Many of us waited for "after the holidays" to start a diet. To begin in a period without expected obstacles and with as much routine as possible, which makes the process easier. But anyone who starts the process of maintaining proper nutrition to improve health and lose weight sometimes finds themselves dragged after common myths. These myths lead to mistakes in choosing the appropriate foods for the process, and since studies over the years have shown things that contradict these myths, it is worth knowing and perhaps changing the menu a bit accordingly. Here are several common mistakes, their corrections, and the busting of the myths.
Myth – not every bread labeled 'light' is truly dietetic
The amount of calories per 100 grams of bread ranges between 160 and 220 on average, regardless of whether the bread is defined as light or not. A well-known large bakery in Israel has whole wheat bread (which is not light) with 187 calories per 100 grams printed on its packaging, and alongside it, light grain bread with the exact same amount of calories.
In other words, it does not matter if you choose grain bread, spelt bread, rye bread, nut bread, white bread, or even rolls and pita bread... the amount of calories per 100 grams is not necessarily significant.
What makes bread light is the weight of the slice. As soon as the slice weighs less because it is thinner or airier, the amount of calories in each slice naturally decreases. There are breads labeled "light" on their packaging, but the slices are heavy and dense, which means they also contain more calories. You can buy bread at the neighborhood bakery and discover that the largest slice in the middle of the loaf weighs very little, meaning the bread is suitable for a diet.
On the one hand, one could say that someone who eats 2 slices of bread a day should choose the bread they find most delicious. Even when on a diet, the difference in the end is not significant. But someone who incorporates 8 slices of bread a day – two at breakfast, two as a snack sandwich, two in the afternoon with coffee, and two more at dinner – would do better to choose a light bread that is truly light.
So how do you know which bread is truly light? You simply need to weigh the slice: Any slice weighing 25 grams is suitable for a diet and is considered light bread, whether it says so on the packaging or not. And if the slice weighs 42 grams or 60 grams – it is not "light" bread, even if it is written so on the packaging.
Myth – does skipping breakfast harm health and cause weight gain?
Breakfast is considered the most important meal. We are taught to eat a large breakfast and give our dinner to our enemies. Well, when it comes to children, there is no doubt that breakfast is important, and even more so: There is evidence that breakfast improves attention, concentration, and memory during morning hours and provides energy for school hours. But when it comes to adults, with different habits and different waking times – the question arises whether this saying is still valid?
Is it true that a person who wakes up at 5 a.m. needs to eat immediately upon waking even if they are not hungry? Or someone who wakes up at 7 a.m. but gets hungry toward noon – should they force themselves to eat in the morning?
In a study involving more than 300 people, some ate breakfast and some skipped it. After 16 weeks, no difference in weight loss was found between the groups. A review of studies even found that those who ate breakfast consumed an average of about 260 calories more throughout the day.
In my opinion, and this aligns with the study's conclusions, it is important to listen to the body. If you are hungry – eat a good meal in the morning, but if you are really not hungry – do not force food down because it says so somewhere. On the contrary, you can save those calories for harder hours in terms of snacking or hunger.
Myth – do water with olive oil and lemon juice in the morning help burn calories?
Well, this is a myth. Water with lemon juice and oil does not improve the body's ability to burn calories, nor does it help with a diet. On the contrary, every teaspoon of olive oil contains 50 calories, and a quarter cup of lemon juice contains another 30 calories, meaning an addition of 80 calories that are likely not even being counted. Perhaps it helps some people with bowel activity and the digestive system, but for dieting and burning calories, it does not help.
A glass of water without additions, first thing in the morning – can certainly trigger the start of motility in the digestive system that rested all night, and thus prevent constipation, but for this purpose, additions are not necessary. As for the lemon – it contains 29 calories per 100 grams (half a cup of juice) and 2.5% sugar. The sugar in it is not felt due to the high amount of acid, and in any case, no one drinks lemon juice as is, but diluted with water. An orange, by contrast, contains 47 calories per 100 grams and 10% sugar.
The amount of vitamin C in all citrus fruits is very similar. In one orange, there are about 100 calories and about 100 mg of vitamin C (which is more than what is needed per day).
Myth – eating at night is more fattening
Honestly, there is a basis for this belief. But it is important to explain: Many think that the body "burns" the calories of breakfast through activity during the day, whereas the calories of nighttime meals are stored as fat because you go to sleep afterward and do not perform physical activity.
Recent studies have proven that there is a small grain of truth to this approach: There is evidence that eating very late is not metabolically optimal, partly due to the biological clock and the different response to glucose and insulin in the evening and night hours.
In addition, when eating at night, the calorie expenditure on digestion and absorption is lower, and the increase in metabolism that occurs after every meal is smaller after nighttime meals. Therefore, when eating at night, the calorie expenditure on digestion and absorption is lower, and the increase in metabolism that exists after every meal – is smaller after nighttime meals. In other words – because the body spends less on the digestive process at night, the number of calories that remain available from food is seemingly higher.
Despite this, it is important to remember that weight gain is ultimately an energy balance of the entire day: If you eat only half of what the body burns through activity during the day, you lose weight, even if you eat everything at night. And vice versa: If you eat double what the body requires, you gain weight even if you eat everything during morning hours.
Myth – coffee hinders weight loss
The truth: Not necessarily. Today, concentrated caffeine capsules are used for weight loss purposes. Caffeine increases heart rate and metabolism, which is why strong black coffee is also recommended before physical activity. In addition, any hot drink contributes to a feeling of fullness for at least 20 minutes, helping a diet in that way as well.
Furthermore, someone who drinks a lot of coffee needs to count the coffee's milk as well – if only a little milk is added to each cup, but there are 30 calories there, and if you drink 8 cups of coffee during the day – that is already like another full meal or two snacks.