It can be hard to tell the difference between weight loss myths and fact when so many of them sound plausible. For example, I once read that if you drink water at night, you will gain weight, or that scratching your head too often will cause you to lose your hair.
First, there is no such thing as a "magic bullet" for weight loss
It's obvious that the more weight I need to lose, the more strenuous my workouts need to be.
The truth about weight loss is that while an intense workout routine can help you shed pounds, there are a few things to keep in mind.
Everyone has a different idea of what constitutes a "intense" workout; for someone who has been physically inactive for a long time, walking a half a mile every day might feel like a marathon.
The person who has been physically active for many years, on the other hand, might find that walking a half a mile leaves them feeling refreshed.
If an hour of daily exercise is your idea of intense, but you can only fit in 20 minutes due to your hectic schedule, know that even that short amount of time will have a profound impact on your health.
Read also: Understanding the Big Picture of Sustainable Weight Loss
Second Untruth About Trimming Down
There is no correlation between stress and weight increase.
To find out more about how stress is adding pounds to your life, I invite you to read my free E-Book, "The Psychology of Releasing Weight."
Third Fad Theory About Weight Loss
That means I can eat everything I want and still lose weight.
Sir Isaac Newton famously stated, "What goes up must come down." Natural rules regulate our lives; if you toss a ball into the air, it will eventually fall to the ground. You may sit on the sofa and try to convince yourself that this is not the case, but the laws of physics tell us otherwise.
It is absurd to believe that your health and weight will be in balance if your diet mostly consists of twinkies, chips, and doughnuts, but this is one of the most widespread illusions about losing weight.
You can lose weight by working out, but I doubt most individuals who eat a lot of junk food have the self-control to keep to a regular fitness schedule "overweight persons with high cholesterol.
Just because I feel bad for breaking so many twinkie lovers' hearts, I'll say this. You may eat any unhealthy food you want, such as cookies, chips, ice cream, pizza, burgers, etc. In moderation, one may enjoy all of those "soul fulfilling meals." Extra of anything is never a good thing to have.
False Belief No. 4 About Trimming Down
For weight loss, skipping meals is effective.
Numerous studies have shown that persons who skip breakfast and eat just three or two meals per day are much overweight than those who start the day with a nutritious, nutrient-dense breakfast and then consume four or six modest meals throughout the day.
The explanation for this might be that they tend to overeat at other meals of the day since they don't feel as hungry earlier in the day.
Fallacy #5: You Can't Lose Weight Without Exercise
No matter how little I eat, I will not lose weight if I do so at night.
Fact: Even if you don't eat anything at night but binge all day, you will still gain weight. The idea that you can starve yourself all day and stuff your face at night without changing your weight is also a paradox.
It's all about striking a balance, really. The signals your body sends when it's hungry are worth considering. The fact is that you will gain weight no matter when time of day you eat the most if you eat too much without also exercising.
After a long day, I often find myself hungry in the middle of the night, and like other times of the day, I like to choose something that originated in nature. I may create a fruit smoothie or eat some raw veggies.
When I'm in the mood for ice cream or a delicious treat, I give in to my cravings and enjoy myself without guilt. It's common for obese individuals to feel terrible about themselves and to carry that shame and guilt around with them. However, I do allow myself to partake in moderation.
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Sixth Lie About Losing Weight
Until I get rid of this excess weight, I will never be accepted.
The individual who doesn't feel acceptable due of their weight isn't accepting of themselves, which is why they need to lose weight. One's perception of how one is seen by others is founded on one's own perception of oneself. To be physically healthy, one must first be emotionally fit, in my opinion. I am familiar with these feelings of inadequacy.
Realizing that I did not have to do anything to earn anybody else's approval or to validate my own worth had a profound impact on my life. When you stop trying to change who you are and start loving yourself just as you are, you will no longer have body image issues.
Weight-Reduction Myth 7
In order to lose weight more quickly, I need to reduce my caloric intake.
Calorie restriction might be beneficial for weight loss if you find yourself routinely cramming your face after every meal.
On the other hand, reducing caloric intake may be unappealing if you're already maintaining a healthy body weight via proportionate eating. The term "calorie-cutting" might be misleading if the person doing so is truly starving themselves, which will have the effect of slowing their metabolism and perhaps preventing them from losing weight.
Myth No. 8 About Losing Weight
I can become thinner if I don't eat.
If you're trying to lose weight, you shouldn't skip meals. Because you will become hungry and need to eat. Eventually, this will throw off your metabolism and cause it to slow down. If you ignore a vehicle that's low on petrol (food), it will ultimately break down if you don't fill it up. The same holds true for our body; we must continually provide it with fuel.
