…What’s Hidden from the Eyes: 5 Truths and Myths about Losing Weight…
Being overweight can lead to many serious health problems, like heart disease and stroke, and
can contribute to things like osteoporosis, arthritis, and more. For this, and many more reasons,
people often strive to lose weight. However, weight loss is big business, which means that you
may see lots of myths, conflicting information, and downright strange or even dangerous
suggestions concerning the best way to lose weight.
In fact, so much is said about losing weight that it can be hard to distinguish truth from fiction.
Here are 5 of the top myths (and truths) we’ve seen about losing weight:
1. The only way to lose weight is with rigorous exercise
While exercise is a very important component of a healthy lifestyle, many people mistakenly
believe that a rigorous and demanding exercise schedule is the only way they will successfully
lose weight. In fact, losing weight comes down to making small changes to your lifestyle with
one of the most important being food consumed. This refers not only to the amount of food
consumed, but also the type of food consumed.
To successfully lose weight, you should look to get about 150 minutes of moderate activity a
week, and eat mostly vegetables, whole grains, fruits, and lean protein, and cut back on fat, salt,
and added sugar. To get an added boost, consider adding one of these supplements, which are
some of the best fat burners for men.
2. There is no benefit to BMI
BMI or Body Mass Index is a mathematical formula that uses height and weight to determine
whether a person is overweight or not. It gets a bad rap because it doesn’t consider muscle mass
on a person’s frame. For example, according to BMI calculators, Serena Williams would be
considered borderline obese. That being said, the BMI is an important tool for many physicians
to gauge where your weight is at initially and—while it shouldn’t be the only thing taken into
consideration—it still plays an important role is gauging healthy weights.
3. Avoiding carbohydrates is a good way to lose weight
Many diets advocate for cutting out carbohydrates from one’s diet to facilitate weight loss. Diet
plans like the Atkins Diet or the Keto Diet both function on the principle of heavy carb cutting.
However, carbs are an incredibly important part of a person’s diet and should never be cut out
entirely. Even severely limiting the intake of carbohydrates can be dangerous. Instead, people
should look to cut out added salt, fat and sugar, and avoid “fat free” or artificially sweetened
foods instead.
4. Losing weight means never eating foods you love again
Many diets fail to work because they are too restrictive when it comes to permitted foods. If a
diet makes it difficult for a person to enjoy their life, they will often simply stop following that
diet. Instead, dieticians see the most success when people follow a balanced lifestyle that permits
them to enjoy parties, nights out, and snacks in moderation.
5. A calorie is a calorie
Your body processes and metabolizes foods in different ways. Proteins, carbohydrates, and fats
all have different effects on your feelings of satiety, blood sugar, insulin spikes, and hormonal
responses. Because of this, a calorie of, say, protein versus a calorie of sugar will be dealt with
very differently in the body. For example, 100 calories from turkey breast can boost metabolism
and reduce appetite, while 100 calories from soda pop can spike blood sugar and negatively
affect your mood and energy levels.
