This months’ article is about losing weight and being healthy. There are a lot of diet myths/rules out there; some I buy into and some I don’t. I do know one thing though, that if you’re following all these myths/rules, you’ll need to break them if you want to be truly successful in your weight loss.
Myth/Rule 1: I should eat more often to avoid starvation mode.”
I don’t necessary follow this rule, I’ll eat when I get hungry in the middle of the afternoon, but not a full meal; usually a piece of fruit, a piece of cheese, or even a hardboiled egg. There’s nothing wrong with eating small frequent meals to keep you from overeating at mealtime. You never want to get so hungry that you binge. What I do to keep me from binging is I take healthy snacks such as nuts, chopped veggies, piece of fruit, etc with me to keep me from being too hungry and binging.
Myth/Rule 2: “Avoid carbohydrates, they cause weight gain”
I eat plenty of carbs, but they are the good carbs – fruits, veggies, old fashioned oatmeal (not instant), rice, etc. I avoid the simple carbs – the breads, baked goods, pancakes, waffles, etc. Everything has sugar in it, but avoiding the simple carbs will not cause weight gain, in fact avoiding the simple carbs will help you to lose weight, and you’ll begin to feel better. This is unclear to me?? Conflicting message?
Myth/Rule 3: “Low-fat foods will help me lose weight faster”
The problem with low fat foods is that many times they have more sugar in them and sugar is the real culprit in weight gain. Healthy cell walls made from high-quality fats, such as coconut oil, olive oil, avocados, flax seeds, etc., are better able to metabolize insulin, which keeps blood sugar better regulated. Without proper blood sugar control, the body socks away fat for a rainy day. The right fats also increase fat burning, cut your hunger and reduce fat storage. Eating the right fats makes you lose weight, while eating excess sugar and the wrong types of fat make you fat.
Myth/Rule 4: “High intensity workouts are the best workouts for weight loss”
HIIT workouts have been the biggest trend in the fitness industry in the past few years. The high intensity sessions burn mega calories. But you shouldn’t necessarily do more of them to lose weight faster. Sometimes, doing a hard workout can do more harm than good. The important thing is to exercise, and exercise looks different for every person. I myself love weight lifting and HIIT workouts, but they’re not for everyone. I encourage everyone to do some type of exercise daily; it might be as simple as a 10 minute walk or doing some swimming. The important thing is that you exercise, not the type of exercise.
Myth/Rule 5: “Organic, non-GMO, gluten-free foods will help me lose weight faster than processed foods”
There’s nothing wrong with eating organic, gluten-free or non-GMO foods. But the fact is that many organic, non-GMO, gluten-free foods are processed foods and they contain just as many calories and grams of sugar as regular foods. Eat fresh fruits and veggies, meats, quinoa, brown rice, etc. and stay away from the processed foods – just because it says “gluten free” does not mean it’s good for you.
Myth/Rule 6: “Cheat days are good for my diet”
Cheat days and diets that involve intermittent fasting sound like a great idea because they allow dieters to eat some of the foods that they crave. This is probably why the trend has caught on so quickly. But there’s a downside to taking a day off from your diet – and it may cost you a few pounds on the scale. I personally feel that if you must eat something that’s not on your plan, eat it and then get right back to your plan. Don’t get sucked into unhealthy eating just because you have a bad day and you give in to your cravings.
Myth/Rule 7: “Quick weight loss methods never work”
Over the years I tried many methods of losing weight – the cabbage soup diet, and others. When I really lost weight I learned to eat a healthy diet – good protein, good carbs, healthy fats, etc. Most quick weight loss diets are fads based on bizarre, unfounded science. But that doesn’t mean that all quick weight loss diets are bad for you. Some not only work, but also can actually help you lose more weight in the long run. Remember that there are exceptions to every rule. While some of these diet rules were originally based on reasonable evidence, some of them have changed over the years and no longer make sense. If you follow a diet rule, make sure you know why. Smart dieters lose weight faster.