7 Popular Weight Loss Myths – Debunked [2024]

You can keep the skinny because I like fat: “Drinking water helps you lose weight” and “eating fats makes you fat” or foods labeled ‘low fat’ or ‘reduced fat’ are always a healthy choice and “starving myself is the perfect and best way to lose weight” here we are going to discuss top 7 most popular weight loss myths – debunked in 2024.

So much is already said about losing weight that it can be very hard to sort fact from fiction. Here’s the exact truth about 7 common and biggest weight loss myths in 2024.

weight loss myths - debunked
popular weight loss myths – Debunked

LOSING WEIGHT or losing fat from your body can be a difficult task as it is, without the added confusion of inaccurate ideas and advice. An expert debunked the weight loss lies slimmers should just stop believing.

Also Read – How Chrissy Mets Lose 100 Pounds Weight?

Health and fitness experts say actually what people should learn – and unlearn – about food as they embark on their weight loss journey.

Myth 1: Starving myself is the best way to lose weight

Crash diets are unlikely to result in very long-term weight loss. In fact, they can sometimes lead to longer-term fat gain or weight gain.

Starving to lose weight
Is it possible to lose weight by starving yourself?

Actually, the main problem is that this type of unbalanced diet is really too hard to maintain. You may also be missing out on some important or essential nutrients as crash diets can be limited in the variety of food consumed. Your body will be too much low on energy and may cause you to crave high-fat and high-sugar foods. This can easily lead to eating those foods and more calories than you actually need, causing easily weight gain.

Is starving yourself okay?

Starving your body of calories is really not healthy or sustainable. Over time, it may easily decrease your metabolism, cause your body to function less effectively, and finally lead to disordered eating behaviors.

How much weight do you lose when you starve yourself?

When examining the actual rate of weight loss, intermittent fasting is effective and this fasting may produce weight loss at a rate of approximately 0.55 to 1.65 pounds (0.25–0.75 kg) per week. People also experienced a 4–7% reduction in waist area or circumference, indicating that they really lost belly fat quickly.

Myth 2: Eating fats makes you fat

Experts say, people often believe they need to steer clear of all fats and fats contained in foods to avoid putting on weight.

And while this can be very true of processed and frozen foods which are very high in saturated fats, there are several healthy and unsaturated fats, too.

These are easily found in foods such as avocados, nuts and seeds.

how eating fats makes you fat
How eating fats makes you fat

So, consuming more calories than you burn is the real and actual reason you gain weight very fast, regardless of where the calories actually come from.

Rather than being afraid of weight gain and fat, the expert suggested that “roughly 30 percent of your daily calories” should easily come from them.

“But choose perfect and good fat which are really linked to improved immunity, cardiovascular functioning and brain functioning, as well as perfectly reduced inflammation.”

Myth 3: Detox diets are important for a healthy lifestyle

Experts explained: Detox diets have become more and more popular day by day in the wellness industry in recent years, which actually claim to rid toxins from the body and even help issues like frequently gaining weight, obesity, bloating and problems related to digestive.

However, the expert perfectly revealed weight loss myths. Actually, there is “little research to support this” – so dieters really needn’t follow these intense calorie restricted diets in order to see results.

Detox diets healthy lifestyle
how detox diets are important for a healthy lifestyle?

In reality, you really don’t need to bother with these to be healthy because they aren’t actually cleansing you of anything – the body is actually very good and healthy at removing toxins itself.

What’s more, detox diets can actually be harmful to your body and unhealthy for you.

There are several side effects and drawbacks of detox diets; because the body isn’t getting enough nutrition and protein, crash dieters can suffer “nausea, dehydration and light-headedness”, actually not to mention compromising the immune system.

Myth 4: A balanced diet must include meat

It is without a doubt absolutely possible to be meat-free and healthy, according to experts.

Most vegetarians and vegans have been frequently told that it’s unhealthy to cut meat out of their regular diets. For example, ‘where will you get your require iron from?’ is a very common question.

Balanced diet vegetables or meat
Balanced diet vegetables or meat

While meatless eaters can sometimes run the risk of falling short of iron, as well as some important, required, and essential nutrients such as vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids, with the “proper and right planning”, this can be really amended easily.

Actually, nuts, pulses and leafy green fresh vegetables are all sources of pure iron, while soya-based foods contain essential omega-3, and you can buy things like cereals and unsweetened soya drinks that have been perfectly fortified with vitamin B12.

Myth 5: Fruit is bad for you because it contains too much sugar

The weight loss and fat loss discourse around fruit can be really complicated and confusing, with some experts recommending that dieters get their five a day without missing and others shunning or avoiding fruit because they are high in sugar.

