Common Weight Loss Myths

Dr.Eric_Berg

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Calories

You seem to always see this one with the “experts” giving you faulty advice. Are you ready for it? Here it is: Weight loss requires fewer calories consumed or more calories spent in activity; it doesn’t matter what diet you do as long as you consume fewer calories. This is the expert’s inability to differentiate between types of calories: a calorie of white sugar is the same as a calorie of celery. Maybe this person is still stuck in confusion in chemistry class talking about molecules, thinking that everything is a combination of protons and electrons and therefore it doesn’t matter if something came from the ground or from a chemical lab. If calories are all the same and this theory were true, how do you explain people cutting calories and not losing weight or very skinny people eating tremendous amounts of food but never gaining an ounce? The argument breaks down here; however, the expert will then jump to genetics: “They are just born with a slow metabolism.” Hormone reactions to the different calories from foods are VERY different. There is a much more effective principle to focus on: Instead of even looking at calories, focus on foods with the highest density of nutrients (plant foods). These, by the way, have the lowest calories. The experts will then tell you, you did not lose the weight because of the nutrients—because of the low calories of plant food. Very funny. High-nutrient-dense food sends signals to your brain telling it, “That’s enough—stop eating; I’m satisfied.” Low-nutrient-dense food signals never give this message, leading to “I’m still hungry; keep eating.”

Drink your water

When someone tells you to drink 8 ounces of water per day, or half your body weight in ounces, always ask them, “Where have you heard this?” This is just another “everyone knows that,” with a lot of speculation: water flushes the fat out, or water burns calories, or water satisfies you and makes you less hungry. Water is necessary but not for fat reduction; it’s the wrong tool. Drink when you are thirsty and don’t force yourself to drink. Drinking water is a very trivial piece of the puzzle. There has been way too much emphasis placed on it.

Everything in moderation

I hear this often as the justifier for eating junk foods: “It’s just a little bit—it won’t kill me”; “It’s only a few calories”; and “I’ll just have a small bite.” Here’s a missing piece of important information: It only takes a small amount of insulin-stimulating carbohydrate to BLOCK all six fat-burning hormones. In the presence of very small amounts of insulin (sugar or refined-carbohydrate induced) the fat-burning effect from a healthy diet and exercise is nullified. You will not understand this unless you rid yourself of the misconception of the calorie myth. You can do all the right things yet be consuming, unknowingly, hidden sugars in your foods and NOT get any results. Just to demonstrate this point, weigh yourself and then consume some pure refined carbohydrate foodstuff. Then weigh yourself the next day. You will weigh a few pounds more. You’ll weigh more than the actual foodstuff you ate. WHY? Because low-density foodstuffs deplete nutrients in your body, especially potassium, causing the retention of sodium AND the retention of water. You will hold more fluid with refined foods.

Exercise more

If you are trying to solve a problem of weight and it’s not working within a reasonable amount of time, then maybe you are solving the wrong problem. Exercise doesn’t work by melting the fat off your body through heat (thermodynamics). It merely influences hormones, which act a couple of days later during the rest period. A lot can happen in between (dietary-, stress- and sleep-wise) that can block this effect. It can also be the wrong exercise for your body type. Adding more exercise, if you are doing the wrong kind for your body type, can result in adding more stress to an already overstressed body. This equals more of the same—no results.
 
Thanks for your post. There is a lot of very useful information. My daughter (20 years old) retains a lot of water and always has bloated legs and ankles. She is keeping the calories low and is losing weight but eats too much of the wrong sort of food and not nearly enough fruit and veg. Her water retention really bothers her and it is great to have it here in writing to show her that she is causing it herself with her eating habits.
 
This is all very interesting!!!

In my own efforts, I have come to many of these conclusions- I just didn't have the scientific proof to back it all up.
I have indeed found that the "calories in/calories out" mantra many people spout is just pure garbage. Sugar and simple, refined carbs like white bread are dreadful for me and I know it! The GI index of various foods is super-useful in fighting this battle.

