5 Weight Loss Myths DEBUNKED

Weight loss

What tips and advice haven’t we all received from well-meaning family and friends about losing weight? If you eat this, you’ll lose weight. If you drink these protein shakes, you’ll lose weight. If you drink 10 glasses of water every day and skip lunch, you’ll lose weight and you won’t even have to exercise!

So how do you know what you hear about losing weight is true or false? To help you avoid wasting time on the massive amount of weight loss information flooding the Internet, here are the top 5 weight loss myths you should know about:

Eating several small meals daily increases metabolism to expedite fat burning
A meta-analysis investigating the claim that “snacking” instead of eating three larger meals per day keeps your metabolism high clearly debunked this myth. No correlation was found between how many small meals you eat and your metabolic rate. This myth began when the concept that metabolism increases after eating a meal somehow went “viral decades ago. What really matters is what kind of food you are eating.¹

Just exercise more and you’ll lose weight no matter what you eat
Yet another research study debunks this other weight loss myth. While exercise is one of the best things you can do to support overall health and well-being, exercise is not a critical part of a weight loss program. In fact, when study subjects are divided into a “diet and exercise” group and a “diet-only” group, results show the outcome is similar–neither group loses statistically significantly more weight than the other group. Physiological science appears to indicate that successfully losing weight depends largely on diet rather than how much you exercise.²

Eating fats makes you fat and contributes to heart disease
The academic journal Obesity published a study that showed how much fat you include in your diet is only weakly associated with weight gain. In addition, there is plenty of evidence indicating saturated fat does not correlate with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The reason why the “fat is bad for your heart” scare arose from a poorly conducted study performed in 1975 that claimed saturated fat caused heart attacks. Including occasional sources of saturated fat and healthy fats like coconut oil and avocado in your diet should not be a primary cause of heart disease.^{3, 4}

Carbohydrates are bad for you if you are trying to lose weight
The low-carb diet craze emerging during the 1990s just won’t go away. In reality, carbohydrate-rich food like fruits and whole grains are essential for maintaining energy supplies. The problematic carbohydrates like white flour products and processed, refined foods are the culprits of weight gain. When someone goes on a low-carb diet and claims to lose weight, it´s probably because they are no longer eating cookies and cakes. Unfortunately, the positive results from low-carb-diets do not last. When you “starve” your body of carbohydrates, it starts breaking down muscle for energy instead of fat tissue. In addition, good carbs can help make you feel fuller longer and stave off hunger pangs.⁵

Hormones don’t influence your ability to lose weight
Losing weight is not all about eating the right foods and getting enough physical activity. Your hormones play a strong role in regulating appetite, cravings and energy levels. Estrogen dominance–a condition involving high levels of estrogen and low levels of progesterone–is known to cause weight gain by interfering with metabolism, satiety and changing the way the body stores fat. When estrogen and progesterone are not balanced, estrogen dominance may also lead to:⁶

Poor circulation/numbness and tingling in hands and feet
Depression/anxiety/severe moodiness
Headaches/migraines
Bloating/water retention
Hair thinning/hair loss
Insomnia
Problems concentrating/memory problems

If your body is functioning normally, weight loss should not be difficult. When eating right and engaging in physical activity at least 30 minutes a day does not move the scale needle, call us today for a consultation appointment to determine if your hormones are interfering with your weight loss program.

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