7 Weight Loss Myths You Should Definitely Stop Believing.
Here, 7 of the most pervasive diet-related rumors:
1. Fat Burning Food:
It seems like wherever we go on the internet, we are inundated with weight loss advertisements. Some of these feature the so-called "fat burners" or "fat burning food." There are diets that claim cabbage soup or grapefruit burns fat. All of these claims are false. Food cannot burn fat. Food is the fuel for the body and the body is what burns fat.
2. Spot reduction:
Actually, when people lose weight, they lose it all over their bodies. You cannot lose weight on one part of your body only. Exercises for weight loss should be done with your whole body and not just one part of it.
3. Starches are fattening:
A lot of healthy food items such as whole grain bread, rice, pasta, fruits and even some vegetables are high in starch. These foods are an important part of a healthy diet. They are low in fat and calories and provide fiber that is needed for digestion. It is the toppings that are sometimes added to these foods such as mayonnaise, sour cream or butter that are fattening.
4. Natural weight loss pills are safe:
Natural or herbal supplements are peddled as safe because they are natural. However, natural does not necessarily mean safe.
Think about this, do you know there are many plants that are poisonous to humans? Yet these are entirely natural and grow in the wild. Just because something is natural does not mean it is safe. Be cautious before taking any supplements and consult your doctor about their ingredients before taking them.
5. Red meat is bad:
Lean meat in small amounts is fine. A healthy weight loss diet includes food that provides us with protein such as red meat, poultry, fish, etc. The proper serving size for lean meat with the fat trimmed off is about the size of a regular deck of cards or three ounces.
6. Eating at night causes weight gain:
Whatever time it is when you eat, you can gain weight. It is the total number of calories you eat that determines whether or not you gain weight, not when you eat. In fact, people who skip meals and eat only twice a day are proven to weight more than people who eat regular meals throughout the day. This is probably because people who skip meals become much hungrier later on and tend to binge during meals.
7. Dairy products are unhealthy and full of fat:
Nowadays there are much low-fat or nonfat dairy products that are healthy and non-fattening. Women in particular need calcium to stave off osteoporosis and dairy products are rich in calcium.
The truth of the matter is to lose weight, a person simply needs to consume fewer calories than he burns. Put another way, a person needs to burn more calories than he consumes. Either way, the key idea is to eat fewer calories through a healthy, balanced diet and burn more calories through exercise.
Healthy weight loss does not involve skipping meals, eating only fish or having a liquid diet. Long-term weight loss is a lifestyle change that means eating a healthy diet and exercising.
"Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek." Mario Andretti
