Weight Loss Myths Debunked
We’ve all heard them. We’ve all repeated them. We have even believed them a time or two! So how can we sort out the fake info from the truth when it comes to weight loss rumors? Below we’ll help you out with several weight loss myths debunked!
Weight Loss Myth # 1 – Not eating will help you lose weight faster.
This is completely FALSE. Yes, technically, if you never ate your body would feed off the calories you already have and you could lose stored fat.
Technically is the key word!
But that is only a viable option if you plan to NEVER eat again. Unfortunately, not a good end result if that is the plan!
Since you are all smarter than that and won’t actually give up eating all you will end up doing is forcing your body into crisis mode and cause it to cling to whatever calories it gets.
It’s much smarter, effective, and safer to eat smaller portions of healthy foods throughout the day and reach a reasonable calorie intake. 1st of the weight loss myths debunked!
Tip: Try not to consumer a meal that has more than 500 calories in one sitting.
Weight Loss Myth # 2 – Eating whatever sugar free or fat free foods you want will not cause you to gain weight.
Sorry, but there is no one on the planet that can eat junk all day long and stay trim. At least not without some severe metabolic condition. Just because a box of cookies says sugar or fat free doesn’t make it calorie free. And calories are what determine whether you win or lose with your weight loss plan.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy a sugar free or fat free item every now and then. If it helps you to feel like you are indulging without going completely off track with your eating then go for it. Just makes sure to read the labels and be aware of how many calories you are taking in. 2nd of the weight loss myths debunked!
Weight Loss Myth # 3 – Working out regularly means you can eat whatever you want.
This is actually a twisted myth because it is based in partial truth. The more you exercise, the more calories you burn, and therefore you have some wiggle room when it comes to your calorie intake. But this thought requires some rationale on your part!
Think about it, if you walk for twenty minutes would it be logical to then eat a whole pizza? Of course not! Walking is a nice low-impact cardio form of exercise but at most a twenty minute walk, even a vigorous one, is only going to burn 200 calories. A slice of pepperoni pizza is about 250 calories.
The point is your exercise (which you can think of as your calorie output) has to exceed the food you eat (or your calorie input) for weight loss to occur.
Don’t be discouraged! Make your twenty minute walk a thirty minute walk and add a few low-cal cookies as dessert. You will get a little treat without ruining your entire goal! 3rd weight loss myth debunked!
Sincere there are a lot more Weight Loss Myths to Debunk check out these following series of articles:
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Thank you for visiting! Weight Loss and Training is a health blog which features all the best weight loss tips that I have learned over my 20 years of training. My background includes a degree in Kinesiology from the world renown Simon Fraser University, certification in nutritional sciences from UBC, and Personal Trainer Specialist certification from Can Fit Pro.
Great tips Sam . . . you would think in the internet age enough people would understand all these truths just by checking it out online but I’m finding that more and more people do less and less investigating as more and more of the real information becomes available – strange. The fact is, we need to keep giving, the seemingly obvious, health and fitness tips many people still have no clue even about. Thanks for sharing and I look forward to more
Sam,
I have checked out your website a bunch of times, and enjoy your writing. How long does it actually take our body to get into crisis mode when not eating?
I have followed a Paleo Diet and used intermittent fasting as a strategy to lose fat with great success. Lost inches, lbs, body fat % and all.
I totally agree with the other two myths! People get so confused with all the conflicting information and the great marketing of so called “healthy foods in the grocery store just compound the problem.
I am a Physical Education Teacher in Ontario, and get to experience first hand the low nutrition IQ of our youth. Great post!
Cheers,
Jordan
HI Jordan, thanks for the post. With regards to not eating and crisis mode, this will vary depending on a lot of factors, but generally that is anywhere from 12hours to 24 hours. I’m not a fan of fasting because it can place a great amount of stress on your organs a they try and compensate for the lack of energy.