No matter how religiously you follow your diet or fitness regime, there is some level of cheating involved in it, not in the form of you eating your favourite food when no one is looking, but other ways.
You must have tried at least a few quick fixes to shed some pounds off your weight such as fasting or eliminating certain foods from your diet only to notice you gaining back your weight again. Unfortunately, these myths that you listen everywhere about how to lose weight or what to do to lose weight can hinder the relation between you and your exercising.
There are various weight loss options out there, and people incorporate those which they are comfortable with and will be able to follow.
Furthermore, there are also a lot of myths attached to these options, and these false beliefs may make it difficult for the person to do the right things for their weight. Hence, to help you differentiate between what is the truth and what is not, here is a list of some of the most common ones and their myths.
You Should Accept To Feel Hungry To Lose Weight
This is entirely false. Not relieving your hunger is not the solution; in fact, it does exactly the opposite of what you are aiming for. If you deprive your body of food then you are at risk of overeating the next time you eat or increase your cravings. Further, when the body is deprived of food, it tends to store or keep in reserve. As a result, you are more likely to gain weight than lose it.
Therefore, make sure to eat until you are satisfied, eat in smaller portions and have some healthy snacks.
If You Exercise A Lot, You Can Eat Anything You Want
This is completely false. The main thing that you should do to lose weight is to reduce your calorie intake and increase your physical activity. If you have the notion that you are exercising hard so you can reward yourself with a dessert after your meals, then you are not going to benefit. To keep a balance, along with regular exercising, you will also have to eat healthily and in smaller portions.
Therefore, make sure to eat right and follow an exercise routine for more effective results. Also, it is important that you eat until you are satisfied.
Diets Centred On Fasting Are Beneficial For Weight Loss And Health
This is absolutely false. Fasting does not have any benefits for your health. To the contrary, it can have negative effects such as dizziness, fatigue, nausea, and cause blood pressure to drop. Also, this is not a proven strategy which will have effective results for weight loss either in medium or long-term.
Therefore, do not follow diet plans that include fasting. It is not a good option to be subjected to the harmful effects of fasting in the name of weight loss.
Losing Weight Is Very Easy
No. Not at all true. People tend to think that losing weight is an easy task, and within just a few weeks, they will be able to fit in that favourite shirt or dress of theirs. It involves a lot of hard work and efforts. If you invest more time for yourself and prepare an action plant, then it will be easy for you to achieve a healthy weight. Surround yourself with people who will promote your health, such as professionals.
Therefore, keep in mind that losing weight is tough but can be achieved with strong determination.
Snacks Are A Bad Idea
That is not right. What snacks you have is the main concern here. Everyone who is on a weight-loss regime thinks that they should not have snacks or completely restrict themselves from having snacks.
When your stomach is rumbling due to hunger, it sends you signals in the form of a sound that you generally hear, which means that you should not ignore your hunger. On the contrary, having snacks between meals might actually help you eat less in the next meal and keep off the urge to overeat later.
Therefore, snacking is a good idea but make sure you are eating healthy foods such as baked chips, fruits, or nuts.
No More Fast Food
Well, it is true in away. The first thing that comes to a person’s mind when they hear fast food is a tasty plate of noodles. Of course, they are to be avoided. But what most people fail to realise is that fast food also includes grilled food, salads, and more. You do not have to stop yourself from eating fast food once in a while. What you can do is order salad when you go out, eat grilled chicken instead of fried, get your sauces on the side instead of in the dish.
Therefore, make sure you eat the right kind of fast food which will go hand-in-hand with your weight loss program.
Well, these are some myths that are well-known, and you must’ve followed most of them. Now that you know what is true and what is not, you can incorporate them in your weight-loss plan and see progressive results.
Let us now look at some of the food-myths that are as common as the aforementioned myths. Although people include some foods in their diet with the right intention, they might be getting negatively affected by them as they believe the wrong ones. Therefore, it is important for the person to make sure that they know the truth about it to get the maximum benefits.
Famous Weight Loss Foods And Their Myths
Honey Lemon Water
Yes, you must be very familiar with this term as it is something a lot of people these days follow. It is a simple recipe that involves adding in one or two teaspoons of honey and two or three teaspoons of lemon in a glass of warm/hot water. A lot of people seem to believe that strictly drinking a glass of honey-lemon water early in the morning on an empty stomach will reduce their weight. Well, that is not all correct. This recipe is more oriented in increasing the person’s metabolism rate.
