- Starving is the best way to lose weight!
This is the worst way to lose weight. Starving and crash dieting may show results in the short term, but they cause serious long term weight gain. When you deprive your body of food, it gets low on energy and craves for foods that are instant energy givers. Such foods, are also the ones loaded with calories and you end up putting on, more than you lose. - A strict exercise regime is the way to lose weight!
This, is partially true. However, the focus should not be on rigorous workouts. Instead, you may focus on doing small activities, regularly. Consistency is key. A moderate intensity exercise done regularly, will yield better results in the longer run, than rigorous workouts. Your focus should be on burning off the calories you consume daily. - Slimming pills will help me lose weight!
They most certainly, will not. Eating right and exercising regularly is the only way to lose weight. Besides, one should never take any pills without consulting a doctor first. - Low Fat foods are good!
A ‘Low fat’ label on the food packs means only one thing: The fat content of that particular packaged food, is lower than the original foodstuff. But it still has more fat than a healthier option, like a bowl of fruit.
Besides, packaged foods have preservatives, which are not good for your overall health. - Carbohydrates make you gain weight!
This is not true. The myth probably started when the much discussed, low carb Atkins diet, ended up becoming a worldwide rage! The truth about the Atkins diet, is that it works because the followers eat less, overall; not just low amount of carbs. A more sensible route would be to opt for healthier carbs like brown rice and wholegrain foods. - Cut snacks to lose weight!
Cutting snacks is not right. For effective weight loss, one needs to keep eating smaller quantities of food, at regular intervals. Snacking is not wrong. Snacking on unhealthy stuff like junk food or fried stuff is wrong. Opt for healthier options like fruits, dry fruits, juices, etc. - Drinking water helps you lose weight!
Water does not help in weight loss. It does however, keep you well hydrated and cuts down the urge to snack frequently. - Skipping meals can cause weight loss!
Skipping meals altogether, is a bad idea. Instead, cut down on the quantity of food you eat during each meal. Small meals at frequent intervals, are what all dieticians recommend. Besides, if you don’t eat, you will end up low on energy and crave for the sugar laden junk food that will cause weight gain. - Exercising and eating right consistently will keep my weight in check!
This is true. The combination of eating right and exercising regularly, is what will work ultimately. Keep in mind that as you age, there are several factors affecting your body. You may not have the energy to exercise, as vigorously as before. So altering your food habits as you age, is a good idea. One has to understand one’s body and make changes accordingly. - The weighing scale is always accurate!
You do not have to feel elated every time the scale shows some loss in your weight. Reduced weight on the scale, may be indicative of either loss of water, muscle or fat. Fat loss is what we aim at, not water or muscle loss. The loss of water and muscle from the body will give a false alarm of having lost fat. This, in turn, does more harm than good. Unknowingly, the loss of muscle may slow down the metabolic rate of the body, and thereby reduce the rate of weight loss too. True weight status can only be gathered by tracking one’s fat loss and not the weight loss. The extent of fat loss can be obtained by getting a body composition analysis done at frequent intervals.
First lose the myths; then lose the weight!
Lose the myths to lose weight
Do you find yourself not effectively losing weight, in spite of doing all the right things? That is probably because you are surrounded by too many weight loss myths.
So much is said about the ways to lose weight that it can be quite confusing and difficult to separate fact from fiction.
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