The Truth About Weight Loss: Myths and Facts

Posted by Sudam Shelar on Sep 02, 2021 in Blog

Weight loss is a journey that requires a lot of patience, energy, and self-control. There are no shortcuts to it, and most weight loss myths (if followed) can cause more harm than good to your overall general health. Whether you are trying to shed some extra pounds or trying to lose weight after pregnancy, consistency is the driving force that will help you to achieve your desired goal.

Below we have listed some of the lesser-known myths and facts about weight loss that will help you make an informed decision about your diet and exercise regime.

Myths About Weight Loss

#1. Carbs Can Make You Fat

Carbohydrates are an essential part of a healthy diet. When consumed in the right quantity, it provides many benefits and can also facilitate weight loss. Carbs are full of fibre, which helps keep you energised throughout the day. When you completely eliminate carbs from your diet, you end up consuming more protein and fats that are relatively high on calories leading to weight gain. If you want to lose weight, you need to switch from refined or processed foods to whole grains. This will considerably reduce your add-on sugar intake from processed foods, which can aid in weight loss.

#2. Supplements Are Good For Weight Loss:

One of the most common weight loss myths, there is not much evidence to support the claim that supplements can help you lose weight. Many supplements available in the market claim to burn body fat instantly, but this is far from true. In fact, unprescribed supplements can cause serious side-effects, which could jeopardise your health. Instead of relying on supplements for weight loss, you need to work on your diet and nutrition to lose weight in a healthy way.

#3. Snacking is a Bad Idea

It’s not about how much you eat between meals, it is more about what you eat during snack time. Snacking is an excellent way to maintain your energy levels throughout the day as your body needs fuel. Snacking can also prevent binge eating during meal hours. Unhealthy snacks such as chips, biscuits, cookies are not good for your health and can add more calories. Here, fruits and low-fat yoghurt are fantastic options for snack time as they provide you with many nutritional benefits. They also help reduce food cravings, which prevents overeating.

#4. Skipping Breakfast Will Help in Weight Loss

Another weight loss myth, skipping breakfast (or any other meal) doesn’t help you lose weight; instead, it leads to more calories intake. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day that nourishes your body and provides fuel to function optimally. Many people also believe that eating less or skipping breakfast means lesser carbs and fats intake. However, when you skip breakfast, your body compensates for that loss by eating more during lunch and dinner.

#5. All Calories Are The Same

Calories are known to be the measurement of your energy levels. However, not all calories are the same. For example, peanut butter provides healthy calories compared to regular butter. Also, different foods provide varied nutrients and have different effects on our body’s metabolism, hormones, and hunger levels.

#6. Consistently Eating & Exercising Will Cause no Weight Gain

As mentioned above, your weight gain depends upon what you eat. So even though you are exercising daily, if the intake of carbs and fats in your diet is higher, it would lead to weight gain and require more time for your body to lose. Also, as you grow older, your metabolism starts to slow down. Hence, even though you eat less at the age of 40 compared to your 20’s and 30’s, you would still require to workout doubly hard to burn those calories.

Further reading: Best Exercises for Men and Women to Do at Home

Facts About Weight Loss

#1. Yoghurt Speeds Up Weight Loss

Yoghurt is a great option for snack time and quite filling due to its protein content. Eating yoghurt daily can help you lose weight and reduce the risk of obesity. Yoghurt is also gut-friendly and has anti-inflammatory properties. Low-fat Greek yoghurt is an excellent source of calcium and Vitamin D, which promotes weight loss.

#2. Eat More at Breakfast and Less at Night

This is another weight loss fact that people mostly ignore but is true. Most individuals believe that dinner should be the largest meal of the day based on the time gap. However, not many are aware that the body’s metabolism is the slowest in the evening compared to the morning. So, while a hearty breakfast is necessary to kickstart your day, you need to eat a lighter meal at night if you want to lose weight. Another great tip for weight loss is to eat every 3 hours. This will help you to control your blood sugar levels and reduce food cravings. It would also help curb late-night cravings, thereby helping you to manage your weight better.

#3. Sleeping is Critical For Weight Loss

When it comes to facts about weight loss, sleeping is the top priority. Our body requires rest and time to recover to function seamlessly the next day. Sleeping is therapeutic and one of the best ways to de-stress after a tiring day at work. A restful sleep also helps enhance both your physical health and mental well-being. Talking about weight loss, sleeping helps boost your metabolism. Whereas, poor sleep can increase your appetite and is considered one of the major risk factors for obesity.

#4. Embrace a Health-friendly Diet

Weight loss begins with lifestyle changes, and one of the essential changes that you need to make is to switch to a healthy diet. The process of change should be gradual for it to sustain. For example, instead of sugar-sweetened beverages, opt for fresh juice or green tea. Include more fresh food in your diet like veggies, fruits, legumes and whole grains that provide tremendous nutrients. These food items also contain fewer calories compared to processed/packaged and junk foods.

#5. Water Promotes Weight Loss

Staying hydrated throughout the day provides you with many health benefits and also promotes weight loss. Water is 100% calorie-free, known to eliminate toxins from the body, and helps boost metabolism. Drinking water half-an-hour before the meal may even suppress your appetite, ensuring you eat fewer calories, which aids in the weight loss ratio.

Read now: Calculate your body mass index with our online BMI calculator

#6. High-intensity Interval Training is Effective for Weight Loss

As one of the weight loss exercises, HIIT or high-intensity interval training has more potential to reduce your weight compared to other workouts. HIIT workouts help in eliminating the body’s overall weight, including belly fat. It also helps build your lean muscles. One of the major highlights of this exercise is that it forces your body to utilize the energy from excessive fats & carbs, thereby facilitating faster weight loss.

#Conclusion

In today’s world, it is easier to eat more calories without being aware of it due to the availability of multiple, on-the-go food choices. Hectic work schedule and travelling also makes it difficult to cook and eat nutritional food at home. All of these make losing weight challenging for most, and myths about weight loss don’t help either. Above we have tried to dispel some of the common weight loss myths, while simultaneously offering you a list of facts.

We hope that this helps you make the right choices when it comes to different diet plans for weight loss or exercise. If you are still unsure, consult with an experienced weight loss trainer, who will guide and create a tailored fitness plan for you.

 

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