8 Calorie-Burning Myths Debunked

When it comes to losing weight, we all do some pretty wacky things to burn a few extra calories, like "forgetting" to eat before the gym, scarfing down celery by the bunch and jogging half naked in the winter (OK, maybe not the last one.) The bad news? Most of these strategies are a waste of time and, worse, may even stall weight loss. To help uncover the truth about burning calories, we've turned to diet and fitness pros to discover which habits to skip—and what you should be doing instead.

1. Celery, cucumbers and iceberg lettuce have negative calories.

The concept goes something like this: some veggies are so low in calories that they require more energy to digest than they contain. The result? Eating celery, cucumbers or iceberg lettuce can give you a "negative calorie balance." Sounds great in theory, but "the calories you need for digestion won't ever exceed the number of calories any type of food contains," says Los Angeles-based nutritionist LeeAnn Smith Weintraub, RD. However, these non-starchy, low-calorie veggies can still help you lose weight since their fiber and water content will keep you feeling full for longer. So go ahead and pile them on generously when you hit the salad bar for lunch. Photo: iStock

2. Doing cardio on an empty stomach burns more total fat for the day.

It sounds like it makes sense: Your body needs energy for a morning run, so not eating beforehand forces your body to dip into its fat stores for fuel, allowing you to burn more fat. Exercise physiologist Brad Schoenfeld, CSCS, author of Women's Home Workout Bible, spent years researching the theory, hoping to confirm it as fact. Instead, he found that while you do burn more calories from fat if you exercise sans snack, ultimately it doesn't matter because, as he notes in the Strength and Conditioning Journal, "if you burn more fat during a workout, your body physiologically adjusts to burn less fat post-exercise—and vice versa. So it all evens out." Sports nutritionist Cassie Dimmick, RD, adds, to eat or not to eat before a workout is a personal preference, but "most experts advocate pre-gym noshing because it provides the fuel you need to exercise longer and harder and therefore burn more calories." She recommends opting for a filling, nutrient-rich snack, such as a piece of fruit, applesauce or a slice of whole wheat toast with peanut butter. Photo: Martin Mark Soerensen / Thinkstock

3. All calories are created equal.

You've heard "a calorie is a calorie," meaning your body processes them all the same way regardless of where they come from. But not so fast: 100 calories of chocolate cake are not the same as 100 calories of carrots. As it turns out, your body burns nearly 50% more calories after eating a meal packed with whole foods versus an equivalent meal made of processed fare, according to a 2010 study published in the health journal Food & Nutrition Research. During manufacturing, processed foods are broken down and stripped of many nutrients, making it easier for the body to digest them. On the other hand, whole foods, such as multigrain bread, apples or zucchini, contain good-for-you nutrients like fiber that the body has to work overtime to break down, temporarily boosting metabolism. Plus, "eating smarter calories via foods packed with filling fiber or satisfying protein, like a chicken breast instead of potato chips, will help you naturally eat less over time," explains Weintraub. Photo: Shutterstock

4. Always work out in the fat burning zone.

The "fat burning zone" has a nice ring to it, right? Using this function on cardio machines keeps you working out at a slow, steady pace—around 60% to 70% of your maximum heart rate—and this low-intensity form of exercise is thought to help your body burn a higher percentage of calories from fat. (So if you burn 100 total calories, 60 of those may come from fat and 40 from carbohydrates in your body.) The problem? The total number of calories burned is the only thing that matters—not what type of calories—and working out at a low intensity ultimately burns fewer calories since you're not pushing yourself as hard as you should be. In order to maximize calorie burn (and, ultimately, fat loss) in less time, do high intensity interval training instead, says Schoenfeld. To try it, alternate one or two minutes of easy running (or pedaling) with a quick one-minute burst of speed (you should be breathing heavily at the end of the interval.) Repeat intervals for a total of 20 minutes, and do two to three interval workouts per week for the best results. Bonus: Studies show intense workout sessions stoke metabolism for up to 24 hours after you've left the gym, burning at least 100 extra calories throughout the day, Schoenfeld says. Photo: Ron Chapple / Thinkstock

