One day, carbs are the enemy. Next, pills and injections will be the thing to do. After that, everyone will be rushing to detox their body of toxins that cause weight gain. It seems everyone is in search of the Holy Grail of weight loss, that mythological easy weight-loss plan that works for everyone.
Nutritionists, personal trainers and health and wellness experts all agree on this hard truth: There is no miracle weight-loss plan. Before you take the bait on the next fad, here are a few weight-loss-related myths — and the cold hard facts — from some local experts in the field.
The myth: The less you eat, the more weight you will lose.
The facts: "I try to get my clients not to think in terms of small portions," said Jan Samples-Schenk, nutritionist and owner of The Perfect Plan. "There is no reason to be hungry all the time in order to lose weight. I encourage large portions of the right kinds of foods."
Samples-Schenk said she develops a diet plan specifically tailored to each individual. Plans are derived from a basic plan she has developed which includes lean protein, fruits and vegetables and the right kind of carbohydrates."
"I push eating plenty of food," she said.
The myth: Your body needs to be cleansed of harmful toxins that cause weight retention.
The facts: "I think the detox-style plans seem to be the big thing these days and those don't really do anything," said Andrea Outlaw, a personal trainer at Swonder Ice Arena. "All those do is get rid of water weight. As soon as you start drinking water again, the weight will come back."
Outlaw said her new clients often will have unrealistic expectations when they first begin a new exercise program with her.
"People think with these crazy diet plans they will be able to lose 20 pounds in a month and that is just not possible unless you weigh 400 pounds," she said. "You should only expect to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week ideally. You just can't lose any more than that and still be healthy."
The myth: You need to weigh yourself often while on a weight-loss plan in order to gauge the success.
The facts: "A scale is not the best indicator of a successful weight-loss plan," said Tessa Hines, health and wellness director at the Dunigan Family YMCA.
Hines said she sees people get frustrated when they don't see significant weight loss right away — or they gain weight — after starting a workout plan.
"The fact is, muscle does weigh more than fat and because of that, they should use other ways to track the success of their plan," she said.
Hines said measurements are one easy indicator of a successful weight-loss plan. She also suggested measuring body fat.
Places like the YMCA offer body fat testing to their members at no charge.
The myth: There are pills or other medical treatments that will induce weight loss.
The facts: "All the gimmick weight-loss plans have been proven ineffective and some have even been proven dangerous," said Samples-Schenk. "There is just no replacement for proper nutrition."
Samples-Schenk works with her clients on food preparation at home.
"People want quick and convenient, but that isn't always possible in order to maintain a nutritional, healthy diet," she said. "Fast food restaurant food is full of all the preservatives and fats that aren't good for the body."
She said she has had numerous clients come to her after they have spent thousands of dollars on other plans and had no success.
"I just hate to hear when these people have spent a fortune on all that stuff," she said. "Then they come to me and learn they didn't need any of it."
The myth: A low-carb diet is healthy.
The facts: Samples-Schenk said people go on low-carb diets without really having a true understanding of what they can and cannot eat.
"Any diet that eliminates fruits and vegetables can't be healthy," she said. "Complex carbohydrates, like the ones found in fruits and vegetables, are good for the body and can promote weight loss. It is not a healthy way to live when you cut those foods out of your diet."
As health care moves into the center stage in the media and in Washington, Outlaw said she thinks people will begin to turn more to diet and exercise for their health. Both she and Samples-Schenk said most of their clients are referred to them by doctors to bring down blood glucose levels and lower cholesterol.
"People just aren't going to be able to continue paying for medicines to do the things that good nutrition and exercise can do," Outlaw said.
