The internet is a world full of weight loss tips and tricks, but that doesn’t mean you should believe everything you read. Lots of information that circulates online has not had sufficient research to show that it works, and therefore the information that is passed on can spiral out of context like a game of Chinese whispers.
Here are a few of the most common misconceptions when it comes to weight loss:
All Calories Are Equal
One calorie is a measurement of energy, and all calories have the same energy content. This doesn’t mean that they will all affect your body in the same way.
For example, a protein calorie is a lot different to a fat or carbohydrate. Different foods take different paths through your body which in turn regulates and changes all sorts of things such as metabolism, hunger levels and hormones. Replacing fats with proteins will boost metabolism and reduce cravings for food throughout the day, and at the same time will have a more positive impact on the weight regulating hormones in your body.
Calories from sweets and refined foods will be less filling than the same number of calories in fruit and vegetables, and so you may be more tempted to snack throughout the day if you are constantly eating rubbish.
Supplements
Weight loss supplements are huge at the moment, with more and more on the market every day. It’s important that you research what you are putting into your body and only use tested and regulated products in order to stay safe. A lot of products available are not very effective, and in some sense work as a placebo to help people reconsider what they are eating instead of targeting their appetite controlling hormones.
At Bodyline, we are CQC regulated, so you know that all of our products will do exactly what they say on the tin, and that they are trusted by our team of nurses.
Obesity Is All In The Mind
It wouldn’t be accurate to say that obesity is just about will power and has nothing to do with biology. Obesity is a very complex issue that has many contributing factors. Medical and genetic factors both play quite a big part in how an individual could be impacted by obesity, as well as dysfunctional hormones which can make it hard for a person to lose weight and keep it off.
For example, leptin is a hormone that tells your brain that it’s got enough fat stored, and if you are resistant to it, your body can often think that it is in starvation mode, making you gain weight. Losing weight however is not impossible, and you should not feel disheartened if this does happen to you.
Fat Makes You Fat
There is a long-standing misconception that fatty foods cause people to gain weight. Fat is very calorie packed and is very prevalent in fast food. However, if you eat it in moderation is doesn’t actually cause weight gain, and diets that are high in fat and low in carbs are potentially a lot more effective. Your body needs healthy fats in order to properly function, and so learning which fats are good and bad can be hugely beneficial for you when you’re working out your meal plans.
Diet Foods Are Best
Lots of unhealthy foods are now marked up as healthy alternatives, with labels like “fat-free”, “low-fat” and “gluten-free” being plastered all over them and tricking shoppers into buying them in the hopes of losing weight. Low-fat yogurt for example often compensates for being low in fat by adding in lots of extra flavourings and sugars, and so it can often be much worse for your health. The same goes for many foods with these labels on – crisps, chocolates and any unhealthy foods categorically aren’t healthy, and just because they have a big label on them doesn’t mean that you should believe what you see. If it’s got a big huge label on it claiming to be healthy, the chance is that it’s probably not!
So whatever diet, exercise or nutritional plan you’re following in order to reach your goals, try to research it thoroughly and don’t take everything as it is when it comes to your health. At the end of the day, big brands are always trying to make money off you and can quite easily twist words in order to make them work for their campaigns and ultimately increase sales. Stick to wholesome greens and lean proteins, try to avoid anything majorly unnatural, and you should be onto the right track.
