With all the conflicting info floating around about healthy weight loss whether it be through laser body contouring treatments or eating right, it can sometimes be hard to distinguish the truth from the myth. In order to simplify things a bit, we’ve decided to look at 4 myths of weight loss that have gained a lot of ground, even though none of it is sound. Get out of the quicksand of dieting myths and start losing weight the healthy, effective way.
Myth 1: All Carbs are Bad
We seem to believe that carbs, in general, are bad-for-us comfort foods. The truth is, carbohydrates aren’t great if they’re enjoyed in excess or are overly processed.
Bad carbs include those that are highly processed and full of white sugar and flour. The nutritionally beneficial carbs you should include in your meal planning are fruits, vegetables, beans, and those made from whole grains—brown rice, wild rice, and 100% whole grain breads, for example. Your body needs carbohydrates to burn as fuel for your body. Being more active and adding more exercise will give you a natural need for more fuel to burn.
Myth 2: You Can Target Fat Loss With Exercise
You can target muscle-strengthening by doing specific strength-building exercises (e.g., build stronger biceps by doing push-ups), but you can’t target fat loss in a specific area of the body with exercise alone. Fat is burned by doing cardiovascular exercises—anything that gets your heart rate up, makes you sweaty, and makes it difficult to have a conversation (e.g., running, biking, aerobics, etc.). And when cardiovascular exercise burns fat, it burns it across the whole body, not in selective areas. Call us crazy, but we think this is a good thing!
Tip: While you can’t target fat loss through cardio, you can target fat loss through laser fat-reduction treatments, which are applied to specific areas of the body.
Myth 3: Snacking is Bad for You
It’s often the choices you make when hungry between meals that give snacking a bad rap. It doesn’t help that many of the options labeled “snack” in the grocery store are really synonymous with “junk.” Snacking—healthy snacking—can actually help you eat less at mealtimes and is a great way to add fruits and vegetables into your day and your diet. Instead of grabbing a bag of chips, cookies, or a candy bar, choose non-fat plain Greek yogurt with berries, an apple, a handful of baby carrots, or a bag of nuts. The wholesome fiber and protein in these options fills your belly and fuels your mind.
Myth 4: Certain Foods Increase Your Metabolism
There is conflicting information over whether or not certain foods actually make you burn calories. The truth of the matter is that a calorie is a calorie is a calorie, regardless of where it comes from. So, consuming calories to burn calories doesn’t make much sense, does it? However, foods high in water content and fiber actually stay in your system longer, helping to keep you feeling full and less likely to snack or overeat.
When faced with a dieting or weight loss myth, remember to do your own research. Healthy living is really quite simple, after all. Wholesome foods, regular exercise, and a positive attitude all go a long way to helping you be your best, most beautiful self.
Is it snack time yet?