5. To lose weight, you should only focus on cardio.

When it comes to dropping pounds, the first thing many of us think about is sweating it out by running or cycling. However, "strength training actually has more of an effect on helping you lose weight than cardio," says Schoenfeld. Charleene O'Connor, a Florida-based personal trainer, agrees: "There's a reason that if you go into a gym, you'll see lean people lifting weights," she says. "Building lean muscle raises your metabolism, allowing you to burn more calories when you're doing anything, whether that's running or just sitting at your desk." But that doesn't mean that you should abandon your cardio routine. Cardio workouts keep your heart-health in check and burn lots of calories in little time, so continue to hit up your favorite Spin class—just keep in mind that a routine that mixes cardio and one or two strength workouts a week is the best way to maximize results. Photo: Ron Chapple / Thinkstock

6. Eating six small meals a day boosts your metabolism.

While most of us were raised with the notion that we should eat three square (read: large) meals a day, many people now believe that it's better to eat smaller portions more frequently in order to help keep your metabolism stoked all day. But does grazing on six mini meals really burn more calories? While conflicting evidence does exist, a 2009 study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found no differences in weight loss among dieters who ate three or six times a day (total daily calories was the same for both groups). And, after reviewing 18 studies on the topic, the International Society of Sports Nutrition concluded that meal frequency doesn't boost metabolism or encourage weight loss. However, researchers did note that eating frequently may help keep between-meal hunger at bay. Bottom line? Settle on an eating plan that keeps you satisfied and full so you're less likely to binge due to hunger. "I find that many of my clients do well with three regular meals and one or two small snacks," notes Weintraub. Photo: Shutterstock

7. Working out in cold weather burns more calories.

OK – we'll admit that this one's half true. Because shivering from cold temperatures revs up calorie burn, you will torch more as your body works to heat itself up. However, the difference is negligible at best, says O'Connor. "Trying to shiver away calories is not a smart—or effective—strategy," says Schoenfeld. So when the mercury plummets, be smart and bundle up—the miniscule bump in calorie burn isn't worth increasing your risk of frostbite or hypothermia. Photo: Shutterstock

8. You have to burn 250 calories every time you work out in order to lose weight.

To lose a pound a week, you have to cut 500 calories a day, and some health experts suggest achieving that by eating 250 fewer calories while burning 250 more daily. However, losing weight isn't about what you burn day-to-day, but rather what you do over the course of a week—or even a month—allowing you the flexibility to make up for days when your diet gets derailed. That means if you're not feeling well one day and skip a workout, it won't make a big difference in the long run, says Schoenfeld. The next day, just stay at the gym 10 minutes longer or try a higher-intensity yoga class. "As long as you're burning more calories in the long term, you'll lose weight," he says. Photo: Shutterstock

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Louisville Gets Healthy

Photo: © courtesy of the City of Louisville

The Wakeup Call

On Christmas Eve 2005, headlines in the Louisville Courier-Journal screamed "Louisville Checkup Sees a Sick City." Indeed, the stats were scary: Heart disease deaths were 19% higher than the national average; lung cancer deaths, 36% higher. A year earlier, another survey had found that 60% of Louisvillians were overweight or obese, 78% ate fewer than five daily produce servings and 35% never exercised.

That unhealthy news prompted then-mayor Jerry Abramson to launch the Healthy Hometown Movement. He started with small, inexpensive changes, including hosting citywide "Hike & Bike" events and urging residents to "Move It, Louisville" by being physically active at least five times a week. He even kicked off a physical activity challenge for city workers and engaged in a friendly rivalry with Lexington, Kentucky, mayor Teresa Isaac to see who could log the most steps in a month. (Mayor Abramson won.) A five-year, $200,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation helped the town build more sidewalks, gardens and parks, and Louisville's Health Department awarded $80,000 in city funds to dozens of neighborhood groups for fitness and wellness activities.

