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Diet Myths That Keep Us Fat: And the 101 Truths That Will Save Your Waistline--and Maybe Even Your Life
Get the real skinny on fat.
W hen it comes to losing weight, the false beliefs most of us cling to could fill a book–this one! As a medical doctor, medical journalist, and veteran of the diet wars, Nancy L. Snyderman knows better than almost anyone what really works and what sabotages your best efforts to shed pounds and keep them off. Do you believe any of these prevalent diet myths?
• Your weight is your fault.
• Dieting is a waste of time–most dieters regain their weight before long.
• Carbs are bad for you.
• Carbs are good for you.
• Calories don’t count–it’s the kind of food you eat that’s the problem.
• Fat is fat–it doesn’t matter where on your body you carry it.
• Diet drugs and surgeries are a magic bullet.
In Diet Myths That Keep Us Fat , Dr. Snyderman reveals exactly why these and other bogus ideas get in the way of what should be the simple and even joyful endeavor of reaching and maintaining your ideal weight. In their place, she reveals 101 surprising truths–muscle doesn’t weigh more than fat, you can eat after 8 p.m. and not gain weight, you can eat dessert for dinner when on a diet, and 98 more. But here’s the best Slimming down and getting healthier doesn’t have to be about deprivation or superhuman feats of willpower. Instead, you will enjoy a new relationship with food–including those treats you love the most–while feeling fabulous inside and out.
So forget the fad diets that work great . . . until they don’t, along with the negative emotions associated with everything from bathroom scales to full-length mirrors. Most of all, forget all the myths and remember what’s You can do this and you’ll never regret it for a minute.
W hen it comes to losing weight, the false beliefs most of us cling to could fill a book–this one! As a medical doctor, medical journalist, and veteran of the diet wars, Nancy L. Snyderman knows better than almost anyone what really works and what sabotages your best efforts to shed pounds and keep them off. Do you believe any of these prevalent diet myths?
• Your weight is your fault.
• Dieting is a waste of time–most dieters regain their weight before long.
• Carbs are bad for you.
• Carbs are good for you.
• Calories don’t count–it’s the kind of food you eat that’s the problem.
• Fat is fat–it doesn’t matter where on your body you carry it.
• Diet drugs and surgeries are a magic bullet.
In Diet Myths That Keep Us Fat , Dr. Snyderman reveals exactly why these and other bogus ideas get in the way of what should be the simple and even joyful endeavor of reaching and maintaining your ideal weight. In their place, she reveals 101 surprising truths–muscle doesn’t weigh more than fat, you can eat after 8 p.m. and not gain weight, you can eat dessert for dinner when on a diet, and 98 more. But here’s the best Slimming down and getting healthier doesn’t have to be about deprivation or superhuman feats of willpower. Instead, you will enjoy a new relationship with food–including those treats you love the most–while feeling fabulous inside and out.
So forget the fad diets that work great . . . until they don’t, along with the negative emotions associated with everything from bathroom scales to full-length mirrors. Most of all, forget all the myths and remember what’s You can do this and you’ll never regret it for a minute.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
July 9, 2010
Due to come out this month, I found this book at our favorite book store. (I am so excited about this! Our book store often has books that are sent to book reviewers before they come out. These book reviewers are over run by books and donate them to our book store. This is the first one I am reviewing before the book comes out. It comes out on Monday, so ok, not that early, but anyway...)
The author is the Chief Medical Editor at NBC News. Does anyone have faith in the news with respect to medicine after the swine flu? And a diet book to boot?
Let’s take a look. The book’s chapters are divided into 10 myths that most people believe about dieting. To name a few: your weight is your fault, calories don’t count, carbs are good for you, carbs are bad for you, and dieting is all you need to lose weight, to name a few chapters. I liked the use of these myths to organize the book. Telling me my "weight is not my fault" made me feel a roller coaster of emotions: first I felt better, the I felt let off the hook for being fat, then I felt the chapter made some good points, and finally I felt like she was not being completely honest with me! If the weight is not my fault, then whose is it?
