Myth Busting: My Top 5 Weight Management Myths

[Sally Johnston 357]

In talking with clients I am constantly reminded of the dietary myths that circulate to leave people confused about weight management. Here I bust some of my favourite weight management myths.

Myth 1: Don’t eat after 7pm (or 7:30pm or 8pm, etc)

Our body doesn’t switch off at night. Our metabolism continues ticking over as our heart pumps blood, our lungs breathe, our muscle tissue repairs, etc. This happens all day and all night. In fact, we burn calories when we are sleeping, just as we do when we are awake. Our metabolism does not shut down at 7pm, so there is no reason to stop eating at any one particular time.

It is important however not to leave all of our eating until the evening. We should fuel our body regularly throughout the day so that it can perform at its best. This is even more important following weight loss surgery, as you can no longer eat the size of meals you once did. Therefore, you can’t skip your meals during the day and expect to meet your nutritional needs at night. Regular meals throughout the day are also important to control your hunger. Being ravenous at the end of the day is another trigger for overeating late at night.

Some people find rules that they should not eat after a particular time at night appealing, as this is when they tend to overeat. Overeating at night can act as a ‘reward’ for getting through the day, or as a way to relax and wind down. It may be habit as we watch TV or a movie. This is when night eating is problematic, as it is not eating for hunger. Do you eat for reasons other than hunger at night? What else could you do to relax? Could you sort through those photo albums that are overflowing, have a bubble bath or phone a friend you haven’t spoken to for sometime. What about a jigsaw puzzle, a crossword, scrapbooking, sketching or even an evening walk? The options are endless.

Myth 2: There are good foods and bad foods

food is neither good or bad, it is what we do with it that counts. Of course, some foods are high in energy (calories/kilojoules) and have little nutrition, so these should be eaten in small amounts. However, food itself is morally neutral. We assign it the ‘good’ or ‘bad’ label, or define it as ‘allowed’ or ‘not allowed’. By labeling food in this way, we are then ‘good’ or ‘bad’ if we eat it.

A better view of food is one where all food is morally neutral. You have permission to eat any foods you choose, you can choose eat those that are more nourishing, most of the time. I often say to clients that there are 21 meals in a week, if one or two are not perfect nutritionally, it is not a problem. If the balance is reversed however and only one or two are nutritious, then this is not going to help you achieve good health.

Some foods that provide little nutrition may provide much enjoyment, so may play a very valuable role in your diet in other ways. You can and should include foods that give you pleasure, it is managing the amounts of these foods that are important in achieving good health.

Myth 3: Carbs are fattening

Nothing is fattening in isolation. Anything can be fattening if you eat too much of it. Food is made up of combinations of carbohydrate, Protein, fat, Vitamins, minerals, fibre and Water. Carbohydrate, protein and fat provide energy, the other nutrients do not.

If we look at the nutrients that provide us with energy in their most simple form:

• Carbohydrate contains 4 calories per gram

• Protein contains 4 calories per gram

• Fat contains 9 calories per gram.

Whilst not a food, alcohol contains 7 calories per gram

As you can see, carbohydrate itself is quite low in calories. So why does carbohydrate have such a bad reputation?

The problem with carbohydrate containing foods is the way we have come to serve and eat them. We heap rice, Pasta and noodles on our plates, leaving very little room for protein foods but more importantly, vegetables and salads.

Low glycemic index, carbohydrate-containing foods can be quite nutritious and when eaten regularly, in appropriate amounts, help us manage our hunger through the day. We just need to look at how we serve them. For example, rather than serving spaghetti bolognaise as a plate or bowl of pasta topped with a little meat sauce, serve equal amounts of meat sauce and pasta on half the plate with a side salad on the other.

Myth 4: You can do some extra exercise to compensate for eating ‘bad food’

The problem with this myth is that is feeds into the ‘good food’ and ‘bad food’ myth. If exercise is something we do when we eat ‘bad food’, exercise is seen as a punishment. Exercise can help you feel good, help you sleep better, give you more energy and help you become healthier. It should be enjoyed for these benefits.