Grab-and-Go Produce

Perhaps the most innovative change has been setting up "Healthy in a Hurry" kiosks that sell subsidized produce in neighborhoods where a juicy apple or crisp bunch of broccoli is hard to find. Three kiosks—located in grocery stores and food marts—have opened so far and six more are in the works. "We've underwritten new refrigerators, shelves and the cost of some of the produce," says Susan McNeese Lynch, communications liaison for the Healthy Hometown Movement. "Making healthy food accessible and affordable is what's going to help people eat better."

Early Successes

Within a year of the movement's start, the number of African-Americans in downtown Louisville who ate at least five produce servings a day rose 20%. Thousands of people turned out for Hike & Bike events. And an estimated 75% of Metro Louisville residents got the health message via public service announcements and by attending events.

Fast-Forward to 2011

"Our annual Hike & Bike event is now one of the largest noncompetitive events in the nation," Lynch says. "Cycling groups are also on hand at the events to check people's bikes to make sure they're in good shape and teach families about safe urban biking so more people can enjoy it. As a result of events like these and additional bike lanes, there is clearly more bike traffic on the roads," she adds. Louisville has also purchased four new bike-toting city buses and increased the number of bus stops at city parks. Students at 20 elementary schools will help tend schoolyard vegetable gardens this year to provide fresh produce for school lunches; a school greenhouse will supply herbs to public school cafeterias to help cut sodium in lunches by 5% and added sugars by 10%. In the fall of 2011, all city schools will have a three-times-a-week gym class, and each session will devote 20 minutes to moderate to vigorous activity for all (no standing around!).

The "Healthy in a Hurry" kiosks are changing the eating habits of adults and children. "It used to be that the only produce I could find in my neighborhood was withered, moldy and expensive," says Keishanna Hughes, 33, a single mother of four children ages 12 to 15. "But ever since a 'Healthy in a Hurry' kiosk opened in my dollar store, I buy salads, fresh fruit and carrots instead of chips to keep around as snacks, and I plan time to cook," she says. "At first my kids didn't want to eat this way, but now they see how much better they feel." Says former Mayor Abramson, "This is more than an initiative, it's an ongoing movement that's helping people make lifelong changes."

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Oklahoma City Gets Healthy

Photo: © courtesy of Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum

Getting Personal

"This city is going on a diet," Mayor Mick Cornett told the residents of Oklahoma City on New Year's Eve 2007. The challenge: Drop 1 million pounds—and it was about time. One in 4 residents of Oklahoma County (which includes Oklahoma City) were obese; 1 in 3 got virtually no physical activity; 1 in 10 had diabetes; and Fortune magazine had dubbed the city the "Fast-Food Capital of America."

"I used to think obesity was some other city's problem," Cornett says. "But then I realized it was my city's problem—and my problem. I was 40 pounds overweight. After I lost the pounds, I knew I had to get a citywide conversation going about weight and health. We're polite people here. We don't talk about things like that, and it was getting us into big trouble."

Health on a Shoestring

The mayor rolled out an interactive website ( ThisCityisGoingonaDiet.com) where residents could track their weight-loss progress. Community centers hosted free healthy cooking and wellness classes to help America's "heaviest users" of fast food learn how to eat better (research showed that residents were visiting fast-food restaurants an average of 21 times per month).

"We didn't have a lot of money," says Cornett. "We formed partnerships with local businesses who helped out in ways like building the website for free." Thankfully, the budget's gotten bigger to allow for bigger changes: The city has now pledged future tax revenues to fund a $140 million facelift that will add better sidewalks, bike lanes and more lighting in downtown streets. "We're tearing up and rebuilding every street so it will be more walkable and bike-friendly downtown," Cornett says.

Fast-Forward to 2011

Oklahoma City residents have collectively lost more than 750,000 pounds and are expected to reach the 1 million milestone this summer. Among the biggest losers: Amy Petty, 44, who's dropped 187 pounds since logging on in 2008. "I weighed 350 pounds, was on the verge of becoming diabetic, and took blood pressure medication," says Amy, who is chief operations officer for a credit union and mom to an 11-year-old son.

