There are many common weight loss myths you shouldn’t believe as well as a lot of misinformation that can be detrimental to your dieting and health.
Through the years, common weight loss myths you shouldn’t believe have spread throughout the Internet and found their way into dietary advice. Separating the facts from the fiction can be difficult, but below are several of the most common weight loss myths you shouldn’t follow.
You’ll Gain More Weight If You Eat at Night
The first of the misconceptions is that your body has trouble processing foods during the later part of the day, or after 8 p.m. However, eating after a certain time of day doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll gain more weight; it’s just a matter of how much you eat.
What’s Recommended
If you consume too many calories before bed, you won’t expend those calories on anything. Eating after 8 p.m. is perfectly fine, but as with all times of day, if you eat too many calories without using them, then you’ll gain weight.
Fasting Is Important for Your Body To Lose Weight
Many people believe that in order to cleanse their bodies of harmful toxins, they have to fast for several days. The belief is that fasting forces the body into an altered state in which, due to a lack of nutrition, it can better regulate and purge these toxins.
What’s Recommended
There are some health benefits to certain types of fasting, but the body has its own ways to properly deal with eliminating toxins from the system: the liver and kidneys. Fasting has the potential to harm the body rather than heal it.
Skipping Meals Will Help You Lose Weight Faster
The common advice is to skip certain meals entirely throughout the day, whether that means not eating breakfast or skipping dinner. The thought is that you consume less calories while expending the same amount each day, thus resulting in weight loss.
What’s Recommended
It’s true that expending more calories than you take in results in weight loss, but skipping meals can have the opposite effect. Going without food for too long or missing important meals during the day will make you lethargic and hungry. This condition easily motivates people to eat too much during their next meal. The process typically ends up being counterproductive because you believe yourself to be hungrier than you are, resulting in eating too much later.
Know Your Body
There are many common weight loss myths floating around, making it necessary that you know better, so you can spot misinformation. Be aware of how your body reacts to dietary methods, and consult with specialists to formulate a proper diet regimen. Dr. Philip Rabito , MD, is among the top-rated endocrinologists in NYCs, specializing in dietary and hormonal issues in patients for over 20 years.
