By Elena Voropay

Low-fat low-carb foods are the diet staple of the new millennium. So, what in the world could possible be wrong with eating these? The problem is two-fold: portions size and number of calories. Research has shown that people who are aware that the food is low in fat or low in carbs make the assumption that it is low in calories and tend to eat more of it. Treating these foods as if they were calorie-free foods sets up a fertile ground for uncontrolled appetite and gets you further away from your weight loss goal. If you are obsessed with counting your intake of dietary fat and carbohydrates, you may be in denial about how many calories you actually eat. In this case most assume that choosing such diet foods sets them free from worry about portion size or total calories. What's more, most dieters are not aware of the hidden dangers found in the foods they think are diet-friendly and healthy. Here we reveal you the truth.

Fats contain approximately double the amount of calories per gram than carbohydrates or protein (9 vs 4 respectively), making them a much more concentrated form of energy. It makes sense that if you eat a lot of fat you are more likely to put on weight by eating fatty foods than sugary foods. What you may not know is that a lot of these foods have more calories than their full-fat versions due to high sugar content contributing to rise of the hormone insulin that sends all the calories you eat to your spare tire.

Pasta

 Myth: Pasta is fat-free, so it wouldn't make you fat.

Reality: Pasta may be extremely low in fat, but with more than 40 grams of carbs per one-cup serving, a small bowl can quickly push your calories way above the diet limit. Most pastas are made from processed white flour which has been stripped from all the fiber and nutrients that could've helped you lose weight. Another problem with pasta is that it is quite tasteless without full-bodied butter and flavor- enriching sauce – and these additions really add up. A single plate of pasta with sauce can be up to 600 calories. Diet, anyone?

Verdict: Choose a fist-sized portion of whole wheat, spelt, rye or buckwheat pasta with vegetables, meat, a bit of olive oil and tomato paste and plenty of fresh herbs for 300-calorie complete lunch or dinner.

Rice Cakes

Myth: Fat-free and low in calories, this diet food is your answer for snacks.

Reality: Traditionally considered a health food, rice cakes contain considerable amounts of high glycemic index carbohydrates causing a rapid rise in your blood sugar level. These simple carbs may stimulate unwanted fat storage and slow your body's fat-burning process. Being fat-free, rice cakes may actually be a problem because the satiety factor of eating a bag of these is very low, so you don't know when to stop putting them in your mouth and end up eating more calories than you originally intended. With just five rice cakes you'll down up to 300 empty calories and still be hungry.

Verdict: Go for whole wheat crackers with hummos to get a healthy snack loaded with protein and fiber.

Fruit Juices

 Myth: Fruit juices are nutritious and delicious naturally fat-free diet drinks.

Reality: All fruit and berries are loaded with vitamins, minerals and important enzymes that may assist your weight-loss goal in the long run. But only if you eat these in moderation and in the whole form. Fruit juice is high in calories and sugar. Notably, one primary sugar found in fruit juice is fructose, which has some unique characteristics that cause it to be stored as fat. And most fruit juices offer the squeezed liquid and filter the pulp from fruit. The pulp is actually the most beneficial part of fruit when it comes to weight-loss. It has soluble fiber known to give you satiety and fullness that control the appetite and total caloric intake and lower the levels of fattening hormone insulin. Watch out for serving sizes – a large cup of juice may have six fruit servings and over 500 calories that will raise your blood sugar and fattening insulin through the roof!

Verdict: Eat the whole fruit, one at a time, with some nuts or seeds to slow digestion, increase satiety and improve metabolism. If you are looking for liquid, take water with a splash of lemon– zero refreshing calories.

Cereal

Myth: Cereal is low in fat, contain whole grains, so it's a healthy breakfast food.

Reality: Lots of healthy oats, but they're coated with plenty of sugar and filled with more artery-clogging fat than you'd get in a McDonnell's hamburger. Again, it is all the additional components that you find in a box of cereal that make whole grains taste good and keep you reaching for more. We bet you didn't know that small one cup serving of granola can have up 27g of fat and 550 calories! If you add a cup of milk, you are way above your diet breakfast limit.

Verdict: Take bran cereals rich in fiber, low in sugar and fat to give you a boost and sustain your energy level for longer. With a bowl of bran cereal and a cup of milk you can easily get 10g of fiber, 10g of protein, just 20g of healthy low-GI carbs – all under 300 calories.

Limit your carbs – and you'll be skinny, right? In theory it is possible, but the practice shows otherwise. Since brain works only on sugar, not giving your brain what it cries for would keep you hungry all the time. To satisfy intolerable hunger most low-carbers indulge in larger portions of protein and fat-rich foods, gobbling on thousands of calories a day as a result. And where do you think all these calories will go to? They will not evaporate, that's for sure, and most likely are going to end up on your hips and waist.

Steak

Myth: Steak is made of protein, has no carbs, so it will not raise insulin and will help lose weight.

Reality: Carbs count comes to zero, but check out the fat and calories. A typical innocent looking 250g steak may contain up to 920 calories and 80g of fat! And that is without sauce, chips, salad or drink of any kind. Even if you eat nothing else at this meal, which is quite doubtful, you are getting over half of your daily caloric limit in one sitting.

Verdict: Order grilled fish, chicken breast or lean steak cuts for under 300 calories per 150g serving.

Salad

 Myth: Salad is a low-carb low-fat nutritious food recommended on any diet.

Reality: Fresh veggies are fine, but check out the dressing, croutons, cheese and other fillings! Not only will these add substantial amount of fat, they will upgrade sugar and carb status of any healthy salad. Take a cup of popular Caesar Salad – a small 1 ½ cup tub has 600 calories and whopping 45g of fat!

Verdict: For a low-fat low-carb salad with protein choose grilled chicken breast garden salad with lemon juice or balsamic vinegar and a teaspoon of olive oil.

Deli Meats

 Myth: Full of complete protein, no-carb foods are great diet foods.

Reality: Many commercially available deli meats are high in fat and sodium and some may also contain plenty of sugar. In particular, avoid marbled cold cuts such as salami, as their fat content is higher. Also watch out for devon, spam, and processed meat rolls as they are mixed with additional lard, starch and sugar. Just three slices of such meats provide 25g of fat and up to 400 calories.

Verdict: If you have no other option but to eat deli meats, choose low-fat items like lean turkey and chicken. Better yet, take grilled fish.

Yogurt

 Myth: Yogurt is full of protein and friendly bacteria, low in fat is a must-have in the fridge for any weight- and health-conscious nut.

Reality: Made of dairy, yogurt has complete protein, but it also has carbs and sugars coming mainly from milk sugar lactose. Add to the natural taste the sweetness of fruit and whatever else they put in yoghurt to make it taste like 'peaches from heaven', and you get a real dessert chock-full of sugar and processed fruit stripped of its natural vitamins. Even if you buy a tub and serve yourself, you are more likely to eat two to three servings in one sitting because the serving sizes listed on the container are extremely small and show minimal caloric value. So, what do we get for an average a 1 ½ cup serving? Up to 300 calories, 25g of sugar and 10g of fat.

Verdict: Mix low-fat cottage and/or ricotta cheese with all natural yogurt, add a few strawberries or banana slices, a teaspoon of honey, sprinkle with toasted oatmeal for nutty crunch – and diet dessert voila!

Conclusion: If you really want to lose weight in a sensible way and keep it off you have to learn how to make fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans taste good by cooking with herbs, spices, bouillon, tomato juice, wine and sweetening with fruits and honey.