5 Common Myths and Misconceptions about Weight Loss

If you’ve been trying to lose weight for some time, but are never able to reach your objectives, you may be wondering why it’s so difficult when you’ve been doing everything right. But often, the reason many of us can’t lose weight is that we have internalized some beliefs that were perpetuated for years about weight loss. Some of these myths can be so persuasive that they become accepted as fact. But once these myths are identified, you can start incorporating more helpful habits into your everyday routine. Here are some of the biggest myths and misconceptions about weight loss.

All Calories are the Same

Losing weight is all about burning more calories that you’re taking in, right? Well, it’s not that simple. The thing is that calories only represent the energy content of the food; they say very little about the quality of the food source and its effect on your body. For instance, one calorie from refined sugar will have a vastly different effect on your body than a calorie coming from a complex carb or protein source.

The calorie from a refined sugar will be burned off quickly and won’t keep you full for long whereas a calorie from a protein will demand more energy from your body to be broken down, will provide your body with more nutrition, and will also keep you full for a much longer period of time. So just checking your calories will do little when it comes to losing weight; you have to watch where these calories come from first.

Your Metabolism is Something You Can’t Change

I can’t tell you how many people I’ve heard say they have a slow metabolism as if it was set in stone. However, while many of us have a basal metabolism that’s partly pre-determined by our genes, some of the things we do can actually slow down or accelerate our metabolism. Things like lack of sleep, poor hydration, or lack of essential nutrients like calcium can all slow down your metabolism.

And did you know that following a very strict diet, especially when you’re following a strict fitness regime as well, could actually slow down your metabolism? Yes, as hard at it is to believe, too much exercise and dieting could actually make it harder for you to lose weight since your body is constantly in starvation mode and is trying to cling on to every single calorie by reducing its energy consumption.

If you want to boost your metabolism, adopt a diet that is high in protein, get some good shut-eye, and consider getting a detox as well. Ridding your body of all its toxins can boost your metabolism and improve your weight loss results. Products like Isagenix’s Cleanse for Life, for instance, have been formulated especially for people who are trying to lose weight. Products like this contain a special blend of botanicals and natural cleansing herbs that will help boost your energy levels. If you want to know where to you can get it, you buy it from an Independent Isagenix Canada Associate.

Cardio Exercise is the Best Way to Lose Weight

For some reason, the first exercise people think about when they’re trying to lose weight is either jogging or hopping on a treadmill or elliptical. It’s hard to understand where this belief that running – and cardio in general – was the be all and end all when it came to fitness, but it’s just plain wrong.

If you want to get rid of fat, and not just weight, you have to incorporate strength training into your routine as well. It can take hours and hours of cardio to burn off the content of one meal while packing some extra muscle demands more energy from your body to be maintained, which will increase your metabolism. By maintaining good muscle mass, not only will you force your body to consume more energy, you will also force it to take that energy from other energy sources, like fat. Cardio, as its name implies, should be to improve your cardiovascular and overall health, but weight loss shouldn’t be the main objective.

Fat Makes You Fat

This is one of the most insidious myths about weight loss because, at face value, it actually seems to make sense. If you eat less fat, you’ll be less fat, right? But excessive fat is fat that is stored, not consumed, and there isn’t a difference in terms of energy between a calorie coming from fat or one coming from any other food source. As a matter of fact, a lot of fat-based diets that restrict carbs seem to have a great effect on weight loss. The main thing you have to watch for is the quality of the fat in question and your total caloric consumption, not just avoiding fats altogether.

Not Being able to Lose Weight can be Biological in Nature

It can be easy to dismiss people who can’t lose weight as lazy. But there are actually plenty of biological factors that can be at the root of obesity. For instance, people who are more resistant to leptin will have more trouble losing weight. Leptin is a hormone that signals to your body that you have enough fat reserves. Those who don’t respond to this hormone normally will often feel like they’re hungry and might have a tendency to overeat.

Hormonal imbalances can also be a contributing factor. Other medical factors like PCOS, depression or hypothyroidism can all be a cause too. However, that doesn’t mean you should give up and let these factors guide your life. This only means that you must be aware of them and know that you’ll need a little bit more effort to reach your goals. And you can also be much more lenient on yourself if you don’t see results as fast.

Conclusion

Now that you know what doesn’t work when it comes to losing weight, you can start correcting your bad habits and make actual progress. Make sure that you follow the instructions in this article and you should gradually start seeing results.