10 Diet Rules You Can Break

There are diet rules out there that are meant to be broken? You’ve probably heard all these silly rules before, but experts weigh-in on the worthiness of these supposed truisms - most of which won't help you lose weight or make ‘dieting’ any easier.

10 Food Rules You Can Ignore:

1. Eating at night will pile on the pounds:

The total calories you consume over a 24-hour period or over a week is what causes you to gain weight, and when you eat these calories doesn't matter so much as long as they are spread out through the day evenly giving your body a chance to process them.

2. It's best to eat at the same times every day

We should be eating every 2 to 3 hours daily. So, If you have a sleep in day and wake later, still eat at whatever time that is, don’t wait for the clock to roll around to the next perfect interval or timing.

3. Dieting with a buddy always makes weight loss easier.

Common goals may pay off, but weight loss is a personal journey. You have to want to do it for YOU! Not because you have a friend spurring you on. Yes, it can be motivating but it can also be detrimental if you fall off the wagon together.

4. Dietary fat keeps you feeling full longer, so you'll eat less. Fat does take longer to digest, but it will not help you control your appetite. Foods likely to fight off hunger the longest are protein foods, followed by carbohydrates, then fats. You want to have a good mixture of all 3.

5. When you blow your diet, you might as well wait until the next day to get back on track.

Nothing could be farther from the truth, always try to get right back on track with your next meal.

6. Refusing food at a party or when visiting is rude.

Turning down food that you know will blow your diet is socially acceptable. Think of it more like you don’t want that food anyhow. Then you are less likely to feel like you are missing out.

7. Skipping a meal every now and then will help you lose.

Skipping a meal means you will be so hungry at the next meal that you are likely to overeat. This can also help lead to a slowdown of your metabolism.

8. Bread is fattening, nuts are fattening, pasta is fattening.

Whole-wheat bread/pasta is a great source of nutrients, and it won't make you gain excess weight more than any other food.

9. All calories are equal.

This couldn’t be further from the truth. All calories work differently in our systems. Choose healthier items if you are losing weight or controlling your hunger.

10. If you don't clean your plate, you're wasting food.

If you just don't feel right leaving the table until you've cleaned your plate, underestimate your hunger and put less food on your plate to begin with, or you may overeat.

Don’t believe everything you hear! In the end, nutrition experts say, many of the food and dieting rules we hold dear are meant to be broken - without guilt but within reason!