Experts totally debunked the myth once and for all.

Does that mean we should really ditch fruit? Absolutely not.

Fruits contain natural sugar
Fruits contain natural sugar

Firstly, fruit contains pure and natural sugars, like fructose, rather than processed sugars which pose the actual risks like tooth decay and weight gain.

Actually, natural sugars are really harmless unless in excessive amounts, and while it’s very easy to overconsume artificial sugars in food and drink, it’s very difficult to consume excessive amounts of fructose by eating fresh fruit.

Myth 6: White potatoes are bad for you

White potatoes have developed a bit of a bad impression or reputation in recent years, with sweet potatoes often considered the perfect for the body and a healthier alternative.

However, experts had some amazing and good news for potato lovers.

Finally, experts revealed white potatoes can be part of a healthy diet and good for bodybuilding depending on how actually they are prepared and processed, but experts added one important caveat.

white potatoes lose weight
Are white potatoes lose weight?

It goes without saying that baking or boiling them is actually going to be much better and good for you than frying them or mashing them with lots of butter.

White potatoes are full of essential nutrients, vitamins, fibre and high-quality protein, and the carbohydrate content makes them a really great source of energy.

Myth 7: All weight loss pills or medicines are safe to use

Not all slimming tablets are good for your health and not effective or safe to use to lose weight. There are a number of prescribed medicines available from your GP(General practice) for weight loss. There are also other lots of un-prescribed, unlicensed weight loss products available in the market which may contain ingredients that are not good for your body and are harmful to health.

weight loss pills safe
Are weight loss pills safe?

If you are really concerned about your weight, you should first remember all the weight loss myths and as we have discussed debunked all the myths by health and fitness experts in 2023. In the end, if your weight is too much, consult your GP(General practice) or another healthcare professional.

There are many misconceptions about weight loss. And following are the most valuable and common things.

  1. Prioritizing Exercise- Diet is the key not only exercise.
  2. Prioritizing Cardio- Strength training is really much more effective than cardio.
  3. Exercise without rest- Very wrong without rest you really will be in overtraining.
  4. You have to starve to lose weight- caloric deficit is a must, not an empty stomach.
  5. Fat is very bad – Good fat is actually essential for weight loss.

What is the biggest key to weight loss?

Being active in a regular basis is key to losing weight and keeping it off. As well as providing lots of real health benefits, exercise can perfectly help burn off the excess calories you cannot lose through diet alone. Find an activity you really enjoy and are able to fit into your routine.

FAQs: Weight Loss Myths

As we have discussed some popular weight loss myths but still many people just like you have lots of questions related to weight loss. That’s why here added some valuable frequently asked questions with answers by experts.

What is the logic behind weight loss?

Metabolism slows down and perfectly gets more efficient, requiring fewer calories to do its job in a proper way. Hormonal signals can also change. The body increases a hunger hormone, called the ghrelin hormone, which actually tries to get you to eat more calories.

Are all calories equal?

Not all calorie sources have the same effects on your body, health and weight. For example, protein can easily increase your body’s metabolism, properly reduce appetite, and improve the actual function of weight-regulating hormones.

Is losing weight a linear process?

Losing weight can really take a long time. The weight loss process is generally not linear, as your weight tends to fluctuate up and down by small amounts.

Can supplements help you to lose weight?

The actual truth is that most supplements for weight loss are really ineffective. The best ones can a little bit help you lose a bit of weight, at most.

Is obesity about willpower, not biology?

Obesity is a very big and complex disorder. There are many genetic, biological, and environmental factors that actually affect body weight. As such, losing weight is not only just about willpower and mindpower.

Is “eat less and move more” strategy really help in weight loss?

Telling people with weight problems and over-fat problems to just eat less and move more is actually ineffective advice that rarely works in the long term.

Is eating breakfast necessary to lose weight?

While it’s true that breakfast skippers(who don’t eat breakfast at all) tend to weigh more than breakfast eaters, controlled studies show and truth is that whether you eat or skip breakfast doesn’t matter for weight loss.

Are people with obesity unhealthy and are thin people healthy?

Obesity is directly and indirectly linked to several chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes. However, many people with overweight or obese are metabolically healthy, while many thin people are not.

Helena

Hi, My name is Helena and I’m a founder of HealtHowdy.com. Over the years I’ve helped hundreds of people to live a healthy and fit life. Nowadays, Fitness is everything, if you want to Look Attractive and Get Updated, you can Join Me. WhatsApp

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