Shape sets the record straight on what fills you up, what trims you down and how to know when a miracle diet is too good to be true.
Know this: It's not the fat in foods that makes you feel full.
That greasy cheeseburger will leave you feeling full all day, so it's worth the splurge, right? Wrong! Fat is the slowest food component to clear the stomach, so for years it was assumed that fatty foods slowed digestion and kept you feeling full longer. Recent research proves the proportion of sugar and fat has little or no differences in satiety ratings.
In fact, protein tends to leave people feeling more satisfied than either carbs or fat. The problem with fat is that it has more than twice the calories of protein or carbs.
To eat more and weigh less, reach for foods high in fiber, like fruits and veggies and whole grains. Fiber and whole grains affect feelings of fullness and satisfaction. We don't know exactly why, but fiber and whole grains could affect the hormones that send the signal to your brain that you've had enough to eat.
Know this: Missing meals is not a good way to drop pounds.
Research has repeatedly shown that people who eat at regular intervals, starting with breakfast, are better nourished, think more clearly and report fewer mood swings than those who eat erratically. Meal skippers are more prone to weight problems probably because once they do eat, they eat too much of all the wrong stuff. People often think they can save calories by skipping meals, but if they kept food journals they'd find that they more than make up for those saved calories at other times of the day.
Once meal skippers do eat, they find it very difficult to stop, consuming way more calories than people who eat more frequently. Researchers at the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) report that spacing food evenly throughout the day is key to weight-loss success. Weight maintainers eat every four to five hours, regardless of whether it's a weekday, weekend or holiday.
Know this: There are good and bad foods.
You may have heard that there are no good foods or bad foods, only good and bad diets. Nutritionally, a potato chip can't hold a candle to a baked potato. We usually don't have a problem treating ourselves to those tasty foods, so to say there are no bad foods might be a license for some people to eat anything whenever they want.
If having cookies in the house triggers a person to binge, then that food could be a problem simply because it results in unhealthy behaviors. Enjoy bad foods only once in a while and in reasonable portions but always stock your kitchen with good foods, such as fruits, vegetables and whole-grain breads.
Know this: Low-carb diets don't flush calories from the body.
Proponents of low-carb diets claim you can excrete fat fragments (called ketones) in urine on this type of diet, essentially flushing calories out. But a study at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg found no correlation between urinary ketone levels and weight change in women on low-carb diets.
Carb cutters restrict so many foods that are normally accompanied by fat, they end up slashing calories overall. The initial rapid weight loss some carb cutters experience is caused by the body draining glycogen stores for energy. With each gram of glycogen used, 3 grams of water are released, with the result being a rapid loss in weight due to increased urination. After about 10-14 days, increased urination ends and so does the rapid weight-loss phase.
Know this: Eating healthfully can save you money.
With a little planning, eating well can actually cost less than typical fast-food fare. Are you surprised? A study at the Mary Imogene Bassett Research Institute in Cooperstown, N.Y., found that a person who follows a heart-healthy diet can reduce her grocery bill by up to $8 a week. That translates to an annual savings of $416 a year for a single person or $1,664 for a family of four. Granted, wild salmon and imported olive oil cost more than a Happy Meal, but you need to factor in the hidden costs of a diet that is high in fat.
More than half of all Americans eat too much, with the extra pounds costing about $400 per person in added health-care bills, not to mention the more than $30 billion spent annually in this country on weight-loss products and services.
Pound for pound, health-boosting whole foods are a lot cheaper than fast-food fare. To help pare down your grocery bill, swap legumes for meat products; buy less-expensive produce such as apples, oranges, carrots, spinach and cabbage; and purchase whole grains like oatmeal, rice and bulgur in bulk.
Find more weight-loss tips at Shape.com
More from SHAPE:
How to choose the right breads, pastas, cereals and snacks to help you shed unwanted pounds.
10 simple ways to squeeze in 1-minute bursts of exercise
For a healthy heart and a slimmer waist, make sure to include these foods in your grocery basket.
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