10 Weight Loss Myths That You Should Not Believe

10 Weight Loss MythsMany people are not able to lose weight because they rely upon bad weight loss advice.

There are numerous false weight loss theories propagated especially on the ‘internet world’ and print media. These false weight reduction methods have been proved to have little effect on weight management in the long run.

In this article, I would like to bring to your notice ten most common myths about weight loss that are generally thought to be true by many.

1. Weight Loss Supplements Work For Weight Reduction

One of the most lucrative health products popularly marketed are the weight loss supplements.

There are many kinds of supplements claiming to shed multiple pounds of body weight within a matter of few days.  However, most users of such supplements have never achieved any lasting weight loss results.

The people who desperately want to lose weight often fall prey to the marketing gimmicks of the companies selling supplements.

Of course, some of them work initially on some people because of the placebo effects and for psychological reasons. Some amount of weight loss may also happen as most diet pill consumers become naturally conscious of what they eat.

There are a few weight loss supplements that can provide modest weight loss results.

But it must be noted here that the supplements alone will never bring about any magical weight loss result unless they are combined with healthy diets and high-intensity workouts.

2. Eat Less And Do More Exercises To Lose Weight

One of the most common advice on weight loss every Tom, Dick, and Harry gives is about ‘eating less food and doing more exercises to lose weight’.

This suggestion is based on the common understanding ‘to lose fat more calories need to be burned and fewer calories to be eaten’.

It is true that weight loss occurs when calories expenditure is much more than the calories acquired. So the common argument, ‘eat less and move more’ seems to be justifiable.

However, this advice is not going to work for people who are suffering from severe obesity. 

By following the above advice one might experience weight loss at the initial periods but will end up gaining more weights after a period. This happens because of certain biological and psychological reasons.[1]Right methods For Weight Loss

Simply just eating less is not the solution, but eating right kinds of food is important for weight loss.

Same way, by just walking or jogging one will not lose much weight. To lose weight one need to do various kinds of high-intensity workouts in a routine manner and different sets of exercises needed to be rotated from time to time.

‘Eat less and exercise more’ is an effective slogan for weight loss.

3. Eating High Fat Food Causes Weight Gain

Mostly the excess amount of fat stored in the body causes the weight gain.

It is a logical reason to think that eating fat adds more fat to the body, and this leads to weight gain.

However, eating fat NOT necessarily will make you fat if your daily calories intake is within the limit.  It is the calorie-rich foods that prevent you from losing weight.

Some studies have shown low-carb diets with rich fat content actually, can cause weight loss. It is just contrary to the generally believe that all fats are bad for weight loss.[2]

However, a mixture of fatty foods with a high-carb and high-calories diet such as the junk foods will certainly cause weight gain in people.

Moderate amount of fat intake does not affect the weight gain, but bad fats could become harmful to the health of the heart.

4. Skipping Breakfasts Is Good For Weight Loss  

Many people skip breakfast for two reasons. First of all, they think it will help them to lose weight. Secondly, the weekdays’ mornings are rush hours for many to reach their workplace and do not get enough time to have a sumptuous breakfast. 

However, some of the weight loss studies specifically indicate that breakfast skippers tend to gain more weight than those who have a healthy breakfast every day. It was also found that people who sipped breakfast have increased tendency for binge eating and snacking in the later part of the day.[3,4]Benefits Of Breakfast For Weight Loss

The people who eat breakfast are more likely to have healthy eating habits than those who don’t. 

A protein-rich breakfast helps a person to stay active with reduced pangs of hunger and also helps in reduced intake of food during lunch and between the meals.

5. Carbohydrate-Rich Foods Are Bad For Weight Loss

Everyone agrees with the proven fact that the low-carb diets are necessary for weight reduction.[5,6]

However, total rejection of carbohydrate diets are not healthy and will not help with weight loss either.

What is important is the conscious calorie restriction without upsetting the daily calorie requirements of the body. For better weight loss results, it is ideal to have a balanced mixture of high-protein and low-carb diets.[7,8]

Carbohydrate is not bad for health as human beings had been surviving primarily on carb since the best known periods of human history.

