Are you overwhelmed by daily decisions about what to eat, how much to eat, when to eat, and how much physical activity you need to be healthy? If so, don’t be discouraged because you’re not alone. With so many choices and decisions, it can be hard to know what to do and which information you can trust.
Here are some of the most common Myths–
1 Myth: To lose weight, you have to give up all your favorite foods
Fact: You don’t have to give up all your favorite foods when you’re trying to lose weight. Small amounts of your favorite high-calorie foods may be part of your weight-loss plan. Just remember to keep track of the total calories you take in. To lose weight, you must burn more calories than you take in through food and beverages.
2. Myth: Choosing foods that are gluten-free will help lose weight
Fact: Gluten-free foods are not healthier if you don’t have celiac disease or are not sensitive to gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye grains. A health care professional is likely to prescribe a gluten-free eating plan to treat people who have celiac disease or are sensitive to gluten. If you don’t have these health problems but avoid gluten anyway, you may not get the vitamins, fibre, and minerals you need. A gluten-free diet is not a weight-loss diet and is not intended to help you lose weight.
3. Myth: You should avoid all fats if you’re trying to be healthy or lose weight
Fact: You do not have to avoid all fats if you’re trying to improve your health or lose weight. Fat provides essential nutrients and should be an important part of a healthy eating plan. But because fats have more calories per gram than protein or carbohydrates, or “carbs,” you need to limit fats to avoid extra calories. If you are trying to lose weight, consider eating small amounts of food with healthy fats, such as avocados, olives, or nuts. You also could replace whole-fat cheese or milk with lower-fat
4. Myth – Avoid carbs if you want to lose weight
Fact: “Carbohydrates, proteins and fats are the essential macronutrients that have to be a part of any healthy and sustainable diet. They each play a very important role in our body,” make sure you add more complex carbohydrates in your diet which will give us the energy required without spike in insulin. Avoid simple carbs present in white flour, bakery items
5. Myth – You need to starve yourself if you want to lose weight
Fact: Skipping meals is not the solution for several reasons. For one, not eating when you’re hungry leads to irritability, dissatisfaction and inevitable binging. Moreover, when you’re hungry, your body automatically slows down your metabolism, as a way to ensure survival through an extended period of starvation.
6. Myth – Exercise is the key to losing weight
Fact: “Putting all your efforts into exercise alone will lead to no results in the long run. However important physical activity may be, not only for losing weight, but for general wellbeing as well, nutrition is the key factor. ” Eating the right nutrition or the quality of food you eat is equally important.
7. Myth – Only those with strong willpower can lose weight
Fact: Your weight loss journey is not a reflection of your character. Not achieving your goals isn’t always an indicator of your lack of willpower, motivation or work ethic. “More and more research prove that factors such as genetics and environment also play a role in your weight gain or loss, meaning while it’s easy for some people to influence their weight, it can be very difficult for others.” A qualified Nutritionist can help you understand your body better and plan a diet accordingly
8. Myth: Supplements can help you lose weight
Fact: The weight loss supplement industry is massive. Various companies claim that their supplements have dramatic effects, but they’re rarely very effective when studied. The main reason that supplements work for some people is the placebo effect. People fall for the marketing tactics and want the supplements to help them lose weight, so they become more conscious of what they eat.
9. Myth: Eat less, move more
Fact: Telling people with weight problems to just eat less and move more is ineffective advice that rarely works in the long term.
10. Myth: Diet foods can help you lose weight
Fact: A lot of junk food is marketed as healthy. Examples include low-fat, fat-free, and processed gluten-free foods, as well as high-sugar beverages. You should be sceptical of health claims on food packaging, especially on processed items. These labels usually exist to deceive — not inform.
The bottom line is moderation is the key, understand your body, your health concerns and consult a Clinical Nutritionist to lose weight in a sustainable and healthy manner. There are no short cuts to weight loss