And the water thing is a common myth, even though I have read lots of evidence that it isn't a real weight-loss tool and you should just drink when thirsty.

It's good to see this suff here...
 
Yeah, I'd believe the junk this guy is saying if I didn't have to remove the signature link to a 'buy my book' site.

I'll address one part for now:

Drinking only when you are thristy will lead to you staying dehydrated. Thirst is an emergency response, not a regulating response. Want to see if you are hydrated? Pee. Your urine color will show you if you are hydrated. Pale to clear is hydrated. Any other color means you are dehydrated and need to drink more.



PS: anyone who comes here is Dr in their title are frauds 9 out of 10. It's designed to make you think they know what the hell they are talking about.
 
That's the one part that surprised me. I am rarely thirsty and have to make an effort to remind myself to drink. Yesterday was very hot and I went out for a long walk and wasn't even thirsty when I got back but forced myself to have a long drink.
Drinking only when you are thristy will lead to you staying dehydrated. Thirst is an emergency response, not a regulating response.
 
Trust me, I'm the same way.

The US Military uses urine color for their soldiers. In the restrooms on base (I was working over in Iraq as a contractor), there are charts to compare your urine color to see if you should be drinking more.
 
Thank you Dr Berg, that was a good write-up. Short and sweet.

I have a question if you don't mind: I have read on curezone.com about an egg yolk/oil/juice detox. I suffer from Candida overgrowth big time - would a detox be benefitial to me?

I believe the Candida overgrowth is causing all kinds of negative effect on my body, including weight retention, due to the toxins the Candida produces in my body. My doctor confirmed my suspicion of having a overgrowth of Candida, and my tongue looks like a white woolly carpet

Thanks,

Cat
 
Detox is a myth. It has been disproven over and over again.



This is talking more specificly about what you are asking. The Mayo Clinic is a non-profit group of doctors which is considered the gold standard in the industry.




This is oral thrush, basicly what it sounds like you think you have (I don't know, not your doctor so you should listen to professionals).
 
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Here's some info from National Public Radio's "Morning Edition" program:

Myth No. 1: Drink Eight Glasses Each Day

Scientists say there's no clear health benefit to chugging or even sipping water all day. So where does the standard advice of drinking eight glasses each day come from? "Nobody really knows," says Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, a kidney expert at the University of Pennsylvania


and

Myth No. 5: It's Easy to Get Dehydrated During a Workout

Dehydration sets in when a person has lost 2 percent of his or her body weight. So for a 200-pound man, this means losing 4 pounds of water.

Marathon runners, bikers and hikers all need to recognize the signs of dehydration. "It is also obvious that individuals in hot, dry climates have increased need for water," says Goldfarb.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that athletes drink 16 ounces of fluids a couple of hours before starting sports practice.

But for a stroll in the park, no water bottle is necessary. Goldfarb's advice: Just drink when you're thirsty.



Here's.
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Some interesting reading there, including a link to this consent order:


It seems the good doctor was using techniques like the
Body Restoration Technique ("BRT") whereby vials of distilled water containing homeopathic imprints are held over certain designated body organs or parts while the practitioner applies tactile pressure through tapping or rubbing acupressure points allegedly to assist in restoring hormonal balance...

Bwahaha.
 
Myth usually has its roots in truth :)
Thanks Jerico, for the links, I will have a look at it.

And sometimes Myth has its roots in advertising claims and snake oil.

Please, detoxing has been disproven from here to hong kong. Please, look at the actual scientific evidence. Think about what the claims are and how the human body works..

Can you find someone who actually lists the toxins who isn't trying to sell a detox plan?

Can you find published case study that shows that detox is real?

I'm sorry but it's a scam.
 
I have to admit I'm fascinated to learn that insulin blocks all SIX fat burning hormones! ... What are the fat burning hormones again? I seem to have forgotten them.

I guess I will have to eat an all fat diet though, since even protein produces slight amounts of insulin. :(

Also - does the gain of water weight never stop? If I retain water from sodium and lack of potassium can I gain 50 lbs of water!! (Maybe my metabolism is special though because I lost 70 lbs while eating moderate amounts of 'junk' food...)
 
