Myth busters 1 - Eating before bed.

Late night snacking is not the culprit
Source: theage.com.au

If you've spent any time looking for secrets of weight loss you would have probably encountered many so-called internet experts claiming that you shouldn't eat before bed.

This is simply not true. There is no evidence behind it. It was deduced from a study that correlates late night eating with people who suffer from obesity. The people that were studied in the experiment who were found to be late night snackers also happened to eat more than the average person. As you can see here, it was just a case of causation vs correlation. In fact, there is even a scientific study conducted later on that disproves this myth. You can read about it here.

The only way to slim down is to count calories for weight loss.

Source: dreamstime.com

Food doesn't magically multiply when it goes down your throat late at night. That's the cold hard fact. Hungry before bed? Don't hesitate to have a tasty mango smoothie or any other meal for that matter as long as you manage a caloric deficit throughout the day. If you're used to eating before bed, some foods such as a bit of dark chocolates or a sugar-free banana milkshake can help you get to sleep thanks to their sleep-inducing qualities

The bottom line? Eat before bed if you like, but make sure you still follow the golden rule of weight loss- maintaining a calorie deficit.

Counting calories for weight loss

My last article told you that all calories are the same no matter where they come from

This article is going to show you how to count calories and why you should do it.

The number one fat loss secret is to count your calories and make sure you burn more than you eat!

Simple as that, no gimmicks involved.



So how do you do it? Go to this site here and fill out the quick and easy weight loss calculator.


That will tell you what your 'maintenance rate' is- how much food you need to eat to stay the same weight. Eat more than that and you'll gain weight. Eat less and you'll lose weight.

Now that you've found the right rate you should subtract 500 from it. If you pack on a lot of fat, you can go ahead and take away 1000 calories.

That's how many calories you'll eat every day from now on. It's not difficult at all. If you have basic math skills and have a kitchen scale at home, you can achieve the body of your dreams. A great tool to track your daily calories is fitday.com.

Keep following my blog and you'll be slim in no time! You could even lose extra fat without exercising.

The concept of calories and why you should care

You can lose weight eating sugary candy all day.

That’s right, you read it correctly. But it does not mean you should.

Sugary candy is made of the same stuff as fruit- carbohydrates. 

Theoretically it is possible to lose weight if you were to eat only a handful of candy every day and nothing else. The explanation lies in understanding the ‘calorie’- a unit of energy often used to measure a certain food’s value as a fuel source. More calories translate to more energy, but it can also mean more body fat if you are not the burning excess energy that comes from overeating.

In my last article I mentioned that the secret to weight loss is to “move more and eat less”. In the context of what I said earlier, I’m asking you to burn more calories by exercising more and consume fewer calories by eating less. It does not matter where these calories come from. Sounds surprisingly simple, doesn’t it? So then why are there such things as “low carb” diets? The bottom line is that those are just simple dieting tricks that will help a dieter lessen their total calorie intake.

So if all calories are the same, why should you eat an apple rather than its caloric worth in candy? Because apples are more beneficial for your health and you’ll never be able to eat enough candy to keep you full unless you were to go over your daily calorie requirements. Apples also contain many nutritious chemicals that help your body function better. On top of that, it has a high fibre content which will keep you filled for longer. An apple a day indeed does keep the doctor away.

My next article will explain how to calculate your daily calorie requirement so you can find out how much (or how little) you need to eat to lose weight.