15 Weight Loss Myths

There is lot of free advice seen on internet these days.

If taken seriously, I feel these Myths can really set you back on your weight loss effort and may lead to frustration.

I have compiled a list of Weight loss myths, along with the facts and my opinion.


1.Myth: Avoid Dairy products.

Fact: fat-free milk, yogurt, and cheese are just as nutritious as whole milk dairy products, but they are lower in fat and calories.

Dairy products have many nutrients your body needs. They offer protein to build muscles and help organs work properly, and calcium to strengthen bones.

Bottom line: Dairy Products provides essential nutrients like Calcium & Vitamin D.


2.Myth: More exercise is better.

Fact: Every exercise session is beneficial to each individual, however more is not always better. What really matters is what is trying to be achieved. There is a level and frequency required to achieve results, which is very individual specific.

After this level is reached, additional exercise can have the opposite effect, not allowing the body to recuperate and adapt to the stress induced by the exercise, which can be detrimental to your results.

Bottom line: Over stressing won't help u lose more weight.


3.Myth: After stopping exercise muscle will turn to fat.

Fact: It’s a physical impossibility, Muscle and fat are two different types of tissues in the body and you cannot convert one into the other. This is like trying to turn water into oil.

If you stop training, the muscles will shrink in size but they will not disappear.

Bottom line: Muscle Can't be converted into fat or Vice-versa.


4.Myth: If you’re not sweating, you’re not working hard enough.

Fact: Sweating is the body's way of cooling itself down. Many factors contribute to body temperature, including room temperature, types of exercise done, body-fat levels, clothing, and exercise intensity.

Bottom line: The intensity for exercise can't be judged by the amount you sweat.


5.Myth: Taking sugar before exercise raises energy levels.

Fact: Ingestion of sugar will lead to a rapid rise in blood sugar levels. This rapid rise stimulates a release of insulin, which quickly removes the excess sugar from the blood system, often causing your blood sugar levels to drop sharply, leading to faster exhaustion.

Bottom line: Taking too much sugar may affect your workout adversely.


6.Myth: Gaining weight is just a part of getting older.

Fact: Getting older is not an excuse for gaining weight! As we age and begin a more sedentary lifestyle we start to lose muscle mass.

The efficiency of your metabolism is directly linked to how much muscle you have on your body. The most efficient way of maintaining your body's muscle mass and keeping your metabolism from dropping is by doing a high intensity strength-training workout once a week.

Bottom line: Strength-training may actually help keeping obesity at bay.


7.Myth: If it’s fat free I can eat as much as I want. It won’t increase my weight.

Fact: Unfortunately fat free doesn't mean calorie free. The word fat free is misleading because if you overeat on anything, even fat free foods and you don't burn off those calories; your body will store the excess as fat.

Bottom line: Eat sensibly!


8.Myth: Drinking water while you exercise will get you cramps.

Fact: By drinking liters of icy cold water in one go while exercising you will probably suffer from cramps.

This is why it is important to drink water continuously before, during and after exercising to replace the fluid you've lost and avoid any discomfort.

Bottom line: Its okay to drink water as long as you do not overdo it.


9.Myth: Doing lot of Abs exercise, I will lose my potbelly.

Fact: Exercising your abdominal muscle will help to tone and firm the abdominal region, but it will not reduce fat deposits that are responsible for a potbelly.

Fat reduction comes from burning more calories than you take in. Fat is reduced uniformly throughout the body.

Bottom line: There is no such thing as Spot-Reduction.


10.Myth: Eating grapefruit, celery, or cabbage soup, can burn fat and make you lose weight.

Fact: Some foods with caffeine may speed up your metabolism (the way your body uses energy, or calories) for a short time, but they do not cause weight loss.

The best way to lose weight is to cut back on the number of calories you eat and be more physically active.

Bottom line: No foods can burn fat.


11.Myth: A skipping meal is a good way to lose weight.

Fact: Studies show that people who skip breakfast and eat fewer times during the day tend to be heavier than people who eat a healthy breakfast and eat four or five times a day.

This may be because people who skip meals tend to feel hungrier later on, and eat more than they normally would. It may also be that eating many small meals throughout the day helps people control their appetites.

Bottom line: Regular, healthy eating helps Weight-control.


12.Myth: Eating late at night causes weight gain.

Fact: It is what and how much you eat and how much physical activity you do during the whole day that determines whether you gain, lose, or maintain your weight.

Bottom line: No matter when you eat, your body will store extra calories as fat.


13.Myth: Weight Training is not good if you want to lose weight, because it will make you “bulk up.”

Fact: Lifting weights or doing strengthening activities (push-ups, crunches, Squat, Bench-press) on a regular basis actually helps lose weight. These activities can help you build muscle, which in turn burns more calories than body fat. Doing strengthening activities 2 or 3 days a week will not “bulk you up.”

If you have more muscle, you burn more calories — even sitting idle.

Bottom line: Weight training is Actually Very Helpful in reducing or maintaining weight.


14. Myth: Exercising on an empty stomach and burns more fat.

Fact: Effective weight loss is the total amount of calories burned during the day, not how or why they were burned. Nor does it matter if u exercise early in the day or exercise later at night.

Bottom line: Exercising on an empty stomach burns slightly more fat but shortens your workout.


15.Myth: Vegetarianism is a sure way to lose weight and healthy living.

Fact: People who follow a vegetarian-eating plan, on average, eat fewer calories and less fat than non-vegetarians and tend to have lower body weights than non-vegetarians. Choosing a vegetarian-eating plan with a low fat content may be helpful for weight loss.

But even a vegetarian can gain weight by taking unbalanced diet, like eating large amounts of high-fat, high-calorie foods or foods with little or no nutritional value.

Bottom line: Vegetarian diets should be as carefully planned.