The Myths About Diet And Exercise That You Should Stop Listening To

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We all want to look and feel our best especially once we hit midlife and we know it’s important to exercise and keep fit. But how do we separate the facts from the fiction?

From promises of “lose weight fast” to “eat this one food to shed pounds”, it can be hard to know what’s true and what’s not. It’s important to arm yourself with knowledge and the facts about diet and exercise, including busting the biggest fat loss myths, dieting myths and facts, and more.

Weight loss myths are everywhere. Every second site on the internet is dedicated to a new weight loss solution. There are competing opinions everywhere.

Celebreties and and influencers know it all, or so it seems. They can sound so convincing. This pill, cream, exercise really works.

We need to seperate ourselves from that and work with science and those that we know are there to help with no hidden agenda. Because you want results.

I’m here to help you sift through some of the myths and misconceptions that can be so confusing.

I don’t give out empty promises and I’m not in the business of pushing solutions that don’t work.

There are many, many weight loss myths. I’m going to tackle the ones which I believe will help you the most.

Myth: Calories cause weight gain, and fewer calories are the path to weight loss

Absolute balderdash!

Calories are important for weight loss, there is no doubt about that. If you eat and absorb a ton more than you use, then your body’s wisdom will store some for later. Calories do matter.

BUT they are not the whole story of weight loss; they’re important, but they’re the symptom, not the cause.

What are the reasons we eat more calories?

One reason we can eat more calories than we need is not that we are hungry, but because we feel sad, lonely, or bored. Or maybe we are tired or stressed. Perhaps we are happy and celebrating.

These feelings interact with our gastrointestinal, nervous and hormonal systems; all of which influence our hunger mechanisms.

It is not as simple as reducing calories.

Sugar, for example, any little amount of sugar including what we find in fruit can cause trigger cravings or the need to eat more.

So you might be eating fewer calories by eating a piece of fruit instead of a doughnut but your bodies hunger mechanism is switched to on permanently, making it very hard for you to keep on track.

Myth: “Eat less move more” is good advice

This particular piece of advice has been jammed down our throats since Adam was in nappies.

The premise of this is based on the above myth that calories in minus calories out make you to the weight you are at. So, eat fewer calories, then burn a heap more doing a ridiculous amount of exercise of some sort and because human physiology is a simple math equation.

If we could happily and sustainably follow this advice; it completely negates other factors that contribute to weight problems. Such as the causes of overeating we mentioned above, our genetics, health conditions we’re dealing with or our exposure to compounds that are “obesogenic.”

Myth: A calorie is a calorie

Can we please put this one to bed already?

Science has confirmed several caloric components of food differ from others. For example, the “thermic effect of food” (TEF) means that some nutrients require calories to be metabolized. They can slightly increase your metabolism, just by eating them.

For example, when you metabolize protein you burn more calories than when you metabolize carbohydrates. Proteins and carbohydrates both have 4 calories/gram; but, the TEF of protein = 15–30%; and the TEF for carbohydrates = 5–10%.

Another example of a calorie not being a calorie:

Fat is metabolized differently depending on what type of fat it is. Medium-chain triglycerides (fats) (MCTs) have the same 9 calories/gram that other fats do; but, they’re metabolized by the liver before getting into the bloodstream and therefore aren’t utilized or stored the same way as other fats.

Not all calories are created the same.

Myth: Buy this supplement/tea/food/magic potion to lose weight

There is no magic pill for weight loss. No supplement, tea, food, or other potion will do the trick.

There are many products that make these claims in one way or another, and they are all bullshit, or for their sellers, marketing gold. The only thing you will lose by purchasing these products is your money and possibly your hope, which is just sad.

There is a reason most of those who lose weight can’t keep it off. The real magic is in adopting a sustainable, holistic and healthy approach to living your life. What you need is a long-term lifestyle makeover, not a product.

Conclusion

There is no quick fix for weight loss. It is a long-term sustainable choice that with a little effort and no cost, you can achieve. There are too many people out there trying to make it sound like they have the simplest, latest and greatest solution to LOSE WEIGHT FAST!

Don’t fall for the weight loss myths that say:

• Calories cause weight gain, and fewer calories are the path to weight loss.
• “Eat less move more” is good
• A calorie is a calorie.
• Buy this supplement/tea/food/magic potion to lose weight.