If you’re trying to lose weight, there is a wealth of information to search through—both online and offline. It can all be extremely confusing at times trying to discern what’s true and what’s not. So let’s look at seven of the weight loss myths and truths before your goals get destroyed.
Myth #1: Your Weight is Determined by Your Genes
According to scientific research, relatives are likely to have the same body weight; however, that doesn’t mean you’re doomed to be fat if your parents or grandparents are that way. People that have a slender family tree might not gain weight as easily as those with a chubby family tree. Yet, if you fit into the latter family tree, that shouldn’t keep you from exercising and eating healthy. The two essential factors that will affect your weight are your activity level and your calorie intake. So using genetics as your excuse to quit won’t work.
Myth #2: Stay Away from All Fats.
We all know that eating a lot of fat is connected to risks of illness like cancer. Saturated and Trans fats are the bad fats. But to have a healthy body, we really need some fat. Good fats, like unsaturated fats, can aid you toward eating less by helping you to feel fuller for a greater length of time; these good fats also soak up vital nutrients. Nuts, for example, are a food that’s considered fatty but they’re healthy for you because it’s loaded with the good fat.
Myth #3: Adhering to a Strict Diet Will Increase Your Metabolism
Your metabolism can’t be altered simply by sticking to a specific diet. Exercise is what will make your metabolism speed up and to exercise, your body needs food to fuel it. If you’re doing one of those fad diets, your body may not be getting the required calories which will cause you to be too weak to exercise successfully. What you’ll end up with is a sluggish metabolism.
Myth #4: Refrain from Eating Carbs
Actually, the truth is you should enjoy a wide variety of foods while eating fewer calories. To attain your weight loss goal, just keep an eye on your calorie intake; don’t avoid any food groups. Part of your balanced diet can include rice, fruit, bread, pasta and cereal; so never shy away from eating them, just eat them in moderation. Select complex carbs, like beans and whole grains, instead of refined carbs—processed foods—whenever you can.
Myth #5: You Can’t Eat Sweets if You Want to Lose Weight
Since delicious treats normally have a large amount of calories, this can be great advice. Yet, many people end up failing their diet because they forbid themselves to have a reward. You don’t have to get rid of your treats completely—you can have that cake; just enjoy a smaller piece. Denying yourself any craved sweets could get you into the “binge eating” trap. So, go ahead, enjoy Oreos once a week or whatever sweet you’re longing for—just in smaller quantities.
Myth #6: A Good Method for Cutting Calories is to Skip Meals
If you’re a meal skipper, you’re apt to put on weight instead of lose it. Why? Your metabolism will slow down when you miss a meal. If you omit breakfast or lunch, you could end up overeating later on in the evening to make up for that missed meal. So, instead of skipping whole meals, cut out some calories from every meal. How? Search for low-calorie options to what you usually eat and control your portions.
Myth #7: Eating Late is a Bad Idea
Keep in mind that weight loss is all about calorie consumption; so while this may seem like it should be a tip, it’s really a myth. As long as you don’t go beyond your number of allowed daily calories, it’s okay to have that healthy snack late at night—just make sure you eat it one hour prior to bedtime; otherwise those calories won’t have a chance to burn off. However, take heed, if you’re snacking due to a craving you’ve had all day or week for a certain food, you could fall prey to late night binge eating. So use common sense and satisfy your craving in moderation.
Myth #8: Trendy Diets are Successful
Well, this is true to a point—these fad diets work for only a short period. Think of it this way: do you want to lose 20 pounds for only one month? No; when you shed those pounds you want to keep them off. A few diets that are very low-calorie or low-carb do have positive results such as Medifast or the Atkins Diet. But for the most part, many craze diets should be avoided.
Basically, if you just stick to a good eating and fitness plan that you can tolerate and works for you, you’ll achieve your weight loss goals. Remember, losing weight isn’t just a short-term alteration, it’s a lifestyle change.
Teri
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