The weight loss industry, a billion-pound juggernaut, is often a maze of contradictions and misinformation. I do find it quite disturbing when trying to research what is best when it comes to shedding those extra pounds!
Amidst the cacophony of voices on social media, it’s becoming increasingly challenging to separate fact from fiction. This post aims to debunk some prevalent weight loss myths, equipping you with the knowledge to navigate your weight loss journey confidently.
Myth1: All Calories Are Equal
Contrary to popular belief, calories are not just calories; all foods impact our bodies differently. For example, a protein calorie has a different effect on your body than a calorie from sugar, and so on. So if your calorie intake is 1800 calories per day and you get the majority of this from fatty or sweet food, likely, you won’t feel satiated, leading you to overeat. If the majority of your calories come from whole foods or protein, you’ll likely feel fuller faster and less likely to overeat.
Myth 2: You Can Spot Reduce Fat
Sadly, it’s not as easy as eating certain foods or doing certain exercises to reduce fat. While many people often wonder how to lose belly fat fast, the reality is there’s no one thing you need to do to give you that explicit result alone. When you lose weight, you cannot decide where you lose it. While certain exercises can help you target and tone different muscle groups or parts of your body when it comes to reducing fat in a specific area, sadly, it’s not that easy. And this is often something that is predetermined genetically. In some people, when losing weight, they’ll lose from their legs, bums and arms first, others their face and chest and some their waist and stomach area.
Myth 3: Losing Weight Is Linear
Contrary to what some popular slimming clubs or influencers tell you, losing weight isn’t a linear process. Your weight can and does fluctuate from day to day, even hour to hour. The food you eat, when you eat, how hydrated you are, your menstrual cycle, the type of food you eat, how much you exercise, and more factors will all influence your weight. Even if you’re losing body fat, your weight does not look like it’s going down, and that is completely normal. Understanding your body and how it reacts in different situations can give you a better understanding of your weight loss journey.
Myth 4: Eat Less, Move More
This is something that is still rolled out when people need to lose weight. People tell others it’s really that simple when, in reality, it isn’t. Sure, you do need to reduce calories to lose weight; that is a fact, but simply telling someone to eat less and move more won’t help anyone. You need to know what foods you should be eating; in some cases, volume eating and food pairing can result in you eating more foods with fewer calories. It’s about what you want, not just how much. It’s about the activity level you do, not the type; you burn more calories from your everyday movements and activities than actual workouts. And it’s about other factors, including your health, physical capabilities, lifestyle and even access to healthy foods and workouts. There is much more to losing weight than simply eating less and moving more; understanding this can give you a more solid foundation to lose weight. Remember, weight loss is a complex journey, and taking your time and understanding your body’s needs is okay.