The community approach is exactly what inspired Amy to get healthier—and helped her stay that way once she reached her goals. "I've become the unofficial wellness coach at work, keeping everyone on their toes to stay active," she says. "We had our own weight-loss contest and we've run marathons and even done triathlons together." Amy continues to log her weight on the city's diet website every month or so. "I bike to the gym about three mornings a week, then ride 12 miles to the office," she says. "I would never have lost the weight—and kept it off—without the bike lanes."

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Seattle Gets Healthy

Photo: © Marvin E. Newman/Getty Images

An Unhealthy Surprise

Although Seattle has a reputation for being a relatively fit and healthy city, this wasn't the case in all neighborhoods. The southern part of Seattle and neighboring communities in King County had strikingly unhealthy statistics: In 2001, diabetes deaths among African-Americans there were higher than those in the nation's 10 largest counties; 82% of adults didn't exercise regularly; 75% didn't eat the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables daily; and 54% were overweight or obese.

Alarmed by these numbers, local public health officials spearheaded a coalition that included researchers from the University of Washington, Washington State University, local government officials, hospitals and health insurance companies, who started working together to make changes. The first meeting of about 200 people outlined obstacles to healthy eating and exercise—like buildings with locked stairwells, subdivisions without sidewalks, and offices without lockers or showers for employees who want to bike to work.

"When we saw the opportunity to bring resources into the unhealthiest areas, we jumped at the chance," says James Krieger, MD, MPH, chief of chronic disease and injury prevention at Public Health-Seattle & King County. So with $9.5 million in funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Public Health-Seattle & King County established Steps to Health King County. With Dr. Krieger as the director, Steps to Health funded dozens of programs aimed at making physical activity and healthy eating easy, ranging from bike safety classes and diabetes and heart-health programs in churches to swim aerobics programs at community centers free of cost.

Bringing Healthy Cooking Home

One cornerstone of the movement is a network of 16 community kitchens in which neighborhood residents meet to cook healthy food. Nurse Diana Vergis Vinh, a program manager in the Steps to Health initiative, was one of several people involved with starting the kitchens. "You get a group together cooking and interacting to show them how easy, fun and enjoyable healthy eating really is."

Nutritionists and community members who lead the kitchens also show residents how to make healthier versions of their traditional cultural foods so they'll have more options for cooking healthy at home. (King County is very ethnically diverse, with residents speaking at least 59 different languages.) "The ethnic foods are a draw, bringing people back to cooking foods they know and like," says registered dietitian Leika Suzumura, RD, who leads the Rainier Valley kitchen.

Fast-Forward to 2011

"Steps to Health laid the groundwork for ongoing changes in our community," says Dr. Krieger. As of 2009, the number of children in the Steps to Health areas eating five servings of produce daily was 20% higher than in the rest of King County, while the number who were buying soda and snack foods at school was 17% lower. Eighty-three percent of people in church-based diabetes and heart-health programs are eating healthier and getting more physical activity. 
And perhaps the best part: Many programs developed under Steps to Health, including a revamped physical education curriculum and healthier school menus, are being rolled out in all Seattle public schools, and others, like the kitchens, are still going strong. Says Dr. Krieger: "The initiative proved to us that one of the most effective ways to help people be healthier is to change the environment they live in."

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8 Ways to Make Your Town Healthier

Photo: © Thinkstock

If you were inspired by the way the people of Louisville, Oklahoma and Seattle used their communities to achieve their own weight-loss missions, perhaps it's time to encourage your own town to do the same. Start with these eight steps from award-winning health and science writer Sari Harrar.

1. Rethink the bake sale. Though school lunches have gotten healthier over the last few years, foods sold in vending machines, at fundraisers and at school events like sports matches haven't. Research has found that the unhealthy food available at these places contributes to childhood obesity. Offer to host a healthy-foods fundraiser (fruit kebabs, veggies and dip) or work with the parent group that runs food sales at events to find healthy alternatives. For more tips, go toDoSomething.org/ActNow/ActionGuide/Healthy-Bake-Sale.

