—you're pretty much
good to go.
5. AVOIDING FOOD AFTER DARK
Eating at night doesn't cause weight gain, but
absentmindedly raiding the refrigerator does, says registered dietitian Julie
Raeder Schumacher, associate professor of consumer sciences at Illinois
State University. "People tend to mindlessly snack in the evening, so the
calories from these foods may add up and cause weight gain," she
says.
Plus, since many women take the deprivation route
to dieting all day long, their hunger can get so fierce in the evening that
everything in sight ends up in their bellies. Rather than taking a
no-food-after-dark approach to weight loss, focus on eating mindfully all day
long, she says.
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