Healthy Eating Facts and Myths!

Healthy lifestyle Facts and Myths:
I am only going to address a few facts and myths in this blog I will probably do several series of these blogs to keep things fun.
Where to begin.........Well.....
1st 2 Myths go hand in hand so I will address them together. They are also issues I am facing now that I am thinner, & let me state for the record. I may be thinner then I was 90 lbs ago, (I officially hit the 90lb mark this past Monday), but I am still considered over weight by the Dr.'s charts for my height to weight ratio. I also still have 20 lbs to lose to be in the upper/middle section of my healthy weight range. With that said....
MYTH:  When people say "Thin people can eat whatever they want & they don't have to watch what they eat, they are so lucky"  Or "If you eat XYZ.....(fill in w/ Cake, fast food, choose your poison) only once in a while it's OK it wont make you gain weight."
TRUTH:  Skinny, thin, healthy, in shape people MOST OF THE TIME, have to work very hard to stay that way. Sure we all know that one person that is 6' tall & thin as a rail who eats like a pig, workout very little & still remains thin but that is not the norm. Most thin people are very conscience of their weight, their diet & how much they exercise. I am finding out that losing the weight was easy, keeping it off is very difficult. Maintenance is much harder than losing weight. With weight loss you know how many calories to eat, how much you have to workout etc... to burn off fat, but keeping the weight off is a whole different ballgame(to be addressed in another blog.) 2nd Please don't take this wrong but with anyone who is making positive changes in health & fitness you cant say to them eating XYZ every now & then is OK,  Here is why. If that person is in the 1st 24 months of weight loss or trying to overcome a food addiction, They Truly CAN NOT Cheat every now & then.  To that person having those sugar's, fats, junk food's etc... triggers a physical response in their body (much like an alcoholic or drug addict) where if they get that food they cant stop with just one, they physically are dependant on that food, for the surge of dopamine the brain produces when they eat that food(drug of choice). I know that is hard to understand but it is a scientific fact.( for more info please visit (foodaddictions.org, the New England journal of Med. or any other medical publication)

Myth #2: If the package says fat free or Low fat it's healthy.
Fact:  While in some cases low fat or fat free foods can be better for you the truth is that in order for the food manufacturer to make the food taste good they have to add something. Fat makes the food taste good so in taking it out most add SUGAR, to the food in order to enhance flavor. You may ask whats wrong with that? Well our body can process & break down Fats naturally but Sugar is converted to fat in our body it is almost instantly absorbed into the blood stream, & our bodies were not designed to process sugars as easily.
So you may ask whats worse a sugary snack or a fatty one. The sugary snack is worse.

Myth#3 Natural snacks like nuts, avocados, peanut butter, milk, etc... are so fattening & bad for me.
Fact: While these foods are higher in Fat it is healthy fat, EVERY ONE NEEDS SOME FAT IN THEIR DIET! Let me clarify you don't need fast food burger & fries kind of  fat, the trans, & saturated kinds. You need natural fats that are found in foods high in protein, & nutrients. Avocados are a great source of potassium, vitamin C & other key nutrients our bodies crave. Nuts are high in Protein, fiber & minerals the body needs to function. By eating healthy fats you are actually doing your body a favor & fueling it right.

Finally The Dreaded E word:
Myth: Exercise Makes me tired, I don't have time for it & I don't have the energy to do it. But I cant Lose weight if I don't exercise alot or at a high intensity.
Fact: 1st You can lose weight without adding exercise at 1st, just by changing a few bad habits in your daily life, & in your daily diet you can begin to lose some weight. However eventually you do need to add exercise in to your daily lifestyle to maintain & gain muscle mass, to help improve your heart health & to feel better in general.
YES exercise will make you tired @ 1ST.  However I guarantee you if you have been cleared by your Dr. & told to go ahead with exercising, then if you give it 2 weeks of daily exercise, be it walking, jogging, weight lifting, dance, taking the stairs rather then the elevator, etc... You will actually have more energy. Like with anything it takes time but if you stick with any Diet or exercise plan for more then a month you WILL SEE Results.

In my next blog I will talk about the small things that make all the difference.

When you feel like you are at your lowest, weakest, and most venerable, when you just don't care, Then you are the most likely to Succeed, or fail depending on the path you choose. CHOOSE SUCCESS!!!

Remember You can make a change! You are worth it! You are Beautiful, Special &  Important!
YOU MATTER! Make your change starting today!!!!