Here is the funny thing. I went researching what the six hormones are suppose to be. The only person ever quoted about 6 fat burning hormones is this quack and they never actually list them...yeah..
 
This guy is nuts. I mean there are people here that have days where they indulge and it actually helps them lose weight. A calorie IS a calorie. Now, it si true when you eat a refined carb or food it can spike insulin and make you have "cravings" but this happens to some people and not to others, there is no "one size fits all" for everybody.

And, water is VERY important in your body. It helps maintain the balances and such within your body. Why is it that if you don't drink over a certain amount you hold on to water? Oh yes, it is because your body NEEDS that water, that is why if you are drinking more your body will let go of some "water weight" it knows you are giving it a constant supply of what it needs so it can let go of some of its stores.

Honestly, eat within your calories and exercise and you will lose weight.
 
Interestingly, when I went looking for fat burning hormones, insulin came up as one of three in a wiki answers site (not that it's the most reliable). But I did find it amusing! It also listed testosterone and human growth hormone. I wonder if insulin blocks insulin...

ehow does list 6 - "Six fat-burning hormones work together, which include thyroid, adrenaline, glucagons, testosterone, human growth hormone (HGH) and insulin-like growth factor. "

Of course, nothing I can find suggests that insulin blocks testosterone although there does seem to be a link between low tesosterone and metabolic syndrome (insulin resistance etc) but I also can't find a causal link between them, especially as I found some studies that suggest insulin promotes testosterone production.

And yeah, it's funny how every study they do where they actually strictly control what people eat, and put them on a deficit - they lose weight. It's people in the real world who seem to have a problem - perhaps because people are lousy estimators. I'm guilty - I used to think I was unable to lose on "1200 calories" a day. In retrospect I'm sure I ate more than that to maintain a weight of 160 but I also think I was only counting the days when I felt like I was starving and discounted all the days I ate more. There've even been studies that suggest the thermogenic effect of food (the calories you burn with digestion) are higher with protein than say simple carbs but even then it's not a large difference. Eating in such a way that you can maintain is more important than eating nothing but magic foods.
 
Detox myth

And sometimes Myth has its roots in advertising claims and snake oil.

As you speak, I see my fathers face. (i love my dad) He is a biochemist, and have always told me: Just eat healthy, and your body will be OK.

I am aware of the trappings of advertising. And I appreciate you warning me off a detox diet. I am not too keen anyway of depriving myself big-time. It always crashes.

But (o yes, the dreaded BUT), I have lately become aware of ppl claiming the great benefits of colon cleansing.

The strange thing is, humanity has always been cleaning out their colons, with enemas, up untill the 20th century. For some reason, with the birth of big, corporate pharmaceutical companies, it has fallen out of use. And ppl are living on the brink of permanent disease. That just makes me wonder. You know, Mr Kellogg (of Kellogg corn flakes) believed in Cereals for breakfast and... wait for it... enemas!!! Now, we buy his wonderful idea of cereal for breakfast, but that is only half of the story....

Enemas has been used by the Egyptians, to expel WEHEDU - the cause of all illness. Even tribes secluded from 'civilization', 'invented' enemas.

I do not wish to anger you, but I am afraid, I am going to engage in the old use of cleaning out the wehedu.

Haven't done it yet, will let you know what happens....

Have a grand day

Cat
 
If you can provide science backing what detox claims, (and I mean science as proven case studies) instead of people claiming they feel better (amazing what the mind can convence), then I will publicly say people should look into it.


Problem is..there is none. There is, however, many MANY studies that says it isn't worth crap (pun intended).

You know why people think it works? Cause feces is mentally connected to waste and disease. If you see more coming out, then you must be better.

Look, you can do whatever you want but I will continue to counter every single comment like this with facts.

Detox diets: Do they work? - MayoClinic.com

Deconstructing 'detox' diets - CNN.com

Master Cleanse Diet = Master Scam - Health and Medical News You can Use


As I said, you have the right to do whatever you think is right.
 
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