Ridiculous myths about weight loss

Losing weight is a linear process

It can take a long time to lose weight. Due to the fact that your weight tends to fluctuate by relatively small amounts, the process is typically not linear.

All calories are equal

The calorie is a unit of energy measurement. There is the same amount of energy in every calorie.

However, this does not imply that all calorie sources affect weight the same way.

Different foods can have very different effects on hunger and the hormones that control your weight because they go through different metabolic pathways.

A protein calorie, for instance, is distinct from a fat or carb calorie.

Protein can boost metabolism, reduce appetite and cravings, and optimize the function of some hormones that regulate weight (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source, respectively).

Additionally, whole foods like fruit tend to be significantly more filling than refined foods like candy.

Eat less, move more

Body fat simply consists of stored energy.

To lose fat, you want to consume a greater number of calories than you take in.

Therefore, it stands to reason that reducing calories and increasing physical activity would result in weight loss.

Even though this advice sounds good in theory, especially if you make a change to your lifestyle that lasts a long time, it's not a good idea for people who have serious weight issues.

Due to physiological and biochemical reasons, most people who follow this advice regain any weight they have lost.

Diet and exercise alone won't help you lose weight unless you make a significant and ongoing shift in your mindset and behaviour. Limiting your food admission and it isn't sufficient to get more actual work.

Eating breakfast is necessary to lose weight

According to studies, people who skip breakfast tend to be heavier than those who eat breakfast

On the other hand, this is probably due to the fact that breakfast eaters are more likely to engage in other healthy lifestyle practices.

In fact, a four-month study of 309 adults' breakfast habits found that eating breakfast or skipping it had no effect on weight (14Trusted Source).

It's also a myth that eating breakfast speeds up your metabolism and that eating multiple small meals throughout the day makes you burn more calories.

Eating when you're hungry and stopping when you're full is best. If you want to, you can eat breakfast, but don't expect it to make a big difference in your weight.

Fast food is always fattening

All fast food is not harmful.

Numerous fast food chains have started offering healthier options as a result of people's increased awareness of their health.

Chipotle, for example, focuses entirely on serving healthy food.

The majority of restaurants offer reasonably healthy options. The majority of cheap fast food establishments frequently offer healthier alternatives to their main menu items.

Even though these foods may not meet the needs of everyone who cares about their health, they are still a good option if you don't have time or energy to cook a healthy meal.

Thou shalt not snack

It's possible for people to believe that snacking while dieting is a sin. Snacking, on the other hand, can help people better control how many calories they consume. What one eats while snacking is more important than the act of snacking itself.

Snacking may be more involved than initially thought. While a few nibble on celery and others on treats, certain individuals could nibble since they are ravenous and others since they are exhausted.

For instance, having a piece of fruit or some low-fat yogurt between meals may lessen food cravings, preventing a person from overeating at mealtimes or turning to snacks that use more energy.

According to some studies, people with obesity are more likely than people without the condition to snack. For this situation, changing from unhealthful to energizing bites might support weight reduction, in the event that this is an objective.

Snacking can help or hinder weight loss efforts in general, and in some cases, it may have no effect at all.

A 2007 study by Trusted Source looked into the effect of snacking on weight loss. One group of participants was asked to eat three meals a day without snacking during the year-long study. The second group was instructed to consume three meals and three snacks per day. Every day, people in both groups used the same amount of energy.

Toward the finish of the review, the creators tracked down no distinction in weight reduction between the two gatherings; eating, it appears, neither aided nor obstructed.

The "relationship between eating frequency and weight loss maintenance" was the subject of another 2011 study. Participants who had previously been overweight or obese but had since maintained a healthy weight were recruited by the researchers.

They compared the eating habits of these people to those of obese people and healthy people who had never been overweight.

The researchers discovered that overweight people ate the fewest snacks while healthy participants consumed more than those who had lost weight.

"Eating frequency, particularly in regard to a pattern of three meals and two snacks per day, may be important in weight loss maintenance," the authors concluded overall.