The 6 Biggest Lies about Weight Loss Revealed

There is a flood of information on just about any topic online. There is plenty about weight loss and diets, but anyone who has done a bit of research knows that sooner or later you are going to come across plenty of contradicting information.

Here’s Your Diet-Myth Buster

Diet Myth #1: No Carbohydrates

Some of the more popular diets online such as the Atkins, the South Beach Diet and a whole lot more, are based on high protein and low carbohydrate food choices. In reality, those diets and those food choices do work for weight loss if you follow them closely. The are capable of producing significant weight loss for a short period of time, however… and here lies the disappointment… the results are rarely long-lasting. It’s very common for dieters who have been on a low-carb high protein diet to gain the weight back, once they stop following the plan.

Diet Myth #2: No Fats

Many people think that weight loss automatically means no fat. This however is only partly true. The point is that fat doesn’t automatically equal fat… The key to effective and healthy nutrition for weight loss lies in eliminating the consumption of  “bad” fats and actually increasing the consumption of “good” fats.

Bad fats are saturated and Trans fats and they should be avoided at all cost. The good fats are found in fish, olive oil and avocados (examples being polyunsaturated and Omega-3 fats) and they should be consumed regularly. Good fats will not stand in the way of your weight loss efforts.

Diet Myth #3: It’s all about genetics anyway

While genetics are a factor in weight loss (or weight gin) things are not set in stone. Our metabolic rate is to an extent shaped by our genes, but at the same time there is plenty you can do to balance it out.

What weight loss really comes down to is amount of calories in vs. amount of calories burnt through body activity during a single day. Genetics play a role in your metabolism and your ability to burn fat, but at the same time, there are many ways to boost a slow metabolism, either through specific exercise routines or even through special so called calorie-shifting diets (see resources below)

Diet Myth #4: Skipping Meals will do the trick

The aim in any weight loss strategy is to speed up metabolism and control healthy nutrition. This way the body can burn more fat faster, while consuming a controlled amount of calories. If you skip meals, you may think that you are speeding up your weight loss, but you are achieving just the opposite.

You just need to skip meals few times and that already is enough for your body to fall into “panic” mode. Panic mode is a self defense mechanism in which the body actually slows down your metabolism in order to preserve stored fat. That’s because it “thinks” that you are going to starve.

If anything, you need to eat frequently during the day and never skip meals. This system is best described in the calorie-shifting method.

Diet Myth #5: No “White” Food

Some dieting methods are based on the color of the foods you consume, avoiding white foods. But there are plenty of white foods, which are good for you and will not sabotage your weight loss (such as pears, nuts or avocados) Key is to watch the nutrients contained in those foods and not just the color.

Diet Myth #6: Grapefruit Miracle Diet

Certain individuals and organizations claim that consuming grapefruit will make you burn fat. Their claims are based on one rather small and isolated research, which suggests that grapefruit contains a “magic” fat-burning enzyme that will make you part your excess fat in no time. So far however, those claims have not been backed up by thorough research or solid proof.

While grapefruit contains plenty of beneficial nutrients that are good for your health, it is not confirmed to induce weight loss on its own.

Of course, if you eat only grapefruit for a while you may lose some weight short-term, but you are also going to shock your body and mess up your metabolism.

So, there you have it, some of the most common diet myths.

Useful links related to this article:

• Fat Loss 4 Idiots system
• Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle plan
• Mediterranean Diet plan

Keep following your weight loss goals, but resort to a proven, sustainable and long-term diet plan and not quick fads.