12 Biggest Myths About Weight Loss Busted (3 of 3)

You cannot skip breakfast if you want to lose weight

There are numerous studies that show how people who skip their breakfasts are overweight compared to those who don’t.

However, this is more of a correlation than a cause of obesity. People who have breakfasts might be healthy because of their healthy lifestyle habits.

In fact, a recent study carried out on 310 adults showed that breakfast habits do not have any effect on weight gain. So, whether you skip your breakfast or not doesn’t make you fat.

Further, it is also a myth that having breakfast will boost one’s metabolism and that having small meals throughout the day will burn more calories. You should eat when you feel like eating. Also, eating breakfast is a good idea, but skipping it won’t do any bad for your body, either.

SUMMARY

While it is a fact that people who skip their breakfasts tend to weigh more than those who don’t, various other studies show that eating (or skipping) breakfast has nothing to do with your weight gain (or loss).

Obese people are unhealthy while thin people are not

While it is true that being obese increases the risk of other chronic illnesses such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, it doesn’t mean people who have obesity have to be unhealthy always.

In fact, many people who have obesity are healthy – and thin people end up having chronic diseases.

The main factor in chronic diseases is where that fat actually accumulates. So, if there is a buildup of a lot of fat in the abdominal area, chances are that you’ll end up with a metabolic disease sooner or later.

SUMMARY

Obesity can lead to a lot of chronic diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. However, a lot of people who have obesity are healthy as well.

Diet foods are helpful in getting rid of excess weight

Another major myth people believe in is that diet foods are effective in the weight loss process. The reality is, a lot of processed food on offer is marketed as healthy, which isn’t exactly the case.

Some examples include processed gluten-free foods, low-fat foods, fat-free foods, and beverages high in sugar content.

You should, therefore, take these “healthy food” claims with a pinch of salt. Always read what’s written on the food packaging, and especially for foods that are processed. And read carefully, because these labels are meant to deceive you, not inform you.

A lot of junk foods will be marketed as healthy foods, but the reality is that most of it will make you fat. In fact, if the front packaging screams healthy in the biggest font size possible, chances are it is the exact opposite in reality!

SUMMARY

Quite often, people are deceived into believing that diet foods are healthy and nutritious. However, the reality is that they’re processed foods, full of hidden ingredients that hamper your health negatively.

Weight-loss diets are helpful

Most people don’t understand that the weight loss industry is huge, and it bombards you with ads that make you think weight loss diets actually work.

However, studies show that dieting as a form of losing weight seldom works, especially in the long-term. Interestingly, over 85% of people end up weighing the same in less than a year!

In addition to that, numerous studies also reveal that dieting increases the likelihood of gaining weight even further. Thus, dieting can actually end up hampering your health instead of keeping you healthy.

The truth of the matter is that the weight loss process shouldn’t be looked at from the dieting mindset. You should, instead, focus on changing your lifestyle habits permanently to become a fitter, healthier, and happier human being.

The thing is, if you fix your lifestyle habits by eating healthy foods, sleeping better, and keeping yourself active, you will keep your weight under check without putting in any extra effort. And dieting, in any case, wouldn’t help you stay fit in the long term.

SUMMARY

Despite what you see in the ads regarding weight-loss diets, dieting is not going to help you shed weight in the long term. Instead, it is better to focus on changing the lifestyle habits that will help you stay in shape.

The bottom line

If you’re someone looking to shed weight, chances are that you would have had these misconceptions at some point of time in your life. You might have even believed a few of them, as they are simply impossible to miss in our western culture.

Remember, eating right, working out regularly, and getting proper sleep is the key to staying fit. No shortcuts can help you lose weight easily. Hard work, and more importantly, patience is the key here.