Ninth Weight Loss Fallacy
My family history suggests that my tendency to put on weight is inherited.
Truth About Weight Loss: Spell EXCUSES if you have them! I don't think there is a "fat" gene or DNA, but I won't deny that there may be inclinations for heavy parents to have heavy children who will stay overweight throughout their lives.
One thing we do take with us from our families, especially our parents and other primary caregivers, are our worldviews and values. What you think about diet, finances, faith, government, and learning are all products of your upbringing.
Growing up in a household where fried foods were the norm might influence a person's lifelong relationship with the kitchen and the table. If that's the case, you may be carrying a few extra pounds around your middle.
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Putting the blame on your parents or other influential adults is the easy way out, but you always have a choice.
Tenth False Belief About Trimming Down
It's too much of a hassle to eat healthfully.
Weight-loss Fact: Once you've taught yourself to do it, eating healthily is the easiest thing in the world. Can you count the number of times you've resolved to "eat healthier" or "reduce weight?"
In the beginning, you are eating all sorts of things that you typically wouldn't. Then an interesting thing happened; you began acting the same way you always had. Besides your health, this has occurred to you in other spheres as well.
It might be related to finances, employment, or personal connections. For this reason, it takes time to form a new habit.
Altering the brain is risky business. Anyway, if you're interested in learning more about the ways in which the brain works against us when we try to form new habits, feel free to check out my free e-book, "The Psychology of Letting Go of Weight."
The Eleventh Weight Loss Myth
If you want to reduce weight, you will have to make sacrifices.
What would life be like if there was no chocolate or pepperoni pizza, the truth about weight loss? I can't imagine how horrible life would be in such a place. Seriously however, I find this notion to be totally false. There's no reason you can't enjoy all of your usual fare.
It's no fun to deny oneself this type of pleasure, and you'll probably end up eating it regardless. The true secret, as has been noted before, is moderation. If you like steak but worry about your health, try eating it no more than once or twice a week.
Those who know me well realise how much I like pizza and chicken wings. I wish I could eat it many times a week, if not more often than that. It would be ideal if I didn't gain weight and my arteries didn't become clogged up.
However, I am aware that this is not the healthiest option, so I limit myself to eating it to twice a month at most. I'm not depriving myself entirely, but I am learning to eat less of everything (even my favourites) to avoid gaining weight.
Lie No. 12 About Getting Rid of Excess Fat
Hunger is the root cause of overeating.
Good effort, but the truth about weight loss is. If only we could pin it on hunger. Despite popular belief, the entity we collectively refer to as hungry is in no way related to your tendency toward excessive food consumption. Perhaps it's your body's way of alerting you to refuel, but that's no excuse to stuff yourself silly.
People's propensity to overeat may be attributed to a wide range of factors. Negative emotions such as tension, sadness, isolation, worry, and fear are prominent examples. In many cases, eating is a great way to get what you need.
Perhaps your diet is providing you with the nutrients you need. If you're lonely and unhappy with your life, eating could be a way to cheer up and feel better about yourself. As I've mentioned in prior writings, hunger is not the root reason of overeating.
Dietary Myth No. 13
Extreme calorie restriction is the only proven method of weight loss.
Truth about Weight Reduction: There goes that word again, "DIEt." Those "drastic diets" only work for short-term weight loss and long-term weight gain. These extreme meal plans might be anything from the "cookie diet," hahaha.... After making it this far into the "water only diet,"...... Sure, you can drop some pounds on these DIEts, but you'll gain all that weight back, plus some, almost without fail.
Fallacy No. 14: Exercise Will Help You Lose Weight
I've become too big and lost too much ground to turn back now.
When it comes to losing weight, remember that even the smallest action may have a big impact. If you're really overweight, you may be expecting rapid results and maybe fearing the path ahead of you. The key is to alter your strategy in TINY ways over time.
Don't set your sights too high, or you'll end up feeling let down. No matter how far you go, the sun will always shine on you......
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Fifteenth Fad Diet Theory
No matter how hard I try, I always end up failing.
The great Henry Ford once remarked, "Whether you believe you can, or you think you can't- you're right.'"......It is 90% mentality, and 10% actually getting off your butt and doing something about it.
If you fall down, get yourself up and try again.... Every time you are knocked down, you get yourself back up and try again. Continue your efforts if you have tried losing weight before and failed. Like fried chicken doesn't match with a vegetarian's diet, negativity isn't helpful while trying to lose weight.