8 Weight Loss Myths Debunked
January 28, 2019-
New fads and hip diets promote quick ways to lose weight, with many of these methods proving ineffective. If these don’t work, what will? This infographic provides some guidance to help you separate fact from fiction when it comes to diet, exercise and losing weight the healthy way.
Weight Loss Myths
The good, the bad, the unhealthy
Most people have tried to lose weight at one time or another. But how do you sort the cold hard facts from the trendy, empty promises? Here are some tips that will point you in the right direction.
Fact or Fiction?
Drinking 8 glasses of water a day aids weight loss.
Both fact and fiction.
According to WebMD, as long as you drink water when you are thirsty rather than sugary beverages, there’s no need to count cups.
Water-rich foods like fruit help, too!
Eggs are bad for your heart.
Nope, fiction.
Eggs aren’t that bad for healthy people and they contain protein and omega-3’s that can actually help your heart.
Taking a multivitamin gives you all the nutrients you need.
Fiction.
The best way to nourish is still fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts and healthy oils.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
Fact.
Although it is NOT necessary for weight loss. For some people, breakfast helps them to eat less later in the day. But breakfast skippers who don’t overeat at lunch or dinner can still lose weight.
All calories are equal.
Fiction.
A protein calorie is not the same as a fat or carb because it is metabolized differently. That’s why a protein snack can leave you feeling satisfied longer.
To be successful, your weight should go down every day.
Fiction.
Weight loss is not linear; the body naturally fluctuates up and down for different reasons. This is normal and not cause to scrap your efforts.
“Eat less, move more” is the magic solution.
Not for everyone.
It’s much more complicated than that. To oversimplify this for people with serious weight problems is like telling a depressed person to cheer up, or an alcoholic to drink less.
All carbs are bad.
Fiction.
Low-carb diets can be very effective. But carbs themselves are not what cause weight gain. Refined carbs (like sugar) are linked to weight gain, but whole foods that are high in carbs (like fruit) are healthy.
Fast Facts
62% of adult Americans are overweight or obese.1
Americans spent $46.3 billion in weight loss products in 2004, the last year a survey was conducted.2 The numbers are expected to continue to grow significantly every year.
Less than 5% of adults participate in 30 minutes of physical activity each day;3 only one in three adults receive the recommended amount of physical activity each week.
Exercise boosts brainpower, boosts energy levels, and increases serotonin in the brain — leading to improved mental clarity.
The most important thing? Finding the approach that is right for you. There's not one true solution that works for everyone, but everyone has the capacity to live their healthiest.
3 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy People 2010. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/healthy_people/hp2010.htm.
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