Despite all the investigation in recent years, there are still staggering myths about weight loss – even amongst experts! I think it’s because the myths appear so good – we want to believe they’re true. But, sadly, studies just don’t back them up. Here are a few of the most popular lies:
Myth No. 1: Little changes lead to great results – A Weight Loss Myth
It’s all regarding baby steps, correct? That sounds good, but will possibly just leave you frustrated in your weight loss attempts. Let’s use the famous, and generally championed 3500-calorie rule. The theory associates a pound of body fat with 3,500 calories. This means when you burn 3,500 calories through exercise or eat 3,500 calories lesser than your regular calories, or some combo of the two, you’ll lose a pound of body fat. Unluckily, the truth of the equation doesn’t follow out.
REASON
That’s because, after a while, your body will become extra efficient and begin saving energy – Thereby, acting against your weight loss efforts. Let me be more precise. Let’s say you walk 1 mile a day to spend 100 calories. Over a 5-year period, this should as per the equation, result in a 22-23kgs weight loss. But, thanks to your body’s ability, the truth is you’d spend just about 4-5 kgs.
That doesn’t imply you can’t lose a lot of weight safely and quickly. It’s only that, you’re just not going to make that happen with a couple of tiny changes. If you want great results, go bold and big.
Myth No 2: You have to be 100% willing to lose weight – A Weight Loss Myth
Clearly, no, you don’t. When researchers compared people whom they believed “highly ready” to those who were not, there was no difference in weight loss. It’s possibly because everyone was willing enough to give it a shot, even if they had hesitations.
Let me ask you, when will you be 100% willing, confident enough that nothing will stand in your way? Reasonably never. On a range from 1 to 10, how ready are you? If you’re anything less than a 10, what are your doubts? Expect difficulties and obstacles to arise (and I can assure you they will) and pre-plan on how you’ll tackle them. This will go a long way towards preventing you from moving forward. Partner up with a responsible buddy or a health coach and set a plan on point.
Don’t use “I’m not ready” as a reason to hold yourself back from the fitness and health you’ve always desired to achieve.
Myth No.3: Establish realistic goals – A Weight Loss Myth
Traditional wisdom says setting apparently unattainable goals will lead to failure and frustration. Makes sense, true? This is why you hear it all the time from your elders and colleagues. But not only do studies not support this theory, it even tells us the opposite may be true. Several types of research have shown that introducing ambitious goals is correlated with more weight loss. And we also have literature that shows that changing “unrealistic” goals into “realistic” ones did not lead to major weight loss.
That’s the reason when we are coaching people in their weight loss journey, we advise them to shoot for their dream weight – the weight they would love to be but don’t feel like it could ever happen. Don’t let your insecurities about your capabilities hold you back – aim high and unrealistic for sure!
Myth No.4: Slow and steady wins the weight loss race- A Weight Loss Myth
This myth seemingly stems from very-low-calorie diets, used decades ago, that were lacking in essential nutrients. While it’s still reliable that you need to make sure you get all the vital nutrients your body needs, the fact is that faster weight loss is just as valid as slower – and maybe more so. Some researches suggested that faster weight loss is simply as effective in the long-term as slower weight loss (1/2 -1 Kgs per week). After long-term follow-up, both groups had lost about an equal amount of weight. Other investigations show those who lost weight faster truly lost more and were better capable to keep it off long-term.
It can be frustrating to believe you’re doing all you can and lose only a half kg in a week. On contrary, faster weight loss helps motivate and drive people to keep going. Make sure you’re doing it in a nutritionally flawless way. No fad or fancy diets. As long as you’re receiving the nutrients you need, then go for a full-speed program if you wish.
Myth No.5: The calories that burn during sex can help you lose weight- A Weight Loss Myth
It’s fun to promote the calorie-burning outcomes of sex. Unfortunately, though it may be a fun and enjoyable activity, it’s a poor weight loss tool.
For instance, during a one-hour love-making session (sound like a bit of an extent?), a-70 Kgs fellow would burn 3.5 calories a minute for a total of 210 calories. While that may sound vigorous and dynamic, it’s about the same as a one-hour walk at 2.5 miles an hour.
While one may be more pleasurable than the other, both are inefficient calorie burners. And since the average session of sexual activity lasts about 6 minutes, a young, active man may burn a whopping 21 calories during sex. Keep in mind he would have burned about 7 calories simply sitting in front of the Television (and no, we don’t recommend that).
While it’s amusing to use sex to make the point, the real problem is that physical activity is not really the sole key to lose weight. What you eat and don’t eat makes up 70%-75% of your weight loss. Just exercise and eat right for the long, vibrant life that it will afford you by being fit – and as a excellent way to help you maintain once you achieve that dream weight of yours.
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