Many of us have set goals and are hoping to lose weight. In fact, according to research, about 49.1% of adults look to shed excess pounds every year. Although it’s a common goal, it’s certainly not an easy accomplishment to achieve. It requires not just knowledge and common sense, but commitment and discipline, too.
When undertaking a weight loss journey, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.
Particularly with all the conflicting information out there about what approach is healthy and effective.
How to Lose Weight Fast
Unfortunately, misinformation and myths often cloud people’s understanding of effective weight loss strategies.
Here are some common weight loss myths worth debunking, as science has proven them completely incorrect.
1. Crash Diets Are the Quickest Way to Lose Weight
Although many people resort to crash diets to lose weight, scientific research shows that this strategy isn’t always effective.
Severely restricting your caloric intake is harmful and unsustainable.
A crash diet will cause you to lose some weight initially, but that is mainly due to muscle breakdown and water loss, not fat loss.
Moreover, a crash diet will dramatically slow your metabolism and counter your pressing need to lose weight.
It’s best to have a speedy metabolism to sustain weight loss, but a crash diet does the opposite.
The ideal way to lose weight is to adopt a balanced and sustainable approach that doesn’t harm your body in the short or long term.
Focusing on nutrient-dense foods and portion control is much more effective.
2. Eliminate All Carbs to Lose Weight
Carbohydrates are often seen as something we should avoid when we want to lose weight.
But all carbs are created equal; therefore, it is not necessary to eliminate all carbohydrates from your diet to lose weight.
A completely carb-free diet is not healthy because carbohydrates are an essential energy source.
It’s better to make smart choices and opt for complex carbohydrates.
These include whole grains, fruits, and vegetables which provide fiber, essential vitamins, and minerals.
Fortunately, these specific carbs are digested slowly, keeping you fuller for longer.
This helps you lose weight because feeling fuller for longer means you can avoid unhealthy snacking.
Nutritionists and fitness experts say taking a moderate approach to carbs along with portion control are the best combination to help us lose weight.
3. Exercise Alone Guarantees Weight Loss
Regular physical activity is undoubtedly crucial for weight management.
However, you can’t rely solely on exercise to lose weight.
Some body fats are difficult to eliminate and may require other interventions unrelated to physical activity.
For example, using the Dr. Steinbrech approach to liposuction, you will realize that stubborn body fats sometimes require an invasive removal technique if other measures have proven futile.
Body parts like the abdomen, waistline, and buttocks can be particularly challenging when losing weight.
Although liposuction is not meant for persons looking for dramatic weight loss, it helps keep certain body parts well-toned.
It’s important to consult your doctor before this or any procedures.
4. Skipping Meals Helps with Weight Loss
Many people believe skipping meals, especially breakfast, helps with weight-loss, but this is rarely an effective weight-loss strategy.
Skipping breakfast deprives your body of the fuel to kickstart your daily metabolism.
It can lead you to feel hungry and crave non-nutritious foods.
Moreover, a meal skipped means you are likely to overeat later in the day.
According to science, your weight loss must be focused on excess fat reduction to achieve a healthier body mass index (BMI).
You won’t get that from skipping meals because most of the weight you lose will be muscle mass.
And a reduction in muscle mass often translates into decreased energy levels.
This may eventually negate your weight loss efforts as you may initially lose weight but not have the energy to go about your daily activities.
A better approach to weight loss is to aim for regular, balanced meals that include lean proteins, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
These will help your metabolism stay steady and help you maintain stable energy levels throughout the day.
5. Fat-free or Low-fat Foods are Better for Weight Loss
A strictly fat-free or low-fat diet may not necessarily lead to effective weight loss.
Many believe it will, however, so the demand for healthier food options led to an increase in a wide range of fat-free or low-fat products.
Unfortunately, these products are often loaded with added sugars and artificial additives to compensate for the lack of flavor.
When you binge on these ‘healthy’ foods, you may affect your progress on your weight loss journey.
Reducing your overall fat intake is beneficial; however, consuming healthy fats will do you much good.
These can be found in avocados, nuts, and olive oil.
Your body needs healthy fats for nutrient absorption and hormone production.
So, the next time you go grocery shopping, opt for whole, unprocessed foods.
Remember to read the labels carefully to make the best choice.
Thank you as always for reading.
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Joan Senio is the founder of KindCompassCoach. Her career includes 20+ years as a health care executive and 15 years (and counting) as a consultant. The common thread through Joan’s professional life has been a commitment to lead, mentor and coach current and future leaders, and women from all walks of life. KindCompassCoach provides information and advice grounded in Joan’s personal experience; however, all articles are backed by research and provide facts and advice from a wide variety of experts. Joan also serves as a thought-leader for KuelLife.com and is a regular contributor to PsychReg and Sixty and Me.
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