The world is a complicated place. And that goes double for the world of health and fitness where fat-busting myths persist. Fortunately, you can learn everything you need to know about fat loss and weight loss with a search online right now.
New workout strategies are being developed, new supplements are packaged and shelved, and new superfoods are being discovered and re-discovered every single day. With this in mind, let’s take a closer look at weight loss myths.
Fad diets fade fast
Being a Healthversed fan-girl or fan-boy, you’re well … er … versed on the nature of fad diets. But if you haven’t heard the news, spoiler alert, fad diets don’t work. They’re either too restrictive, they’ve got their science all backwards or they’re just flat out unhealthy. The problem with diets is that they’re inherently temporary.
The numbers don’t lie. Most fad dieters gain the weight back in less than a year. If you’re looking to lose weight, try your best to steer clear of “diets” and try and research some healthy veggie recipes instead.
The road to weight loss isn’t always straight
If you want to lose weight, you’re going to have to prepare yourself for the day that you exercise, eat well, and drink lots of water, only to find that the number on the scale has gone up a pound and a half. Relax. You can’t gain weight by day dreaming about strawberry cheesecake. Small weight fluctuations are about as natural as our shared love of junk food. The road to a healthier you takes time. So don’t let yourself get too hung up on the bumps along the way.
Gluten-free foods aren’t healthier
It seems like somewhere along the line, the science behind gluten got all crossed. Gluten is a set of proteins that are found in a whole host of dietary grains like rye, barley, and wheat. And, if you aren’t allergic to gluten, it’s absolutely harmless.
To be clear, a diet rich in pasta, dinner rolls, and apple crumble — with or without gluten — is a bad idea.
Burning 3,5000 calories doesn’t always equal 1 pound lost
We humans sure lend a lot of credence to counting numbers. Unfortunately in the land of health and wellness, the numbers don’t always add up. Yes, one extra pound of fat equals roughly 3,500 extra calories. But, when speaking in terms of input and output, you may notice some inconsistencies.
For starters, you should account for an error or two from your calorie tracking device. Wristwatch heart monitors aren’t exactly exact. Also, exercise burns more than just fat. Again, don’t focus too much on the little numbers. Focus on how good you feel and just keep moving forward.
Your scale doesn’t tell the whole tale
You don’t take your vehicle’s gas gauge as a comprehensive report on your car’s driving efficiency. So you shouldn’t rely solely on your bathroom scale as a measure of healthy progress. We all want to look down and see a smaller number glowing between our big toes. But that’s not always going to be the case.
Gaining muscle is just that, a gain. As you exercise, you lose fat and gain muscle. And those fluctuations are much too subtle for your simple little scale. If you’d like to actually track your progress, check out some websites that can help you. If not, just try and focus on how much better you feel. Trust us, it doesn’t take much to notice the difference.
Supplements can’t help you lose weight
To paraphrase a popular radio host, “Mother Nature offers no free lunches.” The supplement industry is built on the premise that with the right powders, pills, and bars, you can quicken the pace of your weight loss journey. Let’s just say that if a magic, healthy-in-a-day weight-loss pill actually existed, you’d have heard about it by now.
That’s not to say that you shouldn’t buy multivitamins or supplement your Omega-3s. But if you’re expecting a pill to balance out that vending machine Twix bar, you may be disappointed.
Weight loss isn’t always as simple as “eat less, move more”
Theoretically, yes. Eating less and moving more will help you lose weight. But for a lot of people, obesity is about more than a slight input-output adjustment. It’s a complete lifestyle overhaul that requires guidance, hard work, and a lot of support. Oversimplifying the matter can cloud the underlying psychological hang-ups that drove the individual to overeat in the first place. It’s a dangerous cycle that leads to weight regain, too.
All calories are not created equally
Living a healthy lifestyle would be so much easier if “1 + 1” actually gave us two. It would certainly be a lot simpler. No, unfortunately, human digestion is much more complex than a grade school math problem.
You see, different foods metabolize in different ways, which makes some calories infinitely more valuable. For example, 500 calories worth of white bread isn’t the same as 500 calories of boneless, skinless chicken breast.
Your waistline isn’t everything
Just because you’re thin, doesn’t mean you’re healthy. Conversely, just because an individual is overweight doesn’t mean they’re unhealthy either. Yes, obesity weighs heavily on your heart and increases your risk of cancer and diabetes. But you can be overweight and still fundamentally healthy.
More importantly, being skinny shouldn’t be taken as a clean bill of health either. Living a healthy lifestyle is about so much more than your waistline. It’s about making a conscious choice to feel better and reap the rewards.
Diet foods aren’t always healthy
The packaged health food market is built on a bed of lies! Well, not exactly. But “health food” packages sure can be deceiving. Low-fat yogurts loaded with sugar, sugar-free drinks loaded with sodium — it’s enough to drive a person mad. No, diet foods aren’t always what they claim to be.
Get comfortable reading nutrition labels, know what to avoid and you’ll start to see a pattern. Take it as an opportunity to discover food that both tastes good and makes you feel good.
Low fat doesn’t mean less fat
These days, it’s pretty common to mistake dietary fat for the type of fat that makes your pants tight. It’s the same word, so we all get a pass. Nevertheless, it’s important to distinguish between the two.
Body fat is the result of consuming more calories than you burn. On the other hand, dietary fat exists in food like butter, avocados, and cooking oils. Not only is there no link between the consumption of dietary fat and excess body fat, high-fat, low-carb nutrition plans are actually quite effective.
Eating breakfast doesn’t really matter
Blasphemous, we know. The truth is, skipping breakfast doesn’t inherently mean you’re unhealthy. Just like eating breakfast doesn’t make you healthy. Eating breakfast is good for you because it can act as a measure of preparedness. You’ve awoken, you’ve prepared a meal, and you’ve begun your day. Psychologically, it’s a fantastic routine to build on. But you still have to be sensible. No breakfast is better than a three-donut breakfast.