Metabolism-Myths and Truths

Myth:  Weight ( body composition) is related to caloric input versus calories output.

Truth:  Calories do not determine your body composition;  your hormones do. This is because your hormones determine your current metabolism.  Restricting your calories to lose weight leads to a low-insulin effect that will eventually destroy your metabolism.  Do not make the mistake off counting calories.  Eat balanced meals to keep your hormones balanced and your metabolism working efficiently.

Myth:  Eating fat makes you fat because there are nine calories in a gram of fat.

Truth:  Not all fats are fattening.  Healthy fats are used as the material to rebuild cells and certain hormones.  Therefore, when you eat healthy fats and make functional and structural fats from them, you do not store them as fats.  Also, since fats are more satiating than carbohydrates, it is harder to overeat them because your body regulates their intake.

Myth:  Fat-free foods help you lose fat.

Truth:  Fat-free foods may make you fatter.  Most fat-free foods are filled with extra sugar to make them taste better, and eating excess sugar makes your body store fat.  Read the labels and stay away from processed fat-free foods.

Myth:  It does not matter what you eat as long as it is low in calories.

Truth:  What you eat does matter.  It is important that you eat the foods that you are made of.  You rebuild from proteins, healthy fats, non starchy vegetables and real carbohydrates.  You do not rebuild when you eat junk food, even if it is low in calories.

Myth:  Some people would be fatter if they did not diet.

Truth:  Dieting makes you fat.  Restrictive diets destroy your metabolism by causing you to use up your biochemicals faster than you can rebuild them. Most people who are overweight got there by yo-yo dieting.

The Schwarzbein Principle 2 - The Transition.   Diana Schwarzbein, M.D.