Trying to lose weight can be difficult, especially if you are practicing diet strategies that simply don’t work. Unfortunately, many believable myths have formed and often times limit our weight loss progress can cause unnecessary stress when put into practice. Learn about the four most common diet myths.
Myth #1: Fat Is Bad For You
Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. While too much fat can lead to weight gain, a healthy, controlled amount of fat is actually good and necessary for you. A steady diet of good fats is essential for your brain health and can help you think more clearly throughout the day. Also, eating good fats daily can make you feel full and satisfied, which will ultimately reduce your overall calorie intake. While it can be helpful to monitor your fat intake and ensure you are taking in good fats in healthy amounts, the idea that all fat is bad for you is one of the most widely believed myths that simply has no scientific basis behind it.
Myth #2: Night Time Eating Makes You Fat
There is little to suggest that eating before bedtime leads to weight gain. So, how did this idea come about? Many people who eat bedtime snacks often eat too many snacks in general. It’s not always the type of food you’re eating but the timing of those snacks that you eat. If you live an overall healthy lifestyle, make conscious efforts throughout the day to eat healthy. When you do, you may find that you no longer have the late night hunger binges like you used to.
Myth #3: Skipping Meals Is a Good Way to Cut Calories
One of the worst dieting strategies is to simply skip meals. Skipping meals will ultimately lead to you eating a larger meal later on, causing you to store more fat and carbs than if you eat smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day. Instead of starving yourself, actually do the opposite and eat smaller meals more frequently.
Myth #4: Calories Aren’t The Only Thing You Should Consider
The ultimate goal when trying to lose weight is to burn more calories than you take in. The more calories you burn, the less you have to resort to desperate dieting strategies that often times fail. In order to burn more calories, it’s important to exercise several times a week – even if it is only for twenty minutes at a time.