There are a lot of different diets and different ways to lose weight but there are also a lot of myths and supposed "sure fire tricks" to help you lose weight. But how do you separate myth from fact? Here are some common diet myths that don't work.
1) Skipping meals to lose weight
This is never a good idea! Thinking that you can get away with two meals a day can cause your body to go into "starvation" mode and hang onto any fat that you do consume. You will also be missing out on important vitamins and minerals. Missing a meal can only make you so hungry that you end up grabbing something quick and usually unhealthy to eat a while later. In my case this is usually chocolate! Eating at regular intervals throughout the day can increase your metabolism and is actually better for you.
Depriving yourself of certain meals will only make you crave unhealthy food more and get your body used to consuming fewer calories. When you go back to normal eating you could put the weight you were trying to lose back on and then some! Skipping meals can also be dangerous affecting your blood sugar levels causing them to plunge and possibly setting yourself up for the development of diabetes in later life.
2) Magic weight loss pills
There is no such thing as a magic pill that will make you loss weight without affecting any other part of your diet or lifestyle. Slimming pills can be recommended by doctors but these are usually when people have a problem losing weight due to a medical condition. Diet pills in most cases don't work and can actually be extremely dangerous with reports in recent years of women dying after taking some internet bought diet pills. The most sensible and healthy way to lose weight is to combine healthy eating with exercise. If you do this correctly, you should notice a difference in your weight.
3) Fats are bad for you
Dieters think that they should run a mile from fats but the truth is that not all fats are bad for you. UnSaturated fats like those found
in avocados, seafood and olive oil are actually good for you and
can help to lower your cholesterol. Unsaturated and trans fats are
the ones to avoid and they are present in fried and greasy food,
cakes and pizza. Avoiding the "bad" fats and following a low calorie diet in keep in helping you lose weight.
4) Eating late causes weight gain
Dieters seem to think that eating late at night can lead them to put weight on but this is not true. It's not when you eat, it's what you eat. Instead of worrying about not burning off the calories of your late night healthy munchies, look at how active you have been over
a 24 hour period to get a good picture of the amount of calories you are burning on a daily basis. Now pass me a cup of low calorie hot chocolate and stick on a film before bed!
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