In this research, we finish with 15 myths about how to lose weight and guide you on the right path.
Do not eat carbohydrates. Do not combine food. Focus on protein. Eat three healthy meals daily and eat six times a day. Avoid all snacks or you will get fat. The media constantly bombards you with the “great new formula” for you to lose weight, your friends brag about knowing everything about the issue, and each solution conflicts with the next. All you want is to lose a few pounds, but who should you believe?
To separate reality from fiction, we’ve put together a list of 15 misconceptions about weight loss, and we’ve chatted with someone who knows more about the subject than your friends or the media – this is a certified dietitian.
Myth 1 Give up your favorite foods
Silly stuff! You can eat what you want, just try not to overdo it.
A healthy diet is about balance. If you deprive yourself of all pleasure, your resolve to lose weight will likely fall apart. Let’s talk about sugar, for example. Although too much of this sweetener is not good for a healthy diet, if you include a little in your weight loss plan, you will feel less troubled and more likely to carry it out. The same happens with fat because if you include some fatty foods in your diet, such as olive oil, avocados and nuts, you will feel satisfied and will be less prone to gorging on unhealthy options afterward.
Myth 2 Avoid snacks
Your grandmother used to insist on three meals a day without swaying between them, but modern thinking is that the right snacks, like fruits and vegetables, can actually benefit you. Snacks are not the bad guys in the movie, but the large or nutritional calories (those that equate to 1,000 physical calories or 1 Kcal). As long as you keep your calorie input within what’s healthy for weight loss or weight maintenance (about 1,900 to 2,400 calories a day for a 75-pound man), you can divide it as you like. A small cup of low-fat yogurt or an apple has never ruined someone’s diet and can keep your glucose level stable and prevent the cravings that will make you gorge on whatever you have on hand before the first bite reaches the stomach.
Myth 3 Grapefruit, cabbage soup and celery burn fat
No food can “burn fat”. Some caffeinated foods, such as coffee, chocolate, and cola, can marginally revolutionize your metabolism (that is, the rate at which your calorie-burning machinery works at full steam) for a short period of time, but cannot you lose weight. If you only eat celery for a week, you’ll probably lose weight at first, simply because you’re not eating all the other foods, and not because the celery burns fat. Fad diets are insane because they don’t provide all the nutrients you need. Also, could you just eat celery for the rest of your life? Another aspect to consider is that if your calorie intake drops too low, less than about 1,450 to 1,550 a day for men between the ages of 25 and 40, Your body will start to think it is hungry, causing your metabolism to slow down temporarily. So if you deprive yourself of food, you will only slow down the weight loss process, and once you return to reality and start eating normally again, those pounds will only accumulate again. What’s more, it is unhealthy to lose too much weight too fast. “You lose lean muscle tissue and this lowers your basal metabolic rate, which in turn makes you gain weight faster when you stop following a diet,” says Chin. “It also makes you prone to the yo-yo diet, which can increase your risk of heart disease. A healthy rate of weight loss does not exceed half a kilogram a week, “says the dietitian. So if you deprive yourself of food, you will only slow down the weight loss process, and once you return to reality and start eating normally again, those pounds will only accumulate again. What’s more, it is unhealthy to lose too much weight too fast. “You lose lean muscle tissue and this lowers your basal metabolic rate, which in turn makes you gain weight faster when you stop following a diet,” says Chin. “It also makes you prone to the yo-yo diet, which can increase your risk of heart disease. A healthy rate of weight loss does not exceed half a kilogram a week, “says the dietitian. So if you deprive yourself of food, you will only slow down the weight loss process, and once you return to reality and start eating normally again, those pounds will only accumulate again. What’s more, it is unhealthy to lose too much weight too fast. “You lose lean muscle tissue and this lowers your basal metabolic rate, which in turn makes you gain weight faster when you stop following a diet,” says Chin. “It also makes you prone to the yo-yo diet, which can increase your risk of heart disease. A healthy rate of weight loss does not exceed half a kilogram a week, “says the dietitian. Those kilos will only accumulate again. What’s more, it is unhealthy to lose too much weight too fast. “You lose lean muscle tissue and this lowers your basal metabolic rate, which in turn makes you gain weight faster when you stop following a diet,” says Chin. “It also makes you prone to the yo-yo diet, which can increase your risk of heart disease. A healthy rate of weight loss does not exceed half a kilogram a week, “says the dietitian. Those kilos will only accumulate again. What’s more, it is unhealthy to lose too much weight too fast. “You lose lean muscle tissue and this lowers your basal metabolic rate, which in turn makes you gain weight faster when you stop following a diet,” says Chin. “It also makes you prone to the yo-yo diet, which can increase your risk of heart disease. A healthy rate of weight loss does not exceed half a kilogram a week, “says the dietitian.
