I've never been a big fan of diet drinks (I prefer good old water)， and now I'm glad.

    A study conducted by the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio followed over six hundred people ranging from twenty-five to sixty-four years old for up to eight years and found that those drinking diet soda — even as little as one can or bottle a day — did not lose weight and were significantly more likely to become overweight than those who drank regular soft drinks or none at all. How can this be?

    No one knows for sure, but scientists think that artificial sweeteners, perhaps even the caramel coloring, may muddle brain chemistry. The brain in a sense gets a reward, and the desire for more sweets is intensified. The more of these fake sweet products you eat or drink, the more sweets you want.
    我对节食饮料从来不热衷，只喜欢纯水，如今我深感庆幸。

   位于圣安东尼奥的德克萨斯州立大学健康科学中心对年龄层在25-64岁的600人进行了八年的研究，发现那些喝减肥汽水的人，及时他们只喝一点点、一天只喝一瓶，并没有比喝普通饮料或完全不喝饮料的人有显著的减肥效果。这是为什么？

    没人知道答案，但科学家们认为人工甜味剂甚至焦糖色素可能对大脑化学造成紊乱。大脑得到一个鼓励信号，吃更多甜食的想法被强化。你吃喝的假甜食越多，你就会越想吃甜味的东西。

　　7、You Can Lose More in Cold Weather 冷天让你减更多

　　Some people swear they gain more weight in the wintertime. Frankly, I think it's because we're not quite as active in winter. But the reality is, your metabolism revs up to keep your body warm in cold temperatures. This may mean marginally more calorie expenditure each day.
    一些人声称他们在冬天容易长肉。老实说，我想那是因为在冬天我们动的少。事实是，冬天里你的新陈代谢会加快，以维持正常体温。这能让人体每天消耗更多热量。

　　8、Yo-Yo Dieting Won't Wreck Your Metabolism 急速减肥不会破坏新陈代谢

　　Because of all the ups and downs I've experienced with my weight through the years, I was afraid that dieting might have messed with my metabolism. Now I've learned I don't have anything to worry about. While extremely low-cal diets temporarily lower your metabolism, recent studies suggest that the effects don't last.

    Researchers in Canada looked at fifty-two overweight women who'd been dieting on and off for an average of eighteen years. They measured the women's resting metabolic rate, then compared those numbers with what their metabolism was expected to be based on their weights, heights, and ages. The result: There was no difference between actual and predicted metabolic rates in all but four dieters. So even if you've lost and regained weight countless times, don't give up. Yo-yo diets don't hurt you; they just don't get you anywhere.
    这些年减肥事起起伏伏，让我很担心自己的新陈代谢系统会紊乱。现在我知道并不需要担心太多。极度的低热量节食会一时减缓新陈代谢，但近期研究也表明这一现象并不会持续下去。

    加拿大科学家对52名在平均18年里反复减肥的超重女性进行了研究，发现和根据她们年龄、身高、体重计算出来的新陈代谢速率相比，除了四名正在节食的女性之外，其他人静止时的新陈代谢率并无二致。所以，即使你的体重无数次下降又回升，不要放弃。急速减肥不会伤害到你，只是并非什么时候都管用罢了。

　　9、There's No Need to Shun Red Meat on a Low-Fat Diet 不用为了节食戒红肉

　　While it's true that prime and choice grades of meat are high in fat, lean cuts with fewer than 30 percent calories as fat are available. When buying meat, it's best to look for "select" grades of lean cuts like top round and tenderloin as well as extra-lean ground beef. They are among the lowest in fat.
    虽然确实特选或精选肉类脂肪含量很高，但脂肪含量30%的瘦肉块是可以吃的。卖肉的时候，最好注意下瘦肉的类别，内大腿肉、里脊肉、精瘦牛肉馅是最好的选择。它们脂肪含量最低。

　　10、Diets Do Work 节食是有用的

　　The phrase diets don't work has been drummed into us by book titles, advertising slogans, and other such mantras. But the truth is, you can lose weight following pretty much every diet on the bookstore shelf. The problem is that unless the diet fits your lifestyle, it's bound to fail, and your weight will creep back on. You want a diet you can live with.

    If you like sandwiches for lunch, for example, you'll have trouble sticking to a low-carb diet. If you hate counting calories and find it much easier to follow rules — like avoiding carbs — Atkins may be for you. And if you really love your olive oil, the Mediterranean diet is more appealing than a true low-fat diet. If you're trying to lose weight, you have to exercise your options.
    好多书名、广告标语和类似地方都鼓吹节食不能减肥。但事实上，书店里任何一本节食书都能让你减掉体重。问题在于除非节食方法适合你的生活方式，否则必然会失败。

    比如说，如果你喜欢中午吃三明治，坚持低碳节食法就会有难度。如果你讨厌计算卡路里，喜欢遵守条目，比如避免碳水化合物，阿特金斯节食法就很适合你。如果你热爱橄榄油，地中海式减肥法比低脂节食更有效。想减肥，你就得弄清自己的选择。