Truth behind latest-weight-loss trends for losing xmas kilos

Have you heard the latest weight loss trends for losing those Christmas kilos?-Truth behind four weight loss diet myths

by Catherine Sissons, NOVA's Nutritionist and Personal Trainer

•     Can cutting out carbohydrates speed up weight loss?
•     Not eating after 8pm helps weight loss?
•     Can eating celery help burn extra calories?
•     Does exercising on an empty stomach burn more fat? 

Its the start of the year and everyone is looking for the quick fix to drop those extra kilos gained over Christmas. You may have heard one or all or the above tips to shed those unwanted kilos.

It is the start of the year and everyone is looking for the quick fix to drop those 3-5 kilos gained over Christmas. The following are common weight loss fads that you may have heard in the gym or in the lunch room at work or potentially reading them in a magazine. Each myth is outlined about why they may work short term but are not a healthy balanced way of satisfying your body.

1. Cutting out carbohydrates can help speed up weight loss…
Carbohydrates are necessary for normal brain, kidney and red blood cell function. These functions fail when carbohydrates are cut out. Consequently muscle is broken down and converted to carbohydrates to compensate for the carbohydrate deficit. Sometimes carbohydrates can be kilojoule dense, such as flour based carbohydrates (see to toast or eat toast blog). Small portions of these carbohydrates can leave you feeling unsatisfied and still tip the balance of your daily kilojoule requirements.
Some carbohydrate foods help supress appetite and others can help stabilise blood glucose levels and help minimise the risks of heart disease such as oats and bran.
Diets that cut out carbohydrates can provide a weight loss result due to reducing your kilojoule/calorie intake. Often it is foods added to the carbohydrates such as spreads and sauces that then create a high kilojoule meal.
Include carbohydrates at every eating time but watch your portion size and what you add to them.

2. Can cutting out dinner or not eating after 8pm help weight loss?
Similar to popular belief that carbohydrates have a negative impact on weight loss, some people will cut out dinner or foods after a certain time to drop a few kilos. This can be helpful in the short term because it helps reduce overall kilojoules for the day but it can also result in feelings of hunger later at night and consuming more kilojoules that you could eat dinner. It will also depend on what foods have been eaten earlier in the day.
Weight loss happens when you eat the right amount of kilojoules for your age, height, gender, weight and activity levels. It also will depend on the combination of foods that are in one meal and how the digestive system responds to those foods.
Successful weight loss comes from being satisfied from the food you eat and eating balanced meals of protein, carbohydrate and fibre based vegetables three times a day. Sometimes snacks can be helpful for some people that need to keep their energy levels maximised.

3. Can eating celery help burn extra calories?
Have you heard of ‘negative calorie’ foods? These are foods that can take more calories/kilojoules to break down than the food actually contains. These foods can help burn extra calories/kilojoules but not significant amounts to contribute to weight loss.

In fact celery contains approximately 24 kJ per stem and the energy it takes to break it down is slightly less than this.

To achieve a successful kilojoule/calorie deficit, the body is required to burn over 1500kJ per exercise session if exercising five times per week (based on a person between 70-90kg). This is the equivalent to doing high intensity cardiovascular activity such as cycling for one hour, five times a week. This is unrealistic for many people especially for those not used to exercise. However a combination of cardiovascular and resistance exercise can increase kilojoule output for shorter exercise sessions.

4. Does exercising on an empty stomach burn more fat?
Yes, however you may not be able to sustain the same level of exercise intensity on an empty stomach. A study conducted at the University of Ottawa in Canada found the group that didn’t eat before their work out did burn more fat during their exercise session however weight loss comes from my total daily energy deficit. This means regardless of when you exercise or how you exercise, what you eat throughout the day will affect your overall weight loss result.
If you can stomach it, eat something rich in carbohydrates 30 minutes before working out or align your exercise sessions with your lifestyle so that you have food available as fuel. This can be achieved by eating ½ a banana or 1/2 a snack bar 30 minutes before exercise.
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Other articles by Catherine:
It's not what we are drinking, it's when we are drinking!
Does toasting compromise your desired dress size?
Super Foods for Socialising

Contact details:
Catherine Sissons -BSc, PGDipSportsMed
Nova Nutrition & Exercise Innovation
Level 1, 32 Market Place
Viaduct Harbour
Auckland
021528302
www.novanutrition.co.nz