It is actually the over-consumption of refined carbs such as processed grains and sugar are specifically linked to the weight gain issues.

In fact, the high-carb ‘whole foods’ do not cause weight gain like high-carb processed foods.

Carbohydrate is essential for the body to meet the required calorie supply to the body, but it is the excess consumption of high-carb foods that triggers the weight gain issues.

6. “Diet” Foods And Beverages Helps In Weight Loss

You can find a variety of packaged foods and beverages labeled and marketed as ‘diet’ foods.

For example, you will come across foods’ packets labeled as ‘gluten-free foods’, ‘sugar-free’, ‘low-fat-foods’, ‘energy drinks’, ‘Vitamin-water’, etc.

These foods just cannot be taken for their labels’ face value. The health claims and labels on them are more deceiving than their actual effectiveness.

The companies really lie to you to sell their products. You will find no difference in weight loss even after having them regularly; and in some cases, they would even add more weight to your body.

Beware of the falsely labeled ‘healthy foods’. They are just another form of processed foods with nothing so healthy about them.

7. All Types Of Calories Result In Weight Gain

Basically, the calorie is a measure of energy contained in food. Every single calorie has an equal amount of energy.

But the difference lies in the source of the calories. Calories from different sources of foods are NOT equally processed and absorbed by the body.

Our digestive system is a quite complex mechanism. Different types of food choose different metabolic pathways, and they produce different effects on hormones that control the body weight and feeling of hunger.good calories that help in faster weight loss

Just, for example, the effects calorie got from the protein is not equal to the calorie from carb or fat.

The calorie from protein has a better effect in boosting metabolism and appetite suppression than those got from carbohydrates and fat. The protein also helps in enhanced functioning of hormones that regulate the body weight.[9,10,11]

The calories from whole-grain foods are more filling than the calorie from processed foods. Eating fresh fruits is also a healthier option than drinking fruit juices.

8. All Fast Foods Are Bad For Weight Loss

Generalization of all fast-foods as bad is not correct.

Many of the fast-food chains do have a few healthy food options on their menu. Many of the established fast-food chains have invested a lot to cater to the needs of increasingly health-conscious customers.

Customers’ personal awareness of what is healthy and unhealthy has a lot to do with the right choice of foods.

Just, for example, a chicken salad, a steak, or a hamburger minus the bun could be a healthy choice of food at a fast food chain.

When some of the customers are more concerned about the cost than the actual healthiness of the food, then it begins to have adverse effects on weight loss for them.

Getting addicted to Pizzas and French fries has more to do with your weight gain than condemning the fast food chains.  

9. Dieting Really Works For Weight Loss

There are so much of discussions and write-ups on ‘diets,’ we are just made to believe that diets work for weight loss.

Many weight loss studies show that dieting is not a long-term option for weight management.  Most people who diet have experienced reverse effects within a year.[12]

People who go on a diet are putting themselves into a danger of gaining weight quickly when little changes are made in their daily diets.

Dieting is perfect if you are looking for fast weight loss at a short period, but in the long run, the body will stop responding to the diets and this result in weight gain.[13]

Mindless dieting can also affect your health sooner than you imagine. You should be more concerned about healthy foods and lifestyle with ample amount of daily physical exercise to maintain a healthy body than being overly worried about diets.

10. All Obese People Are Unhealthy

There is no doubt that obese people are more prone to diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and other illness.[14,15,16]

However, it does not mean that all obese people are unhealthy. You will certainly find several obese persons who are metabolically healthy and free of diseases. You will also find many slim people who are suffering from diseases commonly associated with obese persons.[17]

All fat storages in the body are not bad. The worst kind of fat build up that cause metabolic diseases are the belly fat and fats accumulation in and around the internal organs.[18]

On the contrary, the fat storage under the skin and limbs of the body will not cause any serious health problems except its effect on your bad appearance.

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