Interspersed throughout the book are “truths.” Some truths are more informative than others. For example: muscle does not weigh more than fat. Who knew? A pound is a pound. (Who's buried in Grant’s tomb?) Apparently muscle does burn more calories daily than fat does.
The informative almost common sense information in the book is good basic knowledge for the reader. I kept thinking while reading, wow, I should have learned this in high school. For example she explains what a calorie measures. (It is the amount of potential energy in food.) And she tells (maybe reminds is a better word here) the reader that the secret to losing weight boils down to one equation: eat fewer calories than you burn.
The book is great for picking up and reading about a few things and then setting it down.
I will be reviewing a diet book I did not like this week. In comparison to that book, Diet Myths is great. Look for it soon in your local book store.
The author is the Chief Medical Editor at NBC News. Does anyone have faith in the news with respect to medicine after the swine flu? And a diet book to boot?
Let’s take a look. The book’s chapters are divided into 10 myths that most people believe about dieting. To name a few: your weight is your fault, calories don’t count, carbs are good for you, carbs are bad for you, and dieting is all you need to lose weight, to name a few chapters. I liked the use of these myths to organize the book. Telling me my "weight is not my fault" made me feel a roller coaster of emotions: first I felt better, the I felt let off the hook for being fat, then I felt the chapter made some good points, and finally I felt like she was not being completely honest with me! If the weight is not my fault, then whose is it?
Interspersed throughout the book are “truths.” Some truths are more informative than others. For example: muscle does not weigh more than fat. Who knew? A pound is a pound. (Who's buried in Grant’s tomb?) Apparently muscle does burn more calories daily than fat does.
The informative almost common sense information in the book is good basic knowledge for the reader. I kept thinking while reading, wow, I should have learned this in high school. For example she explains what a calorie measures. (It is the amount of potential energy in food.) And she tells (maybe reminds is a better word here) the reader that the secret to losing weight boils down to one equation: eat fewer calories than you burn.
The book is great for picking up and reading about a few things and then setting it down.
I will be reviewing a diet book I did not like this week. In comparison to that book, Diet Myths is great. Look for it soon in your local book store.
March 10, 2012
*Myths, Truths, and Choices*
One-by-one, Nancy tackles the ten "diet myths" that seem to be feeding the increasing obesity trends:
1.Your Weight Is Your Fault
2.Your Body Shape Doesn't Matter
3.Calories Don't Count
4.Carbs Are Bad for You
5.Carbs Are Good for You
6.Diet Drugs Are a Magic Bullet
7.Dieting Is All You Need to Lose Weight
8.Supplements Will Make You Thin and Healthy
9.Low-Fat Diets Are a Waste of Time
10.You Can't Keep Weight Off
Each myth is, more or less, debunked in a chapter, and each chapter also includes "truths" that counter these myths and encourage healthy eating. Amidst the research-backed findings of each chapter, Nancy also adds her own personal experiences and opinions.
Overall, I feel this book offers a sound and live-able approach to losing, and maintaining, weight. It's based on the common sense principles of eating more of the good stuff (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins) and avoiding more of the bad stuff (eating processed foods, being a couch potato, and neglecting self-care). And, unlike other plans, this one encourages built in "treats" (i.e., going off the diet plan one day a week and not labeling any one food as "forbidden"), which acknowledge the reality that the more deprived you feel, the more likely you are to rebel, binge, and regret.
So, if you need some structured and realistic guidance for losing weight and "eating right,"you're likely to find that here. But, if you're not a proponent of it's-mainly-about-the-calories-count approach to dieting, you might not be a such a fan. I'd say to sample what the book has to offer, and see what works for you.
Whatever the case, you can't go wrong by eating right...but, determining what is "right" for you is the real trick to any successful weight loss plan.