Myth 4 Skipping meals is a great way to lose weight
You have a skinny partner who “never has time for breakfast,” and that sounds like a great plan to you. However, research shows that people who skip meals tend to be heavier than those who don’t, possibly because they are hungrier and eat too much later. When you skip meals, your body enters the preservation phase and your metabolism slows down, as we saw in myth 3, and this makes it even more difficult to lose weight. If you eat three meals a day in addition to two or three snacks, you help control hunger and appetite signals, while keeping glucose levels stable, as long as you follow a balanced diet and avoid chips and chocolates.
Myth 5 Avoid fats like a plague
Although fat is twice as dense in calories as carbohydrates and protein, it would be irrational to avoid it entirely because you would end up wanting to eat a whole horse, complete with saddle. Fats keep you satisfied longer because they keep your stomach from emptying too fast.
Your body must receive some fats for it to function properly. “About a third of your calorie intake should come from them,” explains Chin. “Too little fat in the diet can lead to dry skin, wounds that do not heal adequately, reduced immune function, and vitamin deficiencies. Found in olive oil, nuts, and avocados, vegetable fats and omega-3s in oily fish such as sardines, mackerel, and salmon are good sources of essential fats. There’s even evidence to suggest that omega 3s can help you lose weight. ”
A related myth is that walnuts are loaded with fat, so you should avoid them if you intend to lose weight. But the truth is, walnuts, in small amounts, can be part of a healthy weight-loss program because they contain unsaturated fats, which don’t clog arteries. However, portion size is crucial, so don’t gobble up a pound of chestnuts on autopilot while watching the game on Sunday afternoon. “If you can’t stop after a handful, you better sprinkle walnuts on salads or place them on any fried plate. It should be noted that unsalted walnuts are healthier and make one tend to eat them in moderation, “he advises.
Myth 6 High protein and low carbohydrates is a healthy way to lose weight
The long-term health effects of these diets are uncertain. What is certain is that getting most of your calories from meat, eggs and cheese is not a balanced diet. One downside is that too much fat increases the risk of heart disease; Another is that low consumption of fruit, vegetables and whole grains can lead to constipation due to lack of dietary fiber and an increased risk of suffering from some types of cancer. Eating too much protein and too few carbohydrates can also lead to the accumulation of partially digested fats, called ketones, in your blood, which in turn lead to high levels of uric acid, a risk factor for gout and kidney stones. “Increased urea production can also cause dehydration and electrolyte imbalance, and this leads to a lack of concentration, headaches and fatigue, “says Chin. “The side effects of ketone buildup are bad breath, headache, nausea and dizziness. Also, the liver and kidneys have to work hard to process this excess protein. ”
Myth 7 Never eat dessert
Deprivation is the ruin of any diet, so occasionally enjoy a small portion of dessert to satisfy your craving for sweet, this will make it more feasible for you to stay on your diet. But don’t overdo it; perceive it as a superfluous entertainment and not as something essential. “Once or twice a week is reasonable. Choose the occasion wisely, plan ahead and don’t skip any food out of guilt, “advises Chin. This way, you won’t feel so private that you give up the whole diet and stuff yourself with banned cake and ice cream.