Simply having this water and continuing a lazy or laid back routine for the entire day does no good to you. In other words, only taking a glass of honey lemon water early in the morning will not give effective results if you are looking to shed those extra pounds. It is important to exercise to add to the metabolism rate and sweat that fat out.
Takeaway: It is a very good habit to have honey lemon water every day. But, for best and effective results, regular workout, physical activity, and watching what you eat during the day is a must.
Early Dinner
There is an overload of information or do’s, and dont’s out there when it comes to dinner timing. While one piece of information says that having dinner after 7 pm increases risk of cardiovascular diseases, another one says that eating at night is a good thing if your dinner includes carbs as it might reduce your appetite the following day. I could go on and on. Reading all these leads to nothing but confusion.
Your dinner timings depend entirely on your daily schedule and the lifestyle that you have adopted. If you are a person who wakes up at 6 in the morning, then you could be having dinner at 6 pm. On the other hand, a person who goes to sleep at 12 am could be having dinner at 9 pm. So, the time at which you eat is not inherently unhealthy or wrong.
Takeaway: Early dinner or late dinner is not really the timetable you should be following. It is advisable to eat three hours before your bedtime or before you go to sleep. Three hours is considered an ideal time as your food gets digested, and you are not going to bed with a full stomach.
Green Tea
There are a lot of myths that revolve around the whole “I only take Green Tea” concept. Here are a few of them:
- It makes me slimmer by burning all the fat from my body
- It protects me from cancer
- I can drink any amount of it
These are some of the most common misconceptions people seem to have about green tea and hence include it in their dietary habits accordingly. Now, let us take a look at what the truth about green tea is. Green tea can be a part of a healthy lifestyle, but it cannot be a substitute for it. It is important that you do not misinterpret the advantages of green tea.
It does not prevent cancer, consuming it regularly in moderate quantities has shown to be effective in hindering the occurrence of cancer. Similarly, you cannot just drink as much green tea as you want. As the saying goes, too much of anything is dangerous. It is true, in this case, as well. Drinking too much green tea can cause side effects.
Takeaway: Green tea is surely a good addition to your list of healthy habits and should be consumed in moderate quantities so as to stay away from the side effects that may arise from excess consumption.
Dark Chocolate
Chocolates? Well, who does not love them? A bit careful here, though. We are talking not about chocolates but about dark chocolates. Yes, those that you do not find to be as tasty as the regular chocolates. Dark chocolates are good for health but not all of them. If you want to yield health benefits from dark chocolate, then make sure your bars are bitter, darker varieties, and 70% or more cocoa content. So, nope, not all ‘dark’ chocolates will have the benefits for you that you are looking for.
Another common misconception people seem to have about dark chocolates are the consumption quantity. Well, just because it benefits your health, such as preventing your risk of heart problems, among other ones, eating a full bar a day is not going to do it. Another thing to do is to look for packs that are ‘high in antioxidants’ as they promote blood flow to the brain, keep your blood free-flowing, lower inflammation and recharge your antioxidant levels.
Takeaway: Dark chocolates are good for you and promote health benefits. However, you should watch how much of it you eat and make sure you eat it nor more than 20 grams a day as a part of your healthy diet.
Oats
Well, the only time you have to watch your oat-meal is what oats are used in its preparation. In other words, oats that are old-fashioned or steel-cut are very beneficial for your health.
On the other hand, instant oats or ready-to-make oats that are available across the market may not be as health-beneficial as they contain preservatives. Well, if you are wondering what kind of oats you should have, let’s help you understand.
Old-fashioned oats are very inexpensive and are widely available. They are flakes that are made by flattening the grain. They become very soft and creamier when you cook them. Steel-cuts oats are those that are chopped into tiny pieces and not rolled out. They are also expensive. These oats take longer to cook as they have a hard texture.
Takeaway: Oats are filled with benefits such as nutritious, rich in antioxidants, contain a powerful soluble fibre, lower cholesterol levels, protect LDL cholesterol from damage, and improve blood sugar control among various others. Including oats in your regular diet helps lose weight as they keep you full for long. Further, they can also benefit your skin when used directly on it.
On the whole, put aside the urge to diet and instead of that, make healthful foods, including whole grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits, and fun physical activity your priority. Also, you should not forget about stress management, proper sleep, and how important they are for a healthy weight-loss. These healthy lifestyle behaviours will contribute positively to overall well-being.