One-by-one, Nancy tackles the ten "diet myths" that seem to be feeding the increasing obesity trends:
1.Your Weight Is Your Fault
2.Your Body Shape Doesn't Matter
3.Calories Don't Count
4.Carbs Are Bad for You
5.Carbs Are Good for You
6.Diet Drugs Are a Magic Bullet
7.Dieting Is All You Need to Lose Weight
8.Supplements Will Make You Thin and Healthy
9.Low-Fat Diets Are a Waste of Time
10.You Can't Keep Weight Off
Each myth is, more or less, debunked in a chapter, and each chapter also includes "truths" that counter these myths and encourage healthy eating. Amidst the research-backed findings of each chapter, Nancy also adds her own personal experiences and opinions.
Overall, I feel this book offers a sound and live-able approach to losing, and maintaining, weight. It's based on the common sense principles of eating more of the good stuff (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins) and avoiding more of the bad stuff (eating processed foods, being a couch potato, and neglecting self-care). And, unlike other plans, this one encourages built in "treats" (i.e., going off the diet plan one day a week and not labeling any one food as "forbidden"), which acknowledge the reality that the more deprived you feel, the more likely you are to rebel, binge, and regret.
So, if you need some structured and realistic guidance for losing weight and "eating right,"you're likely to find that here. But, if you're not a proponent of it's-mainly-about-the-calories-count approach to dieting, you might not be a such a fan. I'd say to sample what the book has to offer, and see what works for you.
Whatever the case, you can't go wrong by eating right...but, determining what is "right" for you is the real trick to any successful weight loss plan.
August 22, 2009
I think I'm obsessed with reading diet/health books. And not because I'm trying to find the secret "easy" answer to health and weight management -- more because I like to keep this topic at the forefront of my brain so I don't let myself use the (non)excuse of "I didn't know" or "I forgot."
Anyway, I love Dr. Nancy Snyderman from the Today Show, so I thought I'd check this new book of hers out. It's not ground breaking. It's not things I didn't know. But it's always good to reiterate what good habits should be.
Dr. Snyderman works through 10 Myths that people have about diet and weight loss, like "Low Fat Diets are a Waste of Time" or "Calories Don't Count" - only to prove that those Myths are indeed Truths. Imbedded in each chapter, too, are probably a dozen or so actual Truths, short snippets of diet/health realities. I found those Truths to be the most interesting. Here are some of my favorites:
Dessert can be dinner ---- as long as you don't eat an actual dinner after eating a sleeve of Oreos and only do it once in a while!
The average American gains less than a pound during the holidays --- but never takes it off, so after 10 years, they gain 10 lbs (I must be the anomaly to this truth... I seem to gain 5-7 each holiday season, but I do take it off right away).
Carbs can "comfort" you --- no kidding!
Coffee revs up your metabolism --- YAY!
Anyway, this was an interesting book just to keep reiterating good habits. It would also be a great book for someone just starting out on a weight loss or health improvement plan to read for some extra info.
Anyway, I love Dr. Nancy Snyderman from the Today Show, so I thought I'd check this new book of hers out. It's not ground breaking. It's not things I didn't know. But it's always good to reiterate what good habits should be.
Dr. Snyderman works through 10 Myths that people have about diet and weight loss, like "Low Fat Diets are a Waste of Time" or "Calories Don't Count" - only to prove that those Myths are indeed Truths. Imbedded in each chapter, too, are probably a dozen or so actual Truths, short snippets of diet/health realities. I found those Truths to be the most interesting. Here are some of my favorites:
Dessert can be dinner ---- as long as you don't eat an actual dinner after eating a sleeve of Oreos and only do it once in a while!
The average American gains less than a pound during the holidays --- but never takes it off, so after 10 years, they gain 10 lbs (I must be the anomaly to this truth... I seem to gain 5-7 each holiday season, but I do take it off right away).
Carbs can "comfort" you --- no kidding!
Coffee revs up your metabolism --- YAY!
Anyway, this was an interesting book just to keep reiterating good habits. It would also be a great book for someone just starting out on a weight loss or health improvement plan to read for some extra info.
September 26, 2009
Non-Fiction - Weight Loss/Healthy Eating
Dr. Nancy Snyderman is Medical Editor of NBC and MSNBC.
