5 Weight-loss Myths Proven Wrong by Science, A Foodie Must Care

Weight loss is a journey of commitment and patience. You do all you can to achieve your goal and yet somehow things don’t workout the way they should. It’s frustrating and exhausting but you need to pull yourself up and stay motivated.

If a certain diet didn’t workout for you, try a more practical one. Diet trends these days are usually extreme and result in either unhealthy weight loss or ironically, more weight gain for some people. There is just so much information out there that it becomes hard to trust what is the right thing to do.

They say “haste is from the devil” and it stands true for weight loss strategies too. People opt for quick fixes for everything. Switching to faster weight losing diets and extreme workout routines can make you regain weight quickly too.

Consistency is the key. Take it slow and be patient. Learn to balance your meals and skip extreme diets. Here are 5 weight-loss myths that are not only impractical when trying to lose weight, but also tend to be harmful for your general well-being.

MYTH# 1: No Carbs at all

One of the most common misconception is that all carbohydrates are bad for you. Yes, it’s proven that low-carb diets are most effective for weight loss, but it doesn’t mean that all they do is make you gain weight. The main reason you start losing weight when you reduce carbs is “conscious calorie restriction”. As long as you are increasing protein intake and reducing carb content, you will lose weight.

Not all carbs have the same effect on you. The truth is, processed carbs (like refined grains and sugar) are undeniably linked to weight gain and their intake needs to be reduced as much as possible. In fact, refined carbs shouldn’t be a part of your diet at all.

On the other hand, whole, single ingredient crab-based foods are remarkably healthy. Foods like beans, whole grains (brown rice and whole grain breads) and fruits and vegetable provide a variety of essential nutrients and fibre and reduce the risks of several diseases.

Another thing to keep in mind is WHEN you eat carbs. The ideal time to have carbs meal is one to two hours before your workout session or maybe at breakfast. The body requires carbs as fuel during exercise to burn body fat. Carbs will provide your body that instant energy it needs to push your muscles to their maximum.

MYTH# 2: Snacks are enemy

If you have always believed snacking is bad for you, then you’re not alone. Having snacks in between meals can actually help you eat less and prevent the urge to overeat later. Many experts recommend having five small meals a day rather than eating all calories in one sitting.

What matters is the choices you make for snacking. If vending machine products like chips, cookies and candies are going to be your snacks, then it’s pretty obvious that they can ruin your diet.

Change your choices of snacks and opt for healthier alternatives that will fill you up and act as appetite suppressants. If you tend to eat junk foods like chips and cookies when you’re hungry, switch to fruits, vegetables and nuts. Consume low-fat cheese or yogurt to get your daily dose of calcium when you feel like snacking.

MYTH# 3: Lifting weights will bulk you up

While men want to increase their muscle mass, most women feel that lifting weights will make them bulky and though it sounds true, it is just a myth. This is because low testosterone levels in the female body doesn’t let muscles grow to the same level as men.

The best way for women to burn fat and speed up metabolism is by indulging in resistance training as it will build lean muscle mass. Also body-weight exercises like planks, push-ups, and squats also enhance muscle mass.

Muscle-strengthening activities enhance  your health and help you lose weight by increasing the amount of energy-burning muscle.

Try using large rubber bands or resistance bands. Even household chores and gardening will make you lift or dig, increasing muscle strength.

MYTH# 4: Avoid all Fats

The most well known myth is that you need to avoid all fats if you’re trying to stay healthy or lose weight. Fat has always been known as the cause of obesity.

Turns out dietary fat doesn’t become body fat inherently. In fact, fat provides your body with so many essential nutrients and so it needs to be an important part of a healthy diet. But because fats have more calories than the same quantity of carbs, you need to limit fat intake to stay away from extra calories.

As long as you have control over the amount of calories you consume, fat will not make you fat. Numerous studies have proved that diets that are high in fat (but low in carbs) actually cause weight loss.

If you are trying to lose weight, consider eating small amounts of food with healthy fats, like nuts, avocados and olives. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020 recommends consuming less than 10 percent of your daily calories from saturated fats. Try reducing the intake of solid-fat foods. Use olive oil instead of butter in cooking.

MYTH# 5: Go Gluten-free

Going gluten-free is not going to have any effect on you if you don’t have celiac disease or if you’re not gluten-sensitive. Gluten is a protein that is present in wheat, barley, and rye grains.

There’s is no evidence that avoiding gluten will help you lose weight, but it’s merely the calorie count that decreases when you are skipping gluten-containing foods and choosing more whole, unprocessed foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes and lean meats.

A gluten-free diet is only prescribed by health professionals  to treat people who have celiac disease or are sensitive to gluten. If you avoid gluten anyway, you are making your body devoid of vitamins, fiber and minerals you need from those foods.

A gluten-free diet is not for losing weight so before you decide to avoid a whole bunch of foods, make sure your health professional diagnoses you as a gluten-sensitive person.