2. Start a neighborhood walking group. Ask friends on your block to join you, then reach out to others. The camaraderie will keep you committed, and the sense of belonging to a group is a great health bonus. For a how-to-start video from the AARP, go to WalkingInfo.org/Videos/pubdetail.cfm?picid=54.

3. Organize a "walking school bus." If your child's school is within reasonable walking distance, volunteer to escort the kids on foot. Arrange with other parents along the way to pick up their kids at a set time and place. Go to CDC.gov/NCCDPHP/DNPA/KidsWalk/Resources.htm for a step-by-step guide. Also check out the National Center for Safe Routes to School ( SafeRoutesInfo.org), which helps parents, communities and schools develop safe and effective ways to get more kids (including those with disabilities) walking or riding 
bikes to school.

4. Turn the office "doughnut day" into fruit day. Instead of bringing in baked goods to "treat" everyone, pick one day a week on which everyone brings in a different fruit. Research shows that eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables is the best way to get disease-fighting antioxidants.

5. Connect your school with local farmers. Start by contacting local farms or farmers' market managers and talk to the principal and head of food services at your school to see if a program might be feasible. Then put together a "Farm to School" meeting. You can get meeting materials, including a sample agenda, from the National Farm to School Network ( FarmToSchool.org). There are also companies like Revolution Foods ( RevFoods.com) that provide healthy meals and nutrition education to schools; talk to school officials about them.

6. Bring health mentors into your high school. An organization called HealthCorps (HealthCorps.org) trains young adults and places them in high schools to help kids incorporate healthy habits into their lives. They teach a hands-on HealthCorps curriculum, which includes showing kids how to make healthy food choices and get enough physical activity. The mentors also work with school officials and students to make healthy changes in the community—such as creating school gardens, starting local farmers' markets, bringing healthier food to school vending machines, and more.

7. Become a community health worker. In the Steps to Health King County program, participating hospitals and clinics referred patients with diabetes or asthma to community health workers—local residents who have experience in managing these conditions (for themselves or a family member) and are trained to help others do the same. CHWs meet with patients to see how well they're doing and strategize improvements (by making sure they're using the inhaler correctly or helping them figure out how to fit more exercise into their day). They also help patients keep on top of doctors' appointments and refer them to community resources. Check with local and/or state health departments, hospitals and medical centers to see if they have a CHW program.

8. Start a community garden. Gardening is not only great exercise, it also encourages residents to incorporate the healthy herbs, fruit and vegetables they're growing into their diets. Find ideas on how to get started by visiting the American Community Gardening Association's website (CommunityGarden.org).

America's 10 Healthiest Cities
Want to get in shape? Check out one of these places!

The American College of Sports Medicine tabulated the health status of the 50 largest metropolitan areas in their annual American Fitness Index 2010 report. Their ratings analyzed levels of chronic disease, community resources and policies that support physical activity, access to healthcare, and how many residents engaged in stay-healthy habits including exercise.

1. Washington, DC

2. Boston

3. Minneapolis-St. Paul

4. Seattle

5. Portland, Oregon

6. Denver

7. Sacramento, California

8. San Francisco

9. Hartford, Connecticut

10. Austin, Texas

Read each city's success story here: How Three Cities Got Healthy.

Sari Harrar is an award-winning health and science writer whose work has appeared in numerous publications.

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The Key to Diet Success

Photo: © Shutterstock

What comes to mind for you when you hear the word diet? If you're like most people, you probably imagine eating carrot sticks, going to bed hungry, and giving up your favorite foods—and that's why so many diets fail. Most people just can't tolerate those kinds of restrictions for very long.

The more you try to eliminate your favorite foods, the more feelings of discomfort, deprivation and resentment build up. This can result in bingeing on all the foods you've been denying yourself, undoing all your hard work in a single day. But even if you can avoid that problem, are you willing to eat like a rabbit for the rest of your life?

