With summer just beginning many of my clients want to know how they can lose weight quickly. The topic of weight loss myths is confusing to most people. Every day, a new diet pops up with new super claims. Eat (or not to eat) a certain food, drink this special juice, do this specific exercise, all of them “promising large amounts of weight loss in a short period of time.
Most people are still trying to find the “magic diet” that will work for them.
Truth is that a diet that promises that you will lose large amounts of weight in a brief period of time may work in the short term but is not sustainable. Statistics show that 95% of people who go on a diet gain all their weight back and more within 1 year following. It is highly likely that you will gain all the weight back pretty quickly-plus more.
Here are a few more myths that need to be busted.
Weight Loss Myths
Myth #1 – “Low-fat” or “fat-free” is better.
Just the opposite! When a company creates a fat-free food, other ingredients are added in order to make up for the taste change that occurs-usually sugar , gluten or chemicals like artificial sweeteners. Often these substitutions raise the calorie count of the food and spike your blood sugar-causing you to actually retain fat. We actually need healthy fats for key body functions. Without them you to gain weight in the long term.
Myth #2 – Carbohydrates are bad for you.
The most most popular weight loss diets today involve eliminating most carbohydrates-sometimes almost entirely. Our body needs carbohydrates as a source of fuel for energy; we just have to make the right choices. It is not that carbs are bad for you but we just need to choose the kind of carbs that don’t spike our blood sugar (which causes us to put on and conserve fat)
Myth #3 – Snacking causes you to gain weight.
Again, just the opposite! Healthy snacking between meals actually keeps your blood sugar even, which in turn will cause you to lose fat. If you’re hungry between your meals – EAT! Have a snack; just make it a healthy choice. To lose and maintain your weight loss naturally it is important to eat 3 balanced meals and 2-3 snacks a day. The key is how these snacks and meals are balanced.
Myth #4 – A calorie is a calorie.
Personal Trainers are taught that to help their clients lose weight, you have to cut calories and increase exercise- Period. It’s actually a bit more complicated than that. Caloric restrictions can help people lose weight but, more important to weight loss is the quality of the food , vitamins and minerals that are chosen. Fat loss while feeling great is completely affected by the types of food you choose.
Studies have shown that calorie-restricted diets that restrict or eliminate certain food groups cause the participants to feel lethargic and depressed. Conversely, those who learn how to balance their meals & snacks plus give their bodies 70-100 Trillion cells what they need have greater long term weight loss, improved energy, more restful sleeps & an overall sense of well-being.
Myth #5-The BIG One
If I just follow a well balanced weight loss plan I will lose weight permanently.
False: Leading Neuroscientists , Psychologists & Life Coaches are proving daily that our thoughts have way more to do with long term weight loss success than we ever thought. How we actually see ourselves ( our self image) has everything to do with our weight loss success.
Here is a quick example. If I see myself as an “woman with a weight loss problem”, I will actually live into that lifestyle of the constant weight loss struggle which so many of us know all too well:
- Dieting
- Deprivation
- Massive effort
Followed By:
- Rebellion
- Overeating
- Giving up
- Beating myself up
We need a fresh approach that actually sees ourselves NOW how we want to be in the future.
To explore your own body transformation, consider how you want to see yourself & how it differs from your current self image. Merely thinking our way to a better body is not enough. There are a number of external ways that you can enhance how you see yourself now, to bring your “future self” to life. Two very effective methods to change your thoughts & self-image are rebranding your style & shaping your surroundings. When we change who we see in the mirror every day, it literally changes our story about ourselves.
This is a huge subject & I am not going to try & tackle it in this one Blog. Stay tuned for more on this fascinating subject.
My Ageless Body Program covers some of this important Mindset piece, along with a non-diet, healthy approach to achieving permanent weight loss. I’d love for you to join me!
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