Debunking diet myths on weight loss

 

Are you trying to lose weight, develop a healthy lifestyle but going nowhere? It may be because you are buying into common misconceptions about weight loss. If so, do not be discouraged, because you are not alone in this journey. Here we are presenting a few diet myths about weight loss and the truth behind them:  

Myth 1: You have to give up all your favourite foods, if you want to lose weight

 

Fact: When you are trying to lose weight, you can still devour small amounts of your favorite high-calorie foods. Specialized diets such as diet chart for sugar patients may advise such strict control. But check with your dietician on how to have your favourite foods while keeping track of the total calories you take in. You must remember that in order to lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume in a day.¹

Myth 2: If you are trying to be healthy or lose weight, cut down all the fats.

 

 

Fact: Not all fats are bad; they provide essential nutrients and are an important part of a healthy balanced eating plan. Therefore, if you trying to lose weight, try to consume a small amount of fat to avoid extra calories and instead consider consuming healthy fats, such as olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil, avocados, and nuts.¹

Myth 3: Skipping meals is the best way to lose weight

Fact: Skipping meals is not good for your metabolism. If you go hungry all day and later cap it off with a huge meal, this replaces all calories you skipped earlier and also add extra calories, which may result in weight gain. Therefore, you need to reduce and burn the number of calories you consumed with increased physical activity. So, watch and be mindful of what’s on your plate and be active, but never skip any meal.²

Healthy adults can add a scoop of Dr. Reddy’s Celevida® Maxx* every day to the milk, smoothies, puddings, fruit custards, shakes, and many other recipes**. It helps in increasing your protein intake that in turn will make you feel satiated for longer time. This would naturally decrease your calorie intake.

Similarly, design your weight loss journey with more of such low-calorie, high-protein, high-fibre, and nutritious foods. This would keep you away from skipping meals.

Myth-4: Avoiding breakfast makes you lose weight

Fact: Cutting off breakfast is a bad way to lose weight. Eating a healthy and regular breakfast can help you to control your weight by managing your hunger later in the day and helping you to say, "No" to unhealthy snacks.^2,3

Myth-5: Avoid all the type of carbohydrates to lose weight

 

 

Fact: This is nutritionally false, cutting one food group completely from the diet is not good for weight loss because you are missing out on the important nutrients such as fiber that comes along with carbohydrates. Replace your refined-grain products with whole grains that are healthier and may help you feel fuller. Whole grains provide iron, fiber, and other important nutrients, which if eaten in the right quantities are an excellent part of a balanced diet.¹

Losing weight is no easy thing, but by believing these myths, you are going to make the process much more difficult for you. While trying to follow good food habits for healthy life, first try to understand the relationship between food, your body, and your weight, which would help expedite your weight loss process.

Disclaimer: *Please check with your doctor/ dietician for inclusion of the products or recipes in your daily diet. **Do not cook the powder while adding it to any of the recipes.

References:

1. 1. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney disease. Some Myths about Nutrition & Physical Activity. Available at: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/myths-nutrition-physical-activity. Accessed on: 17 November 2021. 

2. 2. NIH. 10 weight loss myths. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/ten-weight-loss-myths/. Accessed on. 17 November 2021.

3. 3. Hurst Y, Fukuda H. Effects of changes in eating speed on obesity in patients with diabetes: A secondary analysis of longitudinal health check-up data. BMJ Open. 2018;8(1): e019589.