WEIGHT LOSS FALLACIES
The following are some weight loss fallacies or misconceptions. By joining AmazingWeightLoss.com, we will clearly show you the flaws in these weight loss fallacies. We will teach you the correct way to lose weight so that once and for all, you can obtain permanent weight loss.
Myth #1 - The most effective way to lose weight is to drastically cut your calories.
Theoretically, this concept seems to make sense. We have all gone on drastic diets and the weight does come off, well at least at first it does. However in time, the weight loss slows down and then comes to a halt—moreover the weight eventually starts to creep back up even if you are starving yourself! Why does this happen? Isn't it true that if you consume fewer calories than you burn then you will lose weight? Yes, it is absolutely correct that if you consume fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight. However, this does not necessarily happen when you go on a crash diet.
Starvation diets do not work because your body has been programmed for survival. When you go on a crash diet, your body thinks that there is a famine and it will instinctively reduce its metabolism to conserve energy. When your body reduces its metabolism, it is reducing the amount of calories you burn. As such, when you go on a crash diet, you might be consuming fewer calories but at the same time, you are also burning fewer calories—as such your weight loss will be minimal. Another negative aspect of drastically cutting calories is that your body will conserve as much fat as possible and burn muscle for energy.
Myth #2 - By eliminating carbohydrates from my diet, I will lose weight easily since my body will be forced to burn fat for energy.
Millions of people across the globe believe that they can lose weight by eliminating carbohydrates from their diet. Known as the low carbohydrate or the low carb/high protein diet, this is the most popular and misleading fad diet. Why is this diet so misleading? The reason is quite simple; you lose weight initially and you think that this weight loss will continue as long as you stay on this diet.
However, after a short term the weight loss stops; moreover what you may not realize is that the initial weight loss is mostly water and muscle loss and not actual fat loss. Then once you come off the low carb diet, your weight shoots up and you regain the weight you lost plus a few additional pounds. Due to the fact that low carb diets are so misleading, we have devoted an entire section to this topic in the members' section of the site.
Myth #3 - You cannot gain weight by eating "fat-free" or "low-fat" foods.
You should strive to eat a diet that is low in fat. However, this does not mean that you should eat man-made processed foods simply because those products state that they are "fat-free". Remember that those fat-free or low-fat products still contain calories. In fact they probably contain lots of calories since even though they may be low in fat, they are also usually high in sugar content. Usually fat-free processed foods are not very filling; as such you may consume larger portions than normal. Remember that weight loss comes down to how many calories you consume versus how many calories you burn. As such, don't be deceived into eating processed fat-free products!
Myth #4 - You can lose weight by skipping breakfast and lunch; then in the evening you can reward yourself with a large supper.
When most people go on diets the first thing they do is to cut back on their food intake by skipping breakfast and lunch. Unfortunately, skipping breakfast and lunch is probably the worst thing that you can do if you wish to lose weight. Sure, you may minimize on your calorie intake by not eating breakfast and lunch, but you will more than make that up by binging at dinner time. Yet the main problem with not eating breakfast and lunch is that your body believes that it is starving and as such slows down its metabolism—a slow metabolism inhibits weight loss. Furthermore, by not eating breakfast or lunch, you body's supply of glucose is disrupted and this can play havoc on your body's insulin regulation system.
The most successful people at losing weight on a permanent basis have one thing in common: they all eat a good breakfast. The reason you need to eat breakfast is to rev up your metabolism. Your body's metabolism drops off at night when you are sleeping—to kick it back into high gear, you need to eat a good and healthy breakfast. The process of digesting food boosts your metabolism, so it is essential that you eat after getting up.
Myth #5 - Lifting weights or strength training is not a good strategy for losing weight since it will bulk me up.
Many people feel that weight lifting is meant only for bodybuilders; and that lifting weights can bulk up your body. This myth is by far from the truth! Weight lifting should be an integral part of a healthy fitness and weight loss program. It is important to realize that muscle burns calories by doing absolutely nothing! As such, by increasing your muscle mass, you will increase you body's metabolism—which is a key factor in losing weight.
