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Diet Myths

Day to day, in our quest to lose to weight, we are continuously learning about one diet rule or another, which in all actuality are diet myths. The reality is that many popular diets and diet rules are simply unsuccessful for long-term weight loss and unhealthy for our bodies.

  1. Myth #1: If I Do Not Eat, I Will Lose Weight

    • Depriving your body of food causes your metabolism to slow down drastically. Your body then becomes accustomed to receiving fewer calories. Your body reconditions itself to function on fewer calories, which means that when you resume your regular eating activities, weight gain is likely to occur. Additionally, starvation causes us to lose energy as well as muscle, which is extremely unhealthy.

    Myth #2: I Can Eat Low-Fat Foods and Lose Weight

    • Low-fat and fat-free are not equivalent to low-calorie or calorie-free. Remember, however many calories the body consumes, you must burn at least that same amount of calories, or more, in order to lose weight.

    Myth #3: I Can Permanently Lose Weight By Doing Fad Diets

    • Fad diets often help people lose weight, but they do not keep the weight off. Fad diets often require us to eliminate an excessive amount of calories and important food groups needed to maintain a strong and healthy body. Once we are no longer following the guidelines of the fad diet and resume eating a normal and balanced diet, the typical result is weight gain.

    Myth #4: I Should Eliminate Carbs to Lose Weight

    • Many starches--such as potatoes, yams, fruit, beans, rice and wheat bread--are actually low in fat and calories. These foods only become a factor in us gaining weight when we add sugar, salt, butter and condiments to them.

    Myth #5: The More Water I Drink, The More Weight I Can Lose

    • While water has no calories and is extremely healthy for us, too much water will cause the stomach to feel "full." As previously mentioned, when you consume less, your body will recondition itself to function on fewer calories. Weight gain is likely to occur when you resume your regular eating levels.

    Losing Weight the Right Way

    • To successfully lose weight, and keep it off long-term, a combination of healthy dieting and exercising is required. The simple truth is that you must burn more calories (through exercise) than the calories you consume through eating. Fad diets, crash diets and diet pills are unhealthy methods for long-term weight loss.

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