3. True: All Calories are not Created Equal.
When it comes to weight loss, consider the rates at which different nutrients are burned during digestion:
- twenty to thirty percent of proteins
- six percent of carbohydrates
- three percent of fat
The majority of your daily calories should, therefore, come from protein.
As an example, more of the one thousand calories worth of chicken will be used in the digestive process than one thousand calories of pasta, leading to greater weight loss. Thermogenesis refers to the amount of heat the body produces when it burns food for energy. Alcohols and proteins generate more heat in their digestion than carbs and fats. Furthermore, proteins lead to greater satiety, so you feel full after eating less in volume. (5)
4. False (mostly): Eating Late at Night Leads to Weight Gain.
Let’s first qualify: eating after 6:00 p.m. won’t cause you to pack on pounds depending on what and how much you eat.
The British Journal of Nutrition published a study in 2016 of children aged four to eighteen years and found that the timing of their evening meals didn’t increase the risk of weight gain or obesity. (6) If you eat at 6:00 p.m., again at 8:00, and again at 11:00, however, you’ve probably eaten more than you need and that’s what will affect your weight. If you eat a salad, it’ll take longer to digest than a bowl of ice cream.
Dessert is a sticky point when it comes to weight loss efforts. This type of food is usually the first to be cut from our diets, especially after dinner. We now know that added and refined sugars lead to inflammation, diabetes, heart disease, skin problems, and other health issues. Denying yourself a sweet treat, however, can eventually cause you to cave in and overeat, even regaining any weight you may have lost.
A study performed by the U.S. Endocrine Society found that if you eat dessert—whatever it may be—after a hearty morning meal rather than after your evening meal, you may experience decreased hunger and fewer cravings during the day.
“The goal of a weight loss diet should be not only weight reduction but also reduction of hunger and cravings, thus helping prevent weight regain”, said the study’s lead researcher. (7)
The remarkable bonus is that you can still enjoy (in moderation) the dessert you crave!
The body is an infinitely complex machine. Weight loss is a concerted effort, not one simple act. For every conscious action you take, there’s a physical reaction. Knowing the facts about how your body’s metabolism works will help you to make the best choices for yourself and your weight loss goals.