10 common weight loss myths debunked for good

• Instagram
• Pinterest
• LinkedIn

Successful and sustainable weight management is a journey with ups and downs. This is exactly why it is easy to put faith in weight loss myths that make “dieting” super easy or fast.

It’s time to give up on unsustainable eating habits and protect your physical and mental health!

Here are a few nutrition and weight loss myths it’s time to stop believing:

1. The nutrition and lifestyle changes you make to lose weight are temporary

This nutrition myth is the root of evil regarding weight management and it deserves the top spot:

• It makes you think that it’s ok to follow extreme diet programs/ intense exercise challenges that don’t fit into your lifestyle, because “it will be over soon”.
• It could encourage you to try unapproved (and expensive!) supplements or pills that promise faster weight loss.
• It increases expectations for fast weight loss.
• It makes you focus on the number of the scale instead of your health.
• If your energy intake is too low, you look forward to eating like you did before starting your fitness journey.

Weight management should be primarily about improving your health and quality of life in the long term. Slow and steady weight loss thanks to realistic nutrition and lifestyle changes is the best result you could ask for!

Before you make any changes on your nutrition or physical activity levels, please ask yourselves:

• Will this change make me mentally or physically healthier?
• Do I have the time or money to maintain this lifestyle?
• Does this change fit mine and my family’s needs?
• Does my doctor agree?
• Does this change reduce my cravings for unhealthy snacks?

If you have a negative answer to any of these questions, then it’s time to try something else.

2. You don’t need to pay attention to your portion size when you eat healthy foods

That’s actually a popular nutrition myth. There are plenty of very nutritious foods which are energy dense. That doesn’t mean you should avoid them to lose weight. On the contrary, a small portion of these foods can help you feel full for longer and provides valuable vitamins and minerals.

A good trick is sticking to the recommended portion size you can see on the front of the packaging. This way, you can know more accurately how many calories you just consumed. The goal is to maintain the energy deficit you are aiming for and discover healthy delicious foods you like during this journey!

Let’s see a few examples:

3. Starchy carbohydrate foods slow down weight loss

That’s a weight loss myth that promotes an unbalanced diet and can only hurt your relationship with food.

What is the weight you lose when you drastically reduce your carbohydrate intake?

The amount of carbohydrates that is not used immediately for energy, is stored in your liver and muscles in the form of glycogen. Glycogen holds 3 grams of water. When you stop taking carbohydrates from your food, glycogen stores will be used for energy production instead. When glycogen is used, you lose the water weight too.

The point is you are not losing fat. Your glycogen stores will be full again when you stop avoiding carbohydrates.

The main reason you may actually lose weight on a very low carbohydrate diet is that you give up on many energy dense foods which contain starchy carbohydrates (eg. pasta, bread, potatoes, pastries, desserts). Again, you create an energy deficit. However, it is a quite restrictive diet and you should ask yourselves for how long you can maintain this lifestyle.

Remember:  Many foods with starchy carbohydrates are full of fibre, vitamins and minerals. They are also very beneficial for your gut health. (eg. legumes, oats, bananas, sweet potatoes). There is no reason to avoid them to lose weight, as long as you pay attention to your portion size.

4. You need to stop having a late evening snack

Sleeping well is very important for successful and sustainable weight management. If you were used to snacking a lot in the evening, feeling hungry when you go to bed could disrupt your sleeping patterns.

Sticking to your diet plan is of course very important, but a low calorie snack before bed will not ruin your weight loss progress! It’s not just a matter of calories though. It may be better to avoid processed snacks with added sugars. Even if some of them are low in calories, they could trigger more cravings.

Here are a few examples of healthy evening snacks for a good night sleep:

5. You can lose fat from a specific part of your body

Probably the most annoying weight loss myth. Thankfully, registered professionals work really hard on