If you are a woman you must be wondering why you should include strength training in your fitness regimen? It is after all practiced by athletes and bodybuilders and is essentially a guy thing! This belief is a misconception—strength training is in fact just as good for women as it is for men. By participating in regular weight training exercises you will neither produce bulging muscles nor will you injure yourself lifting heavy weights. Since women have high levels of the hormone estrogen, they generally do not develop large muscles. So it is absolutely safe for a woman to practice strength training.
Myth #6 - By eliminating a food group or by just eating only one food group, I will lose weight quickly.
The above statement is typical of fad diets! Initially you may lose weight by eliminating a food group (e.g. carbs), or by eating just one food group (e.g. cabbage soup), however the reason for the initial weight loss is simply because you are consuming fewer calories than you are burning. This kind of diet is not healthy and can be very hard to maintain; in time you will feel deprived and go back to your normal eating habits. Fad diets are not the way to go if you want to achieve permanent weight loss.
Myth #7 - When trying to lose weight, you should avoid eating starches since they are fattening.
It is a common misconception that starchy foods such as pasta, bread, rice and potatoes are fattening. In reality these foods are generally low in fat and calories. Usually when starches are covered with high fat toppings (e.g. butter, mayonnaise, sour cream and rich sauces) they become fattening. Starches or complex carbohydrates are an essentially part of your body's fuel supply. When eaten in the proper form (e.g. plain potato instead of having it fried or loaded with sour cream), complex carbohydrates should be a key component of your diet.
Myth #8 - In a successful weight loss program, you will be able to lose lots of weight very quickly.
You did not gain your weight overnight, so don't expect to lose it overnight! If you want to lose weight on a permanent basis, then you should not expect to lose more than 1 or 2 pounds per week. If you are losing more than this amount of weight, you may be losing muscle tissue which can be devastating since this will lower your metabolism. Many fad diets proclaim that you can lose lots of weight in a short term period; however this type of weight loss is always temporary. Moreover with most of these quick weight loss fad diets, you will regain your weight as quickly as you lost it—and you will probably also gain a few additional pounds due to the yo-yo diet syndrome.
Myth #9 - Diet pills and meal replacement products are great for losing weight.
Many diet supplements claim that the diet pills work by increasing thermo genesis, meaning food can be converted to heat instead of being stored as fat. However, this is a false claim. Moreover, these diet supplements can be dangerous for your health as these products contain ephedra or ephedrine, which are known to have potential side effects including hear attack, seizures, stroke, psychosis and even death.
Meal replacements usually come in the form of high protein milkshake drinks. They are supposed to kick start your diet by providing you with concentrated calories in one meal. However, the concentrated calories are just the problem with meal replacements. Meal replacements cannot fill you up and generally do not provide you the nutrition that you would get from a healthy meal. You are much better off eating a healthy low calorie meal that can be filling, nutritious and tasty. Diet supplements and meal replacements are a multibillion-dollar industry that survives on gullible individuals. Always keep in mind that there are no shortcut pills or supplements for losing weight.
Myth #10 - You don't need to exercise as long as you stick to your diet.
It is extremely difficult to lose weight if you don't exercise. It is true that to lose weight you simply have to consume fewer calories than you burn. Yet if you are not active, then it would be extremely difficult to burn more calories than you consume. It as been documented, that the most successful people at losing weight on a permanent basis, exercise on a daily basis.
Exercise is also important for health reasons. Even if you perform a minimal amount of exercise, you will gain tremendously in improved health benefits. Exercise can improve your cardiovascular health and can greatly decrease your risk of heart disease and diabetes. Doctors have stated that you are better off being fit and slightly overweight, rather than being unfit and thin. This fact should prove to you that exercise should be part of your weight loss program.
Remember that "dieting" is not the key to losing weight since you can't maintain a "diet" forever. To lose weight on a permanent basis, you need to gradually change your lifestyle to one that promotes proper eating, exercise and behavior modification. When you join AmazingWeightLoss.com, we will give you the knowledge and tools needed to make long-term lifestyle changes so that you will be able to lose weight on a permanent basis!
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