10 COMMON WEIGHT LOSS MYTHS YOU SHOULD STOP BELIEVING

10 Common weight loss myths you should stop believing

When most people resolve to lose weight, the first thing they do is look for advice. The problem is that so much of the advice out there is such a load of rubbish, it’s no wonder that so many fail to stick to their guns in their weight loss and fitness programs. You can’t simply pop a pill or eat just one type of food and magically shed the pounds, so don’t believe all that you read and check out our ten common weight loss myths that are best to be ignored:

Weight loss myth 1: You absolutely have to join a gym to lose weight

A myth perpetuated by the owners of gyms and gym-junkies is that the only way you can get proper exercise is in a gym. Not true! Just entering the hallowed confines of a gym won’t make you lose weight, the most important thing is to do exercises that you enjoy and there are plenty of things that you can do, outside of a gym, to get that exercise.

Weight loss myth 2: You can target weight loss on one area on your body

It is not possible to lose body fat from just one specific area of your body. You can do spot training, which targets a single area of your body, and that will build a specific group of muscles, but those muscles will still be covered by the fat. When you lose weight, you lose it everywhere.

Weight loss myth 3: Diet soda is a weight loss aid

To use the word ‘diet’ on low calorie soda drinks, is misleading. It is better than drinking regular soda, but healthy it certainly is not! Diet soda is packed with chemicals to give it flavor and it contains aspartame, which is a neurotoxic chemical. If you want a sweet drink, try some water with a squeeze of lemon juice with some honey instead.

Weight loss myth 4: Crash diets bring about long term weight loss results

Don’t go mad on cutting down food, because in the long run, you will probably put on more weight, than when you started. When you starve yourself, you will find yourself low on energy, which will make you crave sugar and fatty foods all the more. On a crash diet, you are far more likely to give in to the cravings, binge on all the wrong foods and find yourself weighing even more.

Weight loss myth 5: A lot of exercise will make you look like the incredible Hulk

It will take a lot more, than a bit of strength training to give you the physique of a body builder, so don’t worry about turning into a muscle bound freak. Strength training has many benefits, including increasing your stamina, toning your muscles and making you feel a whole lot better in yourself.

Weight loss myth 6: Weight loss have to be an ‘all or nothing’ scenario

Many people are put off even trying to lose weight, because they believe that unless they eat nothing but bean sprouts and run twenty miles a day, it won’t work! You don’t have to go to extreme measures to lose weight. Of course, if you exercise every day, you will lose weight faster, but if you miss a day, it’s not going to hurt. Gradually changing your diet toward a healthier one and increasing the amount of exercise you do will be better for you, if you want to lose weight without slipping out, and you are more likely to stick to it.

Weight loss myth 7: Weight loss diets always do work

You might be surprised to see this heading in an article on weight loss, but the word diet infers that it is a short term thing. But then what? You immediately go back to eating what you used to? If you do, then your weight will go up and down, like a yo-yo and that’s not good for your heart. A permanent change to your eating habits and exercise regime is what will get the weight off and keep it off.

Weight loss myth 8:  It is more expensive to eat healthily

Another common myth is that healthy foods cost more. Completely untrue! Just take a look at the cost of fresh vegetables and fruit, and compare it the cost of high fat, high salt pre-prepared food and snacks, and you will dispel that myth yourself.

Weight loss myth 9: Skipping meals will make you lose weight

Skipping meals is really not a great idea. You need to reduce your calorie intake, but not this way, because if you skip a meal completely, you are more likely to snack or overeat at your next meal. It is far better to cut down the size of your meals and continue to eat meals regularly.

Weight loss myth 10: Low fat products are always a better choice and will help you lose wight

Be very careful about how you interpret food labeling; just because the label says ‘reduced fat’, it doesn’t mean that it will help you lose weight. Remember, advertising claims are all relative and reduced fat means that it has to be less than half the fat content of the alternative product, which may be absolutely filled with fat. Even ‘low fat’ label can be misleading; low fat compared what? An apple?

What other weight loss myths should we all stop believing? Feel free to share your thoughts and weight loss tips in the comment section below.

Stay happy and healthy!

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