The world of media is a battleground, teeming with millions of purveyors of mixed messages and downright bad advice about health, fitness and weight management ‘ and they all have one goal in common: YOU. They are all fighting for our desperation to be led down the path towards ultimately failing fad diets. The truth is, if any of the quick fix, extreme weight-loss plans really worked, we’d all be the ‘after’ pictures we see in brilliantly deceptive infomercials and magazine ads.

In college, a time of life in which image obsession is at a peak and we are forming personal eating and exercise habits that we may carry on through our ‘grown up’ lives, it is particularly dangerous to fall victim to the abundance of bad dieting advice that you may hear on TV, or even at the gym. We here at Release want to help you make smart choices regarding ‘your student body’ that will keep you healthy, happy and well educated about how your body uses what you feed it.

Binghamton University educator Sarah Thompson lent her expertise to help debunk some of the most common myths of dieting.

Myth #1: Carbohydrates are your worst enemy.

The real deal: About half of your calories should come from carbs.

‘Carbohydrates are our main fuel source,’ Thompson said. ‘The recommended intake is between 45 to 65 percent of total calorie intake. However, the type of carbohydrate does make a difference. The less processed, more wholesome forms of carbohydrates are the types that should largely be consumed. For example: whole grain breakfast cereal versus ‘sugar’ cereals, baked potatoes versus french fries, and fresh strawberries versus strawberry jam. Soda and sweetened beverages are a major source of empty calories and the type of sugar in these beverages can take a toll on our body’s ability to regulate blood sugar over time. Wholesome sources of carbohydrate-rich foods contain many essential and nonessential nutrients that promote health. Sugar is a major culprit in the U.S. diet, it is everywhere! Read ingredient labels and purchase foods without added sugar.’

Myth #2: Eating lots of extra protein will make your muscles huge and increase performance.

The real deal: While the media has many of us thinking we are starved for protein and at risk of withering away, what many Americans don’t know is that most of us get plenty of protein in our diets. Additional protein in the form of bars and shakes is generally unnecessary. Our bodies will only utilize a certain amount of protein (between 1 and 2 grams per kilogram of body weight per day) and beyond that we are literally peeing the rest of it out. Talk about flushing money down the toilet.

‘The best way to increase muscle mass is to follow a well-designed resistance training routine while eating a healthy, balanced diet with adequate protein, not excessive protein,’ Thompson said.

Myth #3: Liquid supplements like Slim Fast are adequate meal replacements and are conducive to long-term weight loss.

The real deal: Drinking your meals will leave you hungry, unsatisfied and more likely to snack on empty calories.

‘Drinking your meals is never a good way to ‘eat,’ Thompson said. ‘There are many psychological reasons that we need to eat, chew and digest ‘real’ foods. The stomach empties liquids in about 20 minutes, but solid foods will stay in the stomach for about an hour. Regardless of the number of calories consumed in a shake, you will likely be hungry sooner than if you eat a solid food meal. Along with physical hunger signals, you might experience mouth hunger and end up eating more. Shakes and meal replacements are not a good method for weight loss.’

Myth #4: You shouldn’t give into cravings for junk food.

The real deal: Cutting out the foods you love is unrealistic, and ultimately very unsuccessful.

‘If we deny our minds the pleasure of eating a treat that we are really craving it can end up in a major binge, and usually we end up eating the food we’ve been craving anyway,’ Thompson said. ‘Eat all the foods you love in moderation and enjoy every bit!’

Myth #5: If you stop working out your muscle will turn to fat.

The real deal: ‘Muscle and fat tissue are completely different. It is impossible to turn fat into muscle or vice versa,’ Thompson said. ‘If you stop working out you will lose lean muscle, which increases your fat-to-muscle ratio and causes you to look less toned.’

Myth #6: You need to cut fat out of your diet to lose weight.

The real deal: Fat is essential to our diets and our bodies need it to burn calories. Higher fat foods are also more satiating; if you feel full, you won’t have as many impulses to snack on emptier, less nutritious foods.

‘The most recent version of the Dietary Reference Intakes recommends 20 to 35 percent of calories coming from fat,’ Thompson said. ‘We should be getting a fair amount of fat to fuel our bodies and help with essential body processes. The type of fat makes all the difference in health. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats should be our main sources of fat. Trans fats and saturated fats should be kept to an absolute minimum. High fat foods can and should be a part of a healthy diet ‘ i.e., nuts, oily fish, vegetable oil, etc.’

Myth #7: Crash dieting: Losing ’10 pounds in 10 days’ is possible/healthy.

The real deal: It takes about 3,500 calories to lose a pound. If you are dropping pounds rapidly, you are losing water, not fat mass.

‘It might be possible to lose 10 pounds in 10 days, but you would likely be dehydrated and undernourished in doing so. Obviously this is not healthy and the original weight, if not more, will return,’ Thompson said.

Myth #8: The ‘I just won’t eat tomorrow’ attitude.

The real deal: You can’t play catch-up by starving yourself the day after overindulging.

‘Feast and famine cycles have long been a reality of the human existence,’ Thompson said. ‘This is not a healthy way to eat on a regular basis. Trying to eat approximately the same amount each day will help to regulate metabolism. Feasting and famine cycles generally increase fat stores in the body as a means for survival.’

Myth #9: Anything you eat in the morning ‘doesn’t count’ because you’ll burn it off during the day.

The real deal: Everything you eat counts

‘Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and every bit counts,’ Thompson said. ‘Eating breakfast kick starts the metabolism and helps regulate blood sugar levels. People who eat breakfast generally eat better and have better weight management than those people who don’t eat breakfast. Something is better than nothing; ideally breakfast should include a good source of protein, healthy fat, wholesome carbohydrates and fluids.’

Myth #10: The college dieter’s plan: Liquid doesn’t count. In other words, it’s never OK to have a cupcake, but drinking 12 beers on Friday and Saturday night are fair game.

The real deal: To quote myself in an earlier issue of Pipe Dream, ‘If you want to solve the mystery of the infamous ‘freshman 15,’ chew on this for a moment. It takes about 3,500 extra calories beyond what your body already burns to gain a pound. If you drink heavily two nights a week at about 1,500 calories a night, that’s 3,000 calories a week. Multiply that by 15 weeks and you’ve got almost 13 pounds in one semester. Mystery solved.’