Weight Loss Diet Myths : You know how your girlfriends and grandmoms emphasize on the basic rules of dieting so you could lose some pounds? Apparently, those rules turn out to be myths, and are said to do nothing but only harm to your health, or worse, it makes you gain weight instead. You see them floating about everywhere, be it magazines or online blogs, sometimes even newspapers. Guess what? This time, HNBT debunks to you the top 10 myths of weight loss diet.
10 Weight Loss Diet Myths Busted
#Myth 1 : Starvation, the easiest method for weight loss
Or perhaps stomach ulcers? Starving yourself, or fasting will only help you lose fluid weight in your body. What you must first learn is that, when you’re starving, your metabolism slows down thereby making your body go into conservation mode which burns your calories more slowly. Besides, starvation is directly associated to formation of stomach ulcers, which will only make your health deteriorate. It also triggers side effects such as nausea, fatigue, anemia and so forth. Now why would you starve and trouble yourself?
Also read : How To Lose 20 Pounds Fast?
#Myth 2 : Eating After 8.00pm makes you gain weight
This is one of the highly practiced diet myths. Basically, it is all the matter of what you eat, not when you eat. Of course, a lot of blogs, magazines and not to forget mothers, say that calories you consume late in the evening, or after 8.00pm will be stored as fat due to lack of physical activities. All you have to do is watch your calories intake throughout the whole day and then make sure not to exceed your limit.
Also read : How To Get Rid Of Belly Fat?
#Myth 3 : Fat means bad
Not all fat is bad for you. In fact, fat is what that gives you energy and keeps your body warm. The good fat, which is polyunsaturated fat cannot be made by the body, thus needs to obtained through foods such as vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, fatty fish and even avocados. They are composed of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, which are essential nutrients to lower cholesterol levels and pretty much maintains your weight. It also keep your heart healthy.
Also read : The South Beach Diet For Rapid Weight Loss
#Myth 4 : The lighter the food, the better your weight
This is another myth that has become a major belief among the dieters. The thing about light foods is that, they do not contain complete nutrients-rather, their nutrients are strained. They might be fat-free, which also means they’re higher in sodium, sugar and salt which harm your body in the long run. Light foods, due to their incomplete nutrition, can be a factor for hair loss and brittle nails too.
Also read : 15 Powerful Yoga Asanas To Get Rid Of Belly Fat
#Myth 5 : Skipping meals to lose weight
Similar to fasting, skipping meals will trigger a wide range of side effects. Also, it deprives your body of essential nutrients, minerals and vitamins. Skipping meals will also result in lean muscle loss, and makes your body go into starvation mode. This will again slow down your metabolism, and once you resume your usual diet plan, your body is likely to gain weight twice as faster .
Also read : 20 Healthy Snacks To Satisfy Your Growling Stomachs
#Myth 6 : Going vegan also means weight loss
This is an absolute myth. I remember when my cousin suffered from high cholesterol, all because of the full time vegetarian diet. One problem with vegetarian diet is it lacks variety, you probably run around the circle everyday on deciding what to eat. A lot of you would probably have to eat more of potato, bread and pasta. These foods make you gain weight instead. But of course, losing some pounds is possible if your vegan diet is balanced, consisting of fresh tofu, beans, lots of fruits and whole grains.
Also read : 7 Major Negative Effects Of High Protein Diet Plan
#Myth 7 : Eating negative-calorie food to burn your fat
Cabbage, grapefruit and celery are claimed to be negative-calorie and fat burning foods. Now, you can’t be eating a huge bowl of ice cream and then drink a glass of grapefruit juice thinking it will burn off the fats you consumed the whole day, can you? That’s just not how it works. Grapefruit juice alone will not help you, unless you go for a workout after that. Also, make sure to replace all your high-calorie food with low-calorie ones.
Also read : 8 Powerful Yoga Asanas To Boost Your Stamina
#Myth 8 : Eat all you want, then exercise it off
Again, like any other diet myths, it is almost impossible to lose weight this way, unless you are going to monitor your calorie intake at the same time. Many dieters make this mistake, thinking that they can burn off the calories they consumed for the whole day by exercising. If you are going to run for 40 minutes, how much of calories could you burn? Is 40 minute run alone enough, or do you need to include sit ups and crunches too? Your workout routine should be accompanied by a healthy diet plan, so you could burn more calories than you have consumed on per-day basis.
Also read : 7 Yoga Poses For Attaining Your Dream Buttocks
#Myth 9 : Cut back on carb, they make you gain weight
Carbs are essential for weight loss, depending on what type of carbs you consume. Also, it is perfectly alright to eat bread, just avoid plain white breads- go for whole grain bread instead. This is because the carb in whole grain bread is not refined, thus makes it complete and healthy for weight loss. Likewise, you may opt for quinoa, whole-wheat pasta, oatmeal, and some fruits. These will help you lose weight by keeping you feel full for a longer time, thus preventing you from consuming more calorie.
Also read : How To Get Rid Of Flabby Arms?
#Myth 10 : Eat small but frequent meals, it boosts your metabolism
This is also one of the most widely practiced diet myths especially among women. The theory is to constantly add food to keep your metabolism working, with a thinking that I will actually increase your metabolism. But the harsh truth is, the effects of it is too small for you to lose weight obviously. Although it may work, it doesn’t apply to all the foods you consume, and it also depends on your muscle mass.
Also read : 7 Delicious Cooking Secrets For Preparing A Low Calorie Salad Entree
Top 10 Weight Loss Myths [Infographic]
That will be all from us on top 10 weight loss diet myths. Should you know more, do not hesitate to share them with us here in HNBT. Thank you!
