Loading...
There is a lot of wrong information on weight loss and dieting online. You’ve probably even put off going on a diet because of what you’ve heard about them (endless days of carrot sticks and apples). There’s so much information out there that is completely bogus that I decided to expose some of the biggest dieting myths out there.
The first commonly believed myth is that you can lose weight as fast as you want by going on a starvation diet. Many people believe if that they don’t eat anything all day then they will be able to lose weight quickly in time for a friend’s wedding or party, but that doesn’t work! Your body’s job is to keep you alive, so when it feels that you aren’t giving it the energy it needs to do that job, it will go into hibernation mode and will stop burning fat.
The second popular dieting myth is that one can lose weight by eating a specific food for the entire day. Things like the grapefruit diet or cabbage soup diet are two examples of diets based on this myth. The reality is that getting all your calories from a single food is very dangerous since you don’t give your body the necessary nutrients it needs.
Probably one of the most widespread dieting myth is that you shouldn’t eat before going to sleep because your body is most prone to store fat at that time. There isn’t a single piece of evidence to support that theory. As long as you aren’t going over your daily calorie maintenance limit then it doesn’t matter if you eat before you sleep or as soon as you wake up.
Probably the most illogical myth is the one that says you shouldn’t eat anything between the 3 main meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner). That doesn’t make sense because if you’re hungry and still have to wait to eat the main meal then you will pig out and eat even more than you really need. Eating healthy snacks between meals is completely alright, just as long as you adhere to the “healthy” part.
The last myth is that you should avoid dairy products at all costs because they’re so fattening. Do not follow this advice! You must include dairy products in your daily diet if you want to give your body the nutrients it needs! But make sure you choose the low fat versions of any dairy products you may buy.
Another myth which really discourages people from dieting is that you are never allowed to sneak in something tasty every once in a while. You can have a piece of chocolate cake every now and then just as long as you don’t overdo it. Many fitness and weight loss experts even recommend “cheat” days, days which you allow yourself to eat anything you want! This “shocks” your body and tells it to increase its metabolism which makes you lose weight even faster!
There are many more dieting myths circulating the Internet which could be very dangerous to your health if you follow them. The important thing for you to remember is that a healthy diet is one which includes the 3 main sources of proteins and gives your body exactly the amount of calories it needs.
