Dieting Myths Busted

So I was browsing the internet and stumbled upon some dieting myths! A lot of them were very interesting and busted myths that I used to believe myself! I thought I would share them with you because I can't be the only person who used to believe them!

1) MYTH= Eating after 8pm is bad. Late night calories turn into fat.
THE TRUTH= Your metabolism can't tell time. Your body uses calories at the same rate in the morning, afternoon and evening. They may not burn as quickly if you are laying on the couch watching a movie, but the next day once you start moving again the calories will be used up.

2) MYTH= Pasta makes you fat.
THE TRUTH= Weight gain comes from extra calories whether they are in the form of carbohydrate, fat, or protein. When you order pasta at a restaurant they often give you up to 3x a single serving of pasta in addition to heavy sauces and garnishes. Pasta in moderation is 100% fine though. Especially if you are working out heavily, carbohydrates are ESSENTIAL for your body to create energy and repair muscles. You need carbohydrate in your diet.

3) MYTH= Eating fat will make you fat.
THE TRUTH= your body needs fat. But the key is to stick to healthy sources of fat such as raw almonds, avocado, hummus, olive oil and fishes such as salmon. These foods in moderation provide monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that are extremely healthy and essential in your diet. They can actually make you leaner!

4) MYTH= The more calories you cut, the more weight you lose.
THE TRUTH= Restricting diets cause your body to go into "starvation mode" which prevents your body from burning unwanted fat. It is important to nourish your body fully and completely each day and make sure you are eating enough calories. You must eat a base number of calories around 1200 PLUS anything that you burn from exercise to simply maintain your weight. Starving yourself does nothing because once you start eating and nourishing your body again, you will gain any weight that you did lose back.

5) MYTH= As long as you're eating healthy food, calories don't matter.
THE TRUTH= Being healthy is about balance and eating everything in moderation. Sure, fruit is a healthy part of ones diet but eating fruit for every meal is probably not the best option. Your body needs calories from all different food groups including simple/complex carbs, proteins and fats. Many people have skewed perceptions of what actually "healthy" is. Calorie intake is essential to your body being healthy and performing at its best ability.