One theory is as incredible as it is tasty: eat ice cream to lose weight. If only this were true! The rationalization is that it takes energy (measured in calories) to warm up the cold ice cream that you ingest. If this holds true then, logically, your body is consuming energy while you enjoy your frozen treat thus facilitating weight loss. Sounds plausible right? Wrong! Your body does indeed require energy to warm up ice cream, and also to digest it. Any action the body takes requires energy- from walking around, to blinking. This part is basic physics applied to physiology. Unfortunately, eating ice cream (even the low fat version), takes in far more calories than our bodies use to warm and digest it. Ice cream cannot form a substitute for healthy eating and exercise, we still have to limit our dessert intake.

Sometimes ice water is recommended in place of ice cream. It has no calories, so clearly it's better than ice cream when it comes to weight loss. “Does this substitution work?” I hear you ask with bated breath. Sadly no. Even though it has no calories, the energy that your body uses to warm ice water to body temperature is negligible in terms its effect on weight loss. Water does however have some positive qualities that may aid in weight loss. Sometimes the body misinterprets slight dehydration as hunger. When this is the case, drinking water will help re-hydrate the body and prevent you from feeling that you need to fill the hole in your tummy with a snack. The other positive is that water, as previously mentioned, has no calories and therefore it trumps soda or even fruit juice when trying to lose weight. Just be sure not to drink too much water as this can cause an imbalance in your cells. Remember that approximately eight glasses of water a day (depending on activity and the weather) is usually a safe bet. Consult your general practitioner if you need more information.

The other popular myth is that adding a pound of muscle makes the body burn an extra 50 calories. Apart from not being true, this statement is unqualified and is therefore meaningless. An “extra 50 calories” over how long? Just sitting requires approximately 70 calories per hour. As mentioned before, the body requires energy to perform all tasks- maintaining internal temperature, repairing cells, pumping blood, etc.

A pound of muscle will burn at most a dozen calories per hour. However, adding muscle is indeed a good idea- to do so your body must exert a lot of effort- through running, weight training, or other vigorous exercise. Mild exercise, such as walking, tones rather than building muscle. The average man will burn about 350 calories in an hour long workout.
Vigorous exercise raises the metabolic rate for a day, which in turn burns about 250 calories more than without vigorous exercise. A brisk walk will also raise the metabolic rate, but at a far lower level. In order to prevent injury, it is a good idea to workout every other day and to walk on the non-workout days. The muscles will be kept toned and stretched. It will also help prevent a buildup of lactic acid, which causes sore muscles and cramps.

The reality is that if you take in more calories than your body uses, the remaining energy is stored. Generally, this stored energy takes the form of chemical bonds in fatty tissue. When your body requires more energy than you have supplied, it will turn to those fat stores in order to get the needed energy. This in turn leads to lower fat in the body and to weight loss. In order to lose weight in a healthy manner, the combination of proper diet and adequate exercise remains the only method.