Weight Loss Myths

We live in a diet-obsessed world. Keeping yourself fit and fine has become almost synonymous with keeping yourself “in”. Just see around yourself, you would find hundreds of gyms and weight loss programs mushrooming in your neighborhood. Most of them claim to help you reduce weight magically in a few days, say something on the line of 'twenty pounds in twenty days'. If you are also getting enticed by the flashy advertisement and miracle cures, just wait a minute. Be aware of the fact that there is nothing like 'miracle weight loss program'. Other than burning a hole in your pocket, they do little else. And you start searching for another miracle cure to help you shed those extra pounds you have packed, while earning big bucks. Although it is true that you need to trim down, to keep yourself healthy, it is also necessary not to believe in these miracle cures. Anything that professes to make you a matchstick, right from a matchstick, box is faux pas. To keep you updated in relation to weight loss, we have come up with a list of myths associated with it. Read on to learn about the truth of certain weight loss myths.

 

 

This can be given the 'number one' myth award. Almost all of us think that sweating is directly proportional to weight loss. However, it is not true. Sweating merely occurs to cool down the body, when it gets heated up because of exercise. In addition, how much a person sweats completely depends on his/her physical condition. Sweating is not a necessary indication of exertion and thereby, the number of calories burnt. You can easily lose calories without breaking into a sweat. Moreover, sometimes, sweating more might even mean that a person is not physically fit.

 

For most of us, losing weight directly translates into taking fewer calories and therefore, we believe that skipping meals will do us good. However, what we don’t know is that depriving the body of the calories only lowers the metabolism rate and the body starts saving calories for emergencies, rather than burning it. In addition, you end up eating double the food next time. Skipping meals also keeps you sluggish all day and you start feeling tired and depressed.

 

It is one of the greatest myths surrounding weight loss. When we find people doing overtime in the gym, think how dedicated they are, we start pushing ourselves harder as well. Many people, after joining gym, feel that the only way to lose weight is through exercise. They never cut down on fatty foods; rather double the speed of treadmill instead. Well, weight loss doesn’t work this way. If you start your day in the gym and end it there too, it only means that you have turned yourself into a compulsive exerciser. It will only harm you in the long run.

It is a healthy thing not to take more calories at night, as your body is the least active at that time. Nevertheless, today, many people are more active in night and taking less or no calories then may make them feel exhausted. Calories have no time sense and eating or not eating after sunset should be an individual choice and depend completely on the lifestyle of a person.

 

Most of the fad diets today are largely based on consuming more proteins and lowering the intake of carbohydrates. As they claim to build muscle and reduce fat, these diets are gaining popularity as well. However, it is completely unhealthy to go on such diets. While they may make you lean in the short-term, this is a completely unhealthy way of losing weight and can prove harmful in most of the cases.

 

This is one of the most common myths related to weight loss. People on diet mostly swear off carbs and fats. Carbohydrates and fats, per se, are not unhealthy; it is their overindulgence that causes problems. Many carbohydrates are packed with goodness and make you feel filled for long and even boost good metabolism. On the other hand, completely eliminating fat from your diet only increases your hunger. What you need to do is replace good fat for bad fat and limit carb and fat intake to moderate amounts.

 

Although there are many fruits, like grapefruits, celery and herbs, which can aid your weight loss efforts, there are no miracle foods that can make you leaner. Incorporating these foods, with no exercise or physical activity, will not make you lose the extra pounds. Rather, you need to incorporate these food items in your lifestyle, along with a balanced diet, proper exercise schedule and moderate indulgence.