The main points in her book are summed up on page 5:
"In spite of all the conflicting information [about various diets:] the tried and true still holds: Load up on real foods like fruit, vegetables and whole grains; practice portion control; and exercise regularly. It couldn't be simpler. And because it's so simple, people find it really boring. But these actions are the only safe and stable ways to lose weight."
Here are a few words I would use to describe the ideas and information in Diet Myths That Keep Us Fat:
* Common sense
* Moderation
* Proven mainstream methods. Dr. Snyderman states several times in her book "there is no magic bullet", i.e., no one diet plan or pill will replace healthy, nutritional eating in amounts that correlate to your level of activity.
* To lose weight and keep it off, you must exercise.
Dr. Nancy Snyderman is Medical Editor of NBC and MSNBC.
The main points in her book are summed up on page 5:
"In spite of all the conflicting information [about various diets:] the tried and true still holds: Load up on real foods like fruit, vegetables and whole grains; practice portion control; and exercise regularly. It couldn't be simpler. And because it's so simple, people find it really boring. But these actions are the only safe and stable ways to lose weight."
Here are a few words I would use to describe the ideas and information in Diet Myths That Keep Us Fat:
* Common sense
* Moderation
* Proven mainstream methods. Dr. Snyderman states several times in her book "there is no magic bullet", i.e., no one diet plan or pill will replace healthy, nutritional eating in amounts that correlate to your level of activity.
* To lose weight and keep it off, you must exercise.
August 30, 2009
Read through it in one day. Very practical. I agree with everything she says except on the chapter about supplements. Everyone should be taking whole food supplements whether you are are at your ideal weight or still working on it.
February 9, 2010
This was an okay book but it really didn't tell me anything new in regards to changing my diet. The author did do a good job in adding examples from her life to illustrate the reasoning behind the why certain deit myths are true or false.
July 21, 2011
This was a worthwhile read. Basically the author advocates a low fat diet between 1,200 - 1,500 calories. Nothing fancy, no low carb, no high protein. There are truth boxes on many pages that explain health phenomena in more detail.
February 22, 2012
I enjoyed the tone, but felt it didn't say anything I hadn't read about dieting. I think she does make good points about taking time for yourself, eating better foods & getting in a healthy mindset. Dr. Snyderman has a good outlook on life, & that I enjoyed.
May 16, 2014
First step: Go to the table of contents, read what this book has to offer. Select the chapter that is of interest, read and move on. You don't need to waste time with redundant information or something that is not applicable to you. That is how I advice people when it concerns a self-help book.
June 6, 2009
Fad-free, common sense approach to eating healthy and "dieting" without depriving yourself of the good things in life.
July 24, 2009
This is a good book that helps to remind me about good habits to get into and stay with!
December 1, 2010
Good tips. Very simple to flip through, read a piece, compute and move on. Some good personal anecdotes as well. I like those examples. They're always encouraging.
September 1, 2019
The book was okay. There was nothing new for me in it. I did like her tone whereby to keep of the weight lost it is a lifestyle change. Her views are common sense and are easy to follow. I probably would have got more from the book if I had read it when it first came out. In the time since her book came out, I more or less have discovered what she says in the book.
June 22, 2009
3 whole pages about Shape Up Somerville, including calling the mayor a "health nut" (p.141)! That project embraced the view, also in this book, that your weight is not your fault, which we recognize as obvious when we focus on children but I think we don't always extend the same charity to adults.
I guess I've read so many diet/nutrition books that not much sounded new in this one. But then again maybe not much is new when our bodies/metabolism evolve over thousands of years. I felt like this book validated the elements presented in _The Instinct Diet_. And I felt it only paid some attention to the cognitive skills found in Judith Beck's or Laurel Mellin's books, which I think are most important for me to work on. I liked the sensible chapter on supplements and diet pills.