Myth 5: You need to eat every 3 hours to keep your metabolism up

Every body is programmed differently and will have a slightly different metabolic rate. Some bodies will need to be fed more frequently than others. If we set a basic meal pattern, our body will let us know how much we need to eat.

If we provide our body with appropriate fuel three times a day, it will then let us know if we need to eat more often, we just need to tune into the signals. If we start the day with breakfast, our body is given the signal we are starting the day and can help regulate how much we need to eat through the day.

You may have heard a ‘rule’ after weight loss surgery to eat only three (or less) meals per day. I strongly believe that there is no one rule that fits every person. The only way you can tell if you need to eat between meals is to tune in to your hunger and satiety signals. If you are genuinely, physically hungry between meals it may be fine to have a small snack. If you are eating as you feel bored/tired/frustrated/lonely or simply watching the clock, then you need to work on another solution.

Myth busting your way to success

Whilst the internet has brought a whole world of information to our fingertips and can help share dietary fact, it has also perpetuated lots of dietary fiction. Think about some of the food facts you have come to believe over time. Write them all down and take them along to the dietitian in your weight loss surgery team. They will help you sort the fact from fallacy.

[2muchfun 8,927]

My takeaway for bandster's:

"Every body is programmed differently and will have a slightly different metabolic rate. Some bodies will need to be fed more frequently than others"

"You may have heard a ‘rule’ after weight loss surgery to eat only three (or less) meals per day. I strongly believe that there is no one rule that fits every person"

Thank you for confirming my own personal belief. I think we bandster's get into this mindset that if we become hungry between meals or less than 4 hours, our bands are not tight enough and we're failing. Nothing could be further from the truth. Like you said, we all have different metabolisms. I believe that far too many people push the fills till they're too tight and doctors and nutritionists don't focus more on the satiety signals. jmo

tmf

[Sally Johnston 357]

I could not agree more 2muchfun! Well said!

[Band2Sleever 78]

Great list.

I'm not sure that I agree with "Myth 2: There are good foods and bad foods". To my mind both diet sodas and full-fat sodas are truly "bad"... that's just my opinion! I cannot find any redeeming feature for a can of Coke or Mountain Dew (USA) or Fanta (UK).

I've tried to think of them through a morally neutral frame as you suggest ... but cannot bring myself to do this! These drinks are sugar, colourings and chemicals and in my eyes are therefore bad. If people give them to my children this is close to poisoning them in my opinion.

I say this as a former diet coke addict who could easily drink 3 cans a day

I'm "cured" now and drink tea instead

Edited March 28, 2014 by Band2Sleever

[dylanmiles23 2,198]

Great list. I'm not sure that I agree with "Myth 2: There are good foods and bad foods". To my mind both diet sodas and full-fat sodas are truly "bad"... that's just my opinion! I cannot find any redeeming feature for a can of Coke or Mountain Dew (USA) or Fanta (UK). I've tried to think of them through a morally neutral frame as you suggest ... but cannot bring myself to do this! These drinks are sugar, colourings and chemicals and in my eyes are therefore bad. If people gone them to my children this is close to poisoning them in my opinion. I say this as a former diet coke addict who could easily drink 3 cans a day as a student I'm "cured" now and drink tea instead

I am happy you drink tea. Between iced and hot I have around one gallon a day. I brew my own Decaf iced. I am not a soda drinker. Many years ago I over did it.

[Sally Johnston 357]

@@Band2Sleever Thanks for your comment. I certainly see your point - some foods or drinks have no nutritional benefit or value, so it is hard to see them as a worthy inclusion in your diet. People may choose to include particular foods or drinks for very different reasons.

I want to share an example of one client who grew up in the USA and now lives in Australia. She admits many times leaving her appointments at our clinic and driving home via McDonalds to get a Coke. A regular coke, from the machine, in the paper cup.

This is not because she thinks it is good for her, but it reminds her of home and family that she misses dearly. It is the particular Coke at McDonalds, not that in bottles or cans, that she is genuinely excited to drink and feel a unique happiness when she does.

Whilst she and I both know this is not helping her achieve her goals and offering her no nutritional benefit, that Coke serves an extremely valuable role in my client's diet.

Rather than condemn her for choosing to include the Coke, I accepted it and focused on helping her with what she was able to change.

At our last appointment she told me she had not had the Coke for months.

[☠carolinagirl☠ 18,721]

i like #2

i am one who feels food is not good or bad

some are just better than others

and we just need to choose better

granted sometimes the not so great ones taste better

IE mcdonalds french fries vs raw carrots LOL

and 3500 calories is a pound (ate or drank)

whether it is carrots or french fries

great list..enjoyed reading it.

[kimk1999 450]

Great list. I'm not sure that I agree with "Myth 2: There are good foods and bad foods". To my mind both diet sodas and full-fat sodas are truly "bad"... that's just my opinion! I cannot find any redeeming feature for a can of Coke or Mountain Dew (USA) or Fanta (UK). I've tried to think of them through a morally neutral frame as you suggest ... but cannot bring myself to do this! These drinks are sugar, colourings and chemicals and in my eyes are therefore bad. If people give them to my children this is close to poisoning them in my opinion. I say this as a former diet coke addict who could easily drink 3 cans a day I'm "cured" now and drink tea instead

For me, I only drink cokes/soda when I'm not feeling well - it helps soothe for a Migraine and/or upset stomach. Not sure how much of it is due to childhood feelings vs a true chemical reaction. The caffeine, carbonation, sugar, and acid seem to help me. I might (and that's a big might) have 1-2 cokes a month. I really think it's less than that as I do try to avoid them if at all possible. It's a last resort option when my usual medicine isn't working.

[wendyt 108]

Great article! Thank you!

[Band2Sleever 78]

Hi @@Sally Johnston

I'm not condemning your client's (or anyone else's) behaviour.

I am however condemning coke (and diet coke) for being "bad" food. I'm not persuaded by your argument at all. In my opinion Coke is a bad food. It is quite OK to have occasionally (like your client did). This behavior isn't "bad", but the coke or other junk soda is " bad".

I still respectfully disagree with your myth 2 that "there are no bad foods". I can think of plenty more junk foods that are highly processed and are not even proper food if you think about it.

How is it that things like Coke (carbonated chemicals and sugar), "fat-free" yoghurts (chemicals, sugar and processed milk) and supposedly "healthy" margarines (made from industrial oils) are even allowed to be classified as foods? I don't understand how a bunch of industrial chemicals are allowed to be marketed to humans as foods, when they don't resemble any type of food!

@@Band2Sleever Thanks for your comment. I certainly see your point - some foods or drinks have no nutritional benefit or value, so it is hard to see them as a worthy inclusion in your diet. People may choose to include particular foods or drinks for very different reasons.

I want to share an example of one client who grew up in the USA and now lives in Australia. She admits many times leaving her appointments at our clinic and driving home via McDonalds to get a Coke. A regular coke, from the machine, in the paper cup.

This is not because she thinks it is good for her, but it reminds her of home and family that she misses dearly. It is the particular Coke at McDonalds, not that in bottles or cans, that she is genuinely excited to drink and feel a unique happiness when she does.

Whilst she and I both know this is not helping her achieve her goals and offering her no nutritional benefit, that Coke serves an extremely valuable role in my client's diet.

Rather than condemn her for choosing to include the Coke, I accepted it and focused on helping her with what she was able to change.

At our last appointment she told me she had not had the Coke for months.

Edited March 28, 2014 by Band2Sleever

[StephanieRR 131]

I thoroughly enjoyed this article. It helped me feel better about my eating choices during my first 2 months. I was recommended after post op to try to eat a little something every 3 hrs if possible to ensure I'm getting my nutrients. I just could NOT eat that often. Nor could I fit in all the portions of fruit, veggies, and Protein requirements with the small amount I was taking in each meal. After Protein, I had no room for anything else. I do adhere to a high protein/low carb diet and I only eat when I'm hungry. It's nice to know I can have a carb once in a while in propotion to the protein if I desire. Thank you!!