10 Distorted Facts About Weight Loss

A lie becomes an accepted truth when it’s repeated over and over again, still we fall for the lie particularly when it has to do with losing weight. The multi billion dollar diet industry is filled with half-truths, false impression, and absolute misconceptions.

The diet industry targets the vulnerable with unconventional products and miracle cures that promise the impossible, backed by millions of dollars spent on consumer advertising. The obvious fact is that very few people have been able to lose weight successfully and keep it off. Unfortunately, the promise of a miracle wonder gets into our subconscious mind and remains inside.  But the truth is that there are simply no quick fixes to lose weight. 

The other day a very large lady approached me at the gym and asked my opinion about a protein diet formula that’s going to set her back $500.

‘Wow’, I said, then asked her ‘Do you have $500?’

‘Hum…not really’, she replied. I went further.

‘So assume you lose weight in four weeks as promised.  What happens after that?’

That was the end of the conversation. I advised she should take it steady and slow.  Eat in moderation, include the essentials foods and continue exercising.  The weights will drop off gradually, but she’ll at least get used to a better lifestyle.  She thanked me and left.

The remedy against media diet deceit is for consumers to get informed from reputable sources with dependable data. There are 10 most common weight-loss deceits explained right here.

1. ‘Drop 1 pound per day.’ Or any other promotion that promises huge weight drop immediately. It’s not healthy, and it’s not correct. Set a workable goal of about 1 pound - 3 pound weight loss per week. Long term weight loss is about changing lifestyle, not a quick fix.

2. Avoid Fat. ‘Fat is bad for you’ has been pushed forward to people for years. The truth however is that some fats are unhealthy, and some are good and actually important for your health. That’s the reason why they are called ‘essential fatty acids’!

3. Avoid carbohydrates. First the culprit was fat, now carbohydrates. When you’re trying to lose weight, it’s important to differentiate between unhealthy carbohydrates, such as white sugar, and healthy carbohydrates, such as vegetables and whole grains, which provide vital vitamins, and fiber to aid digestion.

4. Stop eating. Uh…no. Starving denies the body of the nutrients it needs for life and can lead to serious illness. In addition you lose muscle mass, not fat. Even in a situation when you lose pounds, you put it back as soon as you start overeating again.

5. Eat by 7p.m. To eat by 7pm and not eat after that time caused a heated debate in the gym one day. One lady insisted she has to eat some rice once she gets home, that is after her exercise.  The instructor insisted she should just eat fruits or drink orange juice, certainly not rice. 

‘Any food after 7 p.m. is going to clog the system’, the instructor warned.

Both are right, as ‘eating or not eating after 7p.m’ is an individual thing,  though there's is some worry that dinner after 7 p.m is putting you at risk of BP and diabetes.  Then again another thinking is that it’s not what time you eat, it’s what you eat!  For instance in Europe they eat at 10 o’clock at night and they are half the size of Americans and Africans. 

6. Salad bars are healthy. Bacon, cheeses, fried chicken, oily dressing. The seeming attraction of salad bars means you should pay more attention to what you pick, and choose wisely. Go for the plain greens, tomatoes, carrots, cabbage, cucumbers, onions, cold chicken or turkey, olives.  Any vegetable without the dressing is fine.  Avoid the already mixed salads of pasta, rice etc. Also the fatty cold meats like salami, tongue, pate are a no go area.

7. Diet sodas help weight loss. Diet soda will only support weight loss if taken as part of a calorie controlled diet.  You can’t justify eating uncontrollably because you take sugarless soda. But when you replace sugarless sodas with sugar-laden soft drinks, you would have cut a lot of sugar from your daily diet. That in itself is good for your teeth and your general wellbeing.

8. Don’t weigh yourself.  Not stepping on a weighing scale is another misconception that has been passed on. To the contrary, actually being able to check your weight on a regular basis say once or twice a week is a glaring way to evaluate your progress and alter your diet accordingly. Though, scales can be discouraging when you expect your weight to shift and seem to be going up, the good news is that this doesn’t mean you’re not making progress as your hip, thigh and tummy may be reducing in inches. It’s important to monitor this area too.

9. A diet pill is the answer. You cannot replace healthy eating and exercise with a pill. Pills are not a new thing, and they have been tried for decades but with devastating side effects. Save your money and discipline yourself to eat healthily and exercise for a long-term effect.

10. Joining a gym is a must. You don’t need to join a gym. As a matter of fact research indicates 30 to 60 minutes per day of moderate physical activity is all it takes to balance healthy food intake. It doesn’t have to be vigorous exercise, just move your body!  There you are.  No more excuses about not having access to a gym or the membership fee.

Photo Credit: Creative Commons