Still I gleaned some important truths for me to keep in mind: "Meal planning keeps you track." (p. 217) and "if your doctor suspects you are insulin resistant, keeping your blood sugar under control is of primary importance...[she:] would go so far as to say that your diet becomes your second job." (p. 98) But also, "carbs do not cause diabetes;" it "is caused by a combination of lifestyle and genetic factors." "Strength training prevents middle-aged spread" (p. 48). It also sounded like she was saying that low-fat diets keep weight off better for the long term than low-carb ones, though I can't find that page right now (library book is due tomorrow); calories are key, but consume no more than 20 to 30 % of calories from fat (p. 219)
I guess I've read so many diet/nutrition books that not much sounded new in this one. But then again maybe not much is new when our bodies/metabolism evolve over thousands of years. I felt like this book validated the elements presented in _The Instinct Diet_. And I felt it only paid some attention to the cognitive skills found in Judith Beck's or Laurel Mellin's books, which I think are most important for me to work on. I liked the sensible chapter on supplements and diet pills.
Still I gleaned some important truths for me to keep in mind: "Meal planning keeps you track." (p. 217) and "if your doctor suspects you are insulin resistant, keeping your blood sugar under control is of primary importance...[she:] would go so far as to say that your diet becomes your second job." (p. 98) But also, "carbs do not cause diabetes;" it "is caused by a combination of lifestyle and genetic factors." "Strength training prevents middle-aged spread" (p. 48). It also sounded like she was saying that low-fat diets keep weight off better for the long term than low-carb ones, though I can't find that page right now (library book is due tomorrow); calories are key, but consume no more than 20 to 30 % of calories from fat (p. 219)
September 26, 2010
This is by far one of the most meaningful books I have read in a long time. I really enjoyed the information as well as the style the information was presented in. I suggest this book to anyone who is interesting in adopting a diet that is low-fat, low calorie, but still has room for cabs and treats. It follows the basic theories of calories in, calories out, simple as that. It also gives a lot of information on where to use your carb and fat percentages. After a couple of people read it and had positive feedback I was thrilled to find it on the shelf at the library.
July 19, 2014
Rounding up from 2.5.
There really wasn't anything new here. She takes a low-fat approach to dieting, which honestly, has not really ever worked for me. She advises lots of fruits, vegetables, and exercise. I don't think there's really any debate over those. I think some of the information is already outdated, especially around fats. From the title, I think I was looking for more of a myth busters sort of style, but this is really just another diet book, and not a terribly compelling one.
There really wasn't anything new here. She takes a low-fat approach to dieting, which honestly, has not really ever worked for me. She advises lots of fruits, vegetables, and exercise. I don't think there's really any debate over those. I think some of the information is already outdated, especially around fats. From the title, I think I was looking for more of a myth busters sort of style, but this is really just another diet book, and not a terribly compelling one.
July 28, 2011
Not aimed at me, aimed at people who yo-yo diet, who try the latest diet fad, and take supplements. Not much new info - except that pear shapes won't decrease thigh size through cycling - another reason to avoiding spinning classes. Quite readable. Never heard of her before. Good & basic info about dieting, maintaining weight, exercise, and food.
February 24, 2011
Actually, the content is a little boring but I did learn a lot and was
reminded a lot of how to eat balanced, so it was good. Sometimes, it's
necessary to remind oneself that a lifestyle of bagels and muffins
doesn't really do it!!
reminded a lot of how to eat balanced, so it was good. Sometimes, it's
necessary to remind oneself that a lifestyle of bagels and muffins
doesn't really do it!!
August 4, 2009
Repetitious about telling you what is obvious: If you eat healthy and exercise, there's a good chance you can lose some weight!
Some interesting little factoids made it somewhat worth my time.
Some interesting little factoids made it somewhat worth my time.
books-i-lost-interest-in
October 24, 2009This was pretty interesting, but I just lost interest after a while.
September 27, 2009
The book is easy to read and factual. However, there just not a whole lot of new information here.
July 20, 2010
Interesting facts...I have followed the diet at the end of the book for about two weeks. So far I feel better and I lost a little weight.
January 12, 2014
Not much new information, and I truthfully couldn't sift through all the text. However, the fun little information boxes were easy to read.
January 16, 2017
Very helpful!
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews