Weight Loss Myths

There is a lot of misinformation out there about weight loss. Here are some of the myths that can make losing weight a lot more difficult than it should be.

Myth: Low-fat diets help to lose weight.


Fact: Actually the low-fat diet is one of the reasons for the high rate of obesity! 
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Myth: Eating less calories is the key to losing weight.

Fact: Actually eating less calories can turn your body into starvation mode and lead to weight gain. It’s not about eating less calories as much as it’s about eating the right less calories.

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Myth: Walking every day helps to burn fat.

Fact: Walking is good for your cardiovascular system, and is a good way to get into the habit of exercise. Walking is also a good way to loosen up and warm up your muscles, but walking doesn’t burn fat.

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Myth: Working with a dietitian will help to lose weight.

Fact: Dietitians may know more than you, but many of them are out-dated in their thinking. In fact, many of them subscribe to many of these myths. You should interview your dietitian before paying them your hard-earned money.

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Myth: Following one of the famous weight loss programs will help me to lose weight.

Fact: These weight loss programs can work as long as you follow their rules, but they also subscribe to many of these myths. One of the advantages though is that these programs provide structure to your life, and some provide pretty good meals – to get you started and going in the right direction..

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Myth: High-protein/low-carbohydrate diets are a healthy way to lose weight.

Fact: The long-term health effects of a high-protein/low-carbohydrate diet are unknown. But getting most of your daily calories from high-protein foods like meat, eggs, and cheese is not a balanced eating plan. 

You may be eating too much fat and cholesterol, which may raise heart disease risk. You may be eating too few fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, which may lead to constipation due to lack of dietary fiber. Following a high-protein/low-carbohydrate diet may also make you feel nauseous, tired, and weak. 

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Myth: Certain foods, like grapefruit, celery, or cabbage soup, can burn fat and make you lose weight.

Fact: No foods can burn fat. Some foods with caffeine may speed up your metabolism (the way your body uses energy, or calories) for a short time, but they do not cause weight loss.

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Myth: Eating after 8 p.m. causes weight gain.

Fact: It does not matter what time of day you eat. It is what and how much you eat and how much physical activity you do during the whole day that determines whether you gain, lose, or maintain your weight. No matter when you eat, your body will store extra calories as fat.

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Myth: Skipping meals is a good way to lose weight.

Fact: Studies show that people who skip breakfast and eat fewer times during the day tend to be heavier than people who eat a healthy breakfast and eat four or five times a day. This may be because people who skip meals tend to feel hungrier later on, and eat more than they normally would. It may also be that eating many small meals throughout the day helps people control their appetites.

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Myth: Lifting weights is not good to do if you want to lose weight, because it will make you “bulk up.”

Fact: Lifting weights or doing strengthening activities like push-ups and crunches on a regular basis can actually help you maintain or lose weight. These activities can help you build muscle, and muscle burns more calories than body fat. So if you have more muscle, you burn more calories—even sitting still. Doing strengthening activities 2 or 3 days a week will not “bulk you up.” Only intense strength training, combined with a certain genetic background, can build very large muscles.

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Myth: Nuts are fattening and you should not eat them if you want to lose weight.

Fact: In small amounts, nuts can be part of a healthy weight-loss program. Nuts are high in calories and fat. However, most nuts contain healthy fats that do not clog arteries. Nuts are also good sources of protein, dietary fiber, and minerals including magnesium and copper.

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Myth: Spot reduction exercises work for reducing belly fat.

Fact: Contrary to what the infomercials suggest there is no such thing as spot reduction. Fat is lost throughout the body in a pattern dependent upon genetics, sex (hormones), and age. Overall body fat must be reduced to lose fat in any particular area. Although fat is lost or gained throughout the body it seems the first area to get fat, or the last area to become lean, is the midsection (in men and some women, especially after menopause) and hips and thighs (in women and few men). Sit-ups, crunches, leg-hip raises, leg raises, etc. will only exercise the muscles under the fat.

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Myth: You have to do cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.

Fact: It doesn't matter when you exercise - as long as you exercise intensely and consistently. Focus on relatively high-intensity workouts to increase your metabolism for as many hours after exercise as possible. That is best done with interval training and resistance training.

Note: Exercising in the morning is a good thing because the day won't get in the way of your exercise regimen. If you exercise in the evening, a lot of things tend to happen that get in the way.
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Summary

As you can see, there are quite a few myths and misunderstandings about weight loss that can explain why you are struggling with losing weight. The bottom line here is that having the proper knowledge is one of the keys to achieving successful weight loss. So, let’s get started on acquiring that proper knowledge and on your journey to better health.