The magic of healthy eating is based on facts not fads. So, if we say that weight loss can be achieved only when we eat healthily, do we understand what is healthy? Well, for that we need to bust some popular weight loss myths.
There is a difference between what we know and what we understand. We might be following many things that we have always been told to do. But do we actually understand all of it? For example, someone tells us to follow a certain fat loss diet. Do we blindly follow it? Or, do we research about it to understand if that diet is actually good for our health or effective for the weight loss goals we are aiming for?
The gist of the story is that we should understand the difference between factual weight loss tips and window-dressed weight loss myths. So, without much ado, let’s look at some popular weight loss myths busted left, right & center.
5 Weight Loss Myths Busted
Myth 1: Say No To Carbohydrates
It is one of the biggest weight loss myths. Carbohydrates are not food from fat-hell that will bump-up your belly. Take it easy on those carbs which in reality are an essential part of your daily intake. Carbohydrates are a source of energy which you get once they are converted into blood sugar. So instead of skipping carbohydrates from your diet completely, balance their intake and ensure a proper workout to utilize them effectively. Taking carbs post workout can be a good idea towards balanced fitness and no interference in weight loss plans. So next time you have a bowl of home-made rice before you, don’t gorge like a glutton, but there isn’t a need to skip it completely too.
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Myth 2: Eat Anything if it is Baked
That is a half-truth. And any half-truth is nothing but a myth. Everything that is labeled baked, is not necessarily healthy. For example, you eat a truckload of baked nachos with a cheesy dip, do you seriously think you will lose weight by doing that? Okay, let’s skip the cheese thing. Let’s say – It’s winter time and you are having green tea. And to munch something with that, you opt for some masala baked bhakarwadi. Then, this is the end, my friend. All the maida (white refined flour) in those yummy so-called baked snacks will break all your weight loss dreams and may also spoil your health in the long run. So, drinking green tea is good for weight loss but you need to keep a watch on what you munch with that.
Myth 3: Diet Works Magic For Weight Loss
Here’s your chance to understand the difference we were talking about initially. There is a difference between being slim and being undernourished. Many people blindly follow strict diet regimes and try to control their hunger at all times. Such a process might keep you distant from fatty foods but might also keep you away from being nourished. Following a diet regime is good for weight loss, but it’s not magic; it is science. Consult an expert dietitian or nutritionist and then proceed. Sometimes all you need to do is just add certain things to your daily calorie intake and time the intake properly. Thus, you do not need a diet at all for weight loss in that case. And even if you need one, you need to do some necessary exercise with that to get effective results. Dieting is no magic and certainly can’t do anything alone without bringing overall discipline in your other daily activities like hours of sleep, time spent for basic exercising, and unhealthy habits like drinking & smoking.
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Myth 4: Want to be slim-&-sleek? Be a Gym Freak!
It is not at all necessary to burn cash at a gym for burning calories. Weight loss is in no way directly proportional to how many hours you spend at a gym or how much money are you spending on gym equipment. What if you are not eating the right kind of diet? Do you really believe that if you eat truckloads of fatty foods and hit the gym, you are going to lose weight? You are wrong! The purpose of going to a gym should be getting fit and building a muscular body. And while doing that you may also lose weight. But, if weight loss is your only target, then you can achieve it at home as well. There are a lot of exercises you can do at home or even at the workplace for weight loss. And to make it simple and cost-effective – brisk walking and running, coupled with a little bit of yoga and stretching, can actually work wonders for weight loss.
Myth 5: Eat Lots Of Fresh Salad
Honestly, this is actually true in a big way. Eating fresh salads does help you in weight loss. But, it is when people cheat their mind, the truth becomes a myth. It is important to eat salad for fitness and weight loss but it does not solve the purpose if you eat salad to show-off. Yes, you heard it right! When people are tired of hearing that they are overweight, they start eating healthy stuff but only to satisfy their mind and the eyes of people glaring at what they are eating. Whereas in reality they still crave to stuff themselves. The best example is – making a fresh green vegetable salad but adding cheese & a big scoop of mayonnaise to make it tasty. Who are you fooling? How can you lose weight by eating a salad full of calories? A leg of baked chicken would have been a much better option, even if it wasn’t wrapped in any leafy greens. Therefore, eat salad, but to add value, not weight.
There are many other myths about dieting, taking weight loss supplements and counting calories. But, all you need to do is – Open your mind & eyes, learn to understand & differentiate facts from fads and never blindly follow anything you hear.
Be Smart; Lose Weight; Stay Healthy
