Weight Loss Myths
Most people think nutrition is really confusing, but if you want weight loss, choosing the right diet plan isn’t that hard. The most important thing you need to do is match your weight loss diet with your personality and your day-to-day environment. But that brings up conflict with some of the biggest nutrition myths you might have heard about.
Myth #1 – You can eat all the fat free food you want for weight loss.
Most fat free foods contain a lot of sugar and calories, and it is easy to over-eat these foods. They were very popular for weight loss in the 1990’s, and included the classic fat free Snackwells cookies. Unfortunately, many people learned the hard way that these fat free foods were not good for weight loss.
MYTH #2: Dramatically reducing your calorie intake works.
This myth is similar to the one above except it differs in the idea of going on crash diets that have you eating less than a thousand calories or so per day. Just as in the example above, this can lead to lethargy, nutritional deficiencies and it’s likely you’ll end up binging because the self-control required to maintain this kind of diet won’t last long, unless you are a Spartan.
MYTH #3: Gut-Wrenching Exercise Shrinks Your Gut.
This is another myth that will likely end up in you quiting your program altogether. That’s because it takes incredible discipline to maintain. Most people who have a weight problem do not have super discipline and will have to gently shift into exercise and then incrementally increase exercise intensity. Going straight into a high intensity exercise program could even lead to health issues as it’s too much of a shock on the body. Please consult with your doctor or physician before engaging in strenuous exercise.
MYTH #4: Eating healthy is expensive.
Do the maths and you’ll see, that eating more fruits and vegetables in lieu of ice cream, snacks and calorie packed beverages will definitely save you money.
MYTH #5: Diet pills will work to make you lose weight.
When it comes to the subject of diet pills, it’s a mixed bag. They’re often marketed as a panacea, the answer to your dream of being slim and appealing. Some may work to a degree, but most diet pills leave you feeling jittery and may have other side-effects. The bottom line is, a diet pill alone will not be the sole answer to your weight loss goals. What truly works is watching your diet and exercise and believing you deserve to achieve that goal.
MYTH #6: Stop the snacking and you’ll start slimming down.
At first glance this may seem like it has to be true but only to a degree. The problem is what are you snacking on? If you’re eating a pint of ice cream or a bag of chips or something similar in between meals or especially after dinner then this is 100% true. However if you snack on things such as fruit or vegetables, or protein bars or something not as calorie and fat laden then you’re doing your body good by maintaining healthy energy levels and metabolism.
MYTH #7: The best way to lose weight is by skipping meals.
This too might seem like an obvious idea, after all your weight comes from the food you eat so if you dramatically lessen carb and calorie intake then you should see results, right? Wrong. Skipping meals will only leave you feeling lethargic and cause nutritional deficiencies and may slow your metabolism down. It’s best to eat several smaller meals throughout the day.
