1. Carbs are all bad
Not all carbs are going to make you put on excess weight. We live in a world where most of our diets contain highly refined carbs. These highly refined carbs can significantly increase your weight. Fruits and wholemeal grains also contain carbs. These carbs not only release energy more slowly, they also contain some important vitamins such as Vitamin B & E. As they release energy slowly otherwise known as low GI food, they keep you full for longer and can help to cut cravings and grazing
2. Fats are all bad
False. You need some fat in your diet. Some of the hormones your body manufactures such as oestrogen the female hormone, testosterone (male) and cortisol (natural steroids) need cholesterol as a key ingredient. Without fats, your body cannot function at its best. Another problem that can arise if you avoid fats is gall stones. Your gall bladder empties bile into your intestine to help digest fat. If you avoid fat, the bile in your gall bladder can become stagnant and can increase the formation of gall stones.
3. All diets work
This is a hard one. True – most fad diets will help you lose some weight. Usually someone you know would have told you about how they managed to shed several kilos with their new diet. However, these will not last you will regain the weight you lost, occasionally even some extra kilos. We frequently see patients who have been on several types of diets with minimal success. To understand why they fail, you need to understand the hormones that control our body weight. Ghrelin – the only hunger hormone ever discovered, is produced in higher quantities when we diet. Whilst most of our diets last few weeks, couple of months maybe, the effect of high ghrelin lasts much longer – more than a year sometimes.
4. Sugar free is good
Surely drinking sugar free cola has to be healthier than the original sugar loaded version. In a way it is true. The average 330ml can of original soda has 6-7 spoons of sugar. However, artificial sweeteners will make you gain weight!! There are numerous studies in both mice and men that have shown increased appetite and calorie intake with artificial sweeteners.
5. Several small meals is better than 3 large meals a day
Whilst meals stimulate the body to burn energy as well, there is no consistent evidence in the medical literature that proves this idea. In fact, most people end up consuming more calories in a day with the small meals than with large meals. Unless you can quantify the calorie intake in each meal accurately, this is one to avoid.
And to wrap up, diet is an important part of your weight loss journey. You will need to be on a special diet before and after surgery. This involves controlling the quantity (you won’t be able to eat large meals anyway) and quality of your meals. Our dietitians are experienced and passionate about educating and helping you achieve a healthy weight. At Perth Obesity Solutions, our highly trained team of surgeons, physicians, dietitians and other support staff are here to provide you with a solution for your weight problems. Contact us today!