7 Shocking Diet Secrets ...

1. Diet Soda Will Make You GAIN Weight!

This is truly one of the most shocking diet secrets I’ve ever heard. According to research by The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, people who drink diet soda are actually more likely to GAIN weight, than dieters who don’t. Isn’t that crazy? Diet soda is marketed as a smart choice for dieters, but it’s been proven to sabotage your diet, which makes you diet longer, which means you buy more diet soda… hmm… could this be a conspiracy by diet soda makers to get you to keep buying diet soda? Unless some whistle-blower comes out with a secret company email, we’ll never know. Either way, avoid diet soda as much as you avoid regular soda, and you’re much more likely to lose weight.

2. Carbs Are GOOD for You!

Poor carbs. They get such a bad rap. But here’s another little secret: some of them are actually GOOD for you, especially when you’re dieting. Fiber is a carb, one that helps keep your digestive system healthy. Fiber also keeps you feeling fuller, longer, so it’s a dieter’s friend for sure! So yes, skip the “bad” carbs from refined flour goods, but feel free to include carbs from wholesome whole grains.

3. Eating More Often Will Help You LOSE Weight!

Though we know it can be harmful, some of us will try to lose weight by simply skipping meals, but did you know skipping meals may hurt your diet, not help it? Scientists recommend eating 5 small meals a day, rather than 2 or 3 large ones for several reasons. First, eating small, frequent meals will keep you from feeling hungry, which means you’re a lot less likely to gorge yourself when you do eat a meal. Second, these small meals eaten throughout the day will keep your metabolism kicking in high gear, which helps you burn more calories, more efficiently.

4. You CAN Indulge!

Whoever said “diet” has to be synonymous with “deprivation”? It’s not true! You can diet to lose weight and still enjoy the foods you love. Like everything else in the world, it’s about moderation. No, you can’t have an entire cheesecake, every day, but you can have a small slice once a week. Craving pizza? Go ahead and have one slice, not half the pie, and make it yourself, with loads of fresh veggies, rather than ordering from the Joe Greasy’s Pizza place.

5. Exercise Doesn’t Have to Be HARD!

We’ve all heard the expression “no pain, no gain,” but in terms of exercise, this isn’t always true — in fact, if your work out leaves you immobile for days after, you risk injury, so scale it back a bit! Exercise doesn’t have to be painful or difficult; it just has to make your heart thump and your breath short. If you can sing out loud while you’re on the elliptical, you need to kick it up. If you’re sweaty and panting when you’re done with the half-hour, good on you! That’s the way to do it!

6. You Can Work out without the Gym!

I haven’t been to the gym in, literally, years. I work out almost every day, though, and I’m very fit. What’s the secret, you ask? I run. I do exercises at home, too. If you loathe the gym, or just can’t afford the pricey membership fees, work out at home, instead. Make your own workout on the cheap! Run, jog, walk. Rent DVDs from the library.

7. Don’t Trust the SCALE!

I don’t know why we torture ourselves with the scale. That number is so misleading, especially when you’re first dieting and working out. As you lose fat, it’s replaced with lean muscle, so your number on that scale won’t move much. Also, scales are notoriously inconsistent — the scale at the doctor’s office will vary from the one at the gym, from the one at home, from the one at your bestie’s house. A better way to track your progress is by how your clothes fit. If they’re loose, you’re losing weight!

Now that you’ve read all these sneaky diet secrets, do you feel slightly cheated, like you’d have had more diet success if you’d know these things all along? I know I was mad about the diet soda thing, and I want my years of gym membership fees back! Do you have any other shocking diet secrets to share? It’s only fair since I’ve told you mine… *wink