Perhaps you’ve considered going on a weight loss diet at various times in your life. But maybe you hesitated because you thought it was too complicated or too hard. Listening to some of the dieting advice that’s so readily available, you’ll find that there are a lot of myths. Hopefully, we can dispel some of them here.
1. The most popular of dieting myths is that the best way to lose weight is by cutting out as much food and calories as you can. This way of dieting can be highly damaging to your health. Because your system believes there’s a shortage of food, it won’t let go of its fat very easily.
2. Another myth we face in our quest for a slimmer waistline is one that tells us to eat only one specific type of food. The cabbage soup diet has no doubt led to many binge episodes through its existence. When you start an unhealthy fad diet, your body won’t get the nutrition it requires to function properly and keep your immune system strong.
3. You may have also heard that you can never cheat on your diet. If you do, you’ll need to exercise for hours to make up for it. This just isn’t true. Really, you can have that piece of chocolate cake occasionally. It’s only necessary that you cut back on your calories for a day or two. There’s really no need to exercise for hours just to compensate for one little treat.
4. A popular myth is that you should avoid eating before bedtime because your body will just store all the calories as fat. But this is wrong; dieting is just a healthy style of eating and keeping an eye on how many calories you take in throughout the day. Having a light snack before bed isn’t going to make a big difference. Unless, of course, it’s a 5-course meal or an entire frozen cheesecake.
5. How about the one that says you can’t eat anything between meals? Snacks are actually part of a healthy eating style. Consume several mini meals through your day and your hunger won’t overwhelm you. When you cut out between meal snacks, you become ravenous before it’s time for the next meal. This can cause you to eat a lot more than you really need just to satisfy your hunger.
6. There’s another myth that says you shouldn’t consume any dairy products at all because they’re too fattening. But there are many essential nutrients contained in dairy products, so it’s unwise to completely cut them from your eating plan. In fact, some studies suggest those who consume dairy have better weight loss success. Just make sure you limit your amounts and go for the low-fat versions.
Avoid being conned by all the myths about weight loss that abound on various websites. Nutritious, mindful eating along with regular exercise can be the combination that will help you with your healthy weight loss.