Studies show that 95 percent of people who follow a highly restrictive diet to lose weight will put the weight back on when they return to "normal" eating again. So what's the alternative? How do you manage to lose weight without eliminating the problem foods and problem behaviors that made you overweight to begin with?

The alternative is moderation —in your eating and, perhaps most importantly, in your thinking.

What is Moderation?

On the surface, moderation simply means avoiding extremes. It involves finding strategies and habits that can be maintained over the long-term, without cycling between one extreme and the other.

At a deeper level, moderation is a commitment to balance and wholeness. It is rooted in the recognition that each person has many different (and often competing) needs, desires, abilities, and goals. Living up to your full potential means finding ways to incorporate all of them into your decision-making processes and choices.

Practicing moderation in your weight loss program begins with practical strategies, such as counting calories, measuring portions, learning about your nutritional needs, and planning healthy meals. Achieving a reasonable rate of weight loss (about 1-2 pounds per week) by combining a tolerable calorie restriction with exercise is the moderate way to go. Fad diets, eliminating food groups, severely cutting calories and using diet pills are just as extreme as completely denying yourself foods that you enjoy.

The idea is to follow a healthy, balanced, and enjoyable nutrition and fitness plan that you can stick with—for life. There's no "ending the diet" or going back to "normal" eating or anything that will cause you to regain the weight you've lost. When you reach your goal weight, all you need to do is gradually increase your caloric intake to a level where you can maintain your weight loss.

Sounds simple, right?

Like many things, it's not quite as easy as it sounds. Chances are…you want results quickly. And you probably know that your current routine is problematic in one or more ways—too much fast food, sugar, or fat and not enough physical activity. Your natural inclination is going to be making big, sweeping changes to your diet and activity level right away.

In short, everything in you is clamoring for a very anti-moderate approach. You're primed to play the extreme diet game, even though your odds of winning are less than five percent.

Moderate Your Thinking

To rescue yourself from your own impatience (and the clutches of the diet industry that feeds on it), you need to moderate your thinking. Here are two core concepts that will help you do that:

Concept #1: Food is not the enemy. There are no "good" or "bad" foods. True, some foods offer you a better nutritional deal than others. Refined sugar, for example, provides calories for energy but no other nutrients, while fruit is sweet but also provides vitamins and fiber in a low-calorie package. But refined sugar isn't evil or bad—it can have a place in a healthy diet. It's important to know what you need nutritionally and where you can find it, so you can take charge of balancing your needs for pleasure, nutrition, and fuel.

The Payoff: When you stop labeling foods as good or bad, diet or non-diet, you won't feel guilty when you eat a food that isn't on your "approved" list. Instead you'll have more energy to learn about nutrition and improve your ability to make informed choices. And you won't have to give up your favorite treats if you find ways to work them into your meal plans so they don't interfere with your health goals. Without the guilt and deprivation, you'll be able to break the pattern of cravings, emotional swings, and binges that defeats so many diets. Without all those "diet" rules to follow, you'll learn to trust your own instincts and make good judgments.

Concept #2: Progress—not perfection—is important. To be successful, you don't have to always make perfect decisions and have perfect days where things go exactly as you planned. If you eat more or exercise less than you wanted to one day, you can make up for it over the next several days if you want, or you can just chalk it up to experience and move on. Remind yourself that what happens on any one day is not going to make or break your whole effort. This is not a contest or a race, where every little misstep could mean the difference between winning and losing. It's your life—and you'll enjoy it a lot more when you can keep the daily ups and downs of your eating and exercise routine in perspective.

The Payoff: By refusing to be a perfectionist, you can take most of the stress out of weight loss. You'll see small problems as what they are—very small problems, not major calamities that mean you've blown it. You'll be able to find pleasure and satisfaction in the fact you're learning as you go and doing a little better all the time. No more making things worse because your perfectionism caused you to write off the rest of the day or week after one little slip.

There are many more ways practicing moderation can help you both with weight loss and with creating your healthy lifestyle. Be sure to check out the new Wellness Resource Center for additional ideas on how to balance your life and meet all of your needs.

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