Recently, we did an article about healthy foods to avoid that are actually not good for your weight loss plan. That got us thinking. There are so many weight loss and diet myths out there that confuse people and can potentially cause harm to their health.
To have a better control over your diet and your weight loss goals, you should be aware of these falsehoods. There is no scientific backing behind them and some of them are obviously just concoctions of some people who think they know everything about weight loss. There are some tips that are scientifically backed, but the following myths are not among them.
Diet Myths: 1. Nighttime Snacks are the worst
There is no proof that your late night snacks are doing anything to your weight. The time of the snack is probably not the bad thing, it is the food that you are eating.
If you eat cookies, ice cream, potato chips etc. at any time of day, whether night or afternoon, you will gain weight. But if you eat low calorie nighttime snacks then you have nothing to worry about.
Diet Myths: 2. Cut all Carbs from your Diet
The first thing that you learn from crackpot dietitians is that you need to cut all carbs from your diet.
Not the best idea.
There are two types of cabs, simple ones and complex ones. You need complex carbs in your diet. They are present in whole wheat bread, vegetables and fruits.
If you follow that advice, then you will cut even complex carbohydrates from your diet. They are actually good for you and cutting them out from your food can lead to health issues.
Simple carbs are the ones that you need to stay away from. They are present in white bread, fructose, sugar, glucose, etc.
Diet Myths: 3. Wait for Hunger Pangs
Some diet advice will have you wait until you get really hungry to eat. That means skipping meals and eating when your cravings are at their worst.
That is not something that will help you with your weight loss.
Studies show that increasing the frequency of meals and spacing them throughout the day is actually good for weight loss. If you eat smaller portions of food throughout the day you will feel less hungry all the time and will consume less calories overall.
Diet Myths: 4. Caffeine is bad for you
This is the most widely believed dieting myth in the world. People avoid coffee or tea like it is the worst thing for them, while in fact the opposite is true.
There have been countless studies that prove that caffeine, in the form of coffee, is actually very beneficial for people.
It has various benefits for the heart and the brain. But avoid mixing cream or sugar in your coffee if you are on a strict diet.
Diet Myths: 5. Fasting is effective in Weight Loss
It is a very convincing concept – fast and you will lose weight. Basically, if you are not eating anything you are just burning calories stored in your body and losing weight.
That is the biggest lie you have ever been told.
Skipping meals is more harmful to your health than any other myth on this list.
You are avoiding nutrients that your body actually need to function properly. And not to mention the fact that when eventually you do eat you can consume a large number of calories.
Diet Myths: 6. Only Diet is enough
You can go on the healthiest diet possible, eat all the right nutrients and avoid all the bad foods, you still won’t be able to lose the amount of weight that you want.
Sure, there will some weight loss but adding exercise or a fitness routine to the mix will be much more beneficial.
A simple at home workout routine or a daily gym visit can help you achieve your weight loss goals much quicker.
Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to dieting in this day and age. You can be bamboozled by the amount of information available online, so be smart and don’t believe any of the myths we have talked about and you will make fast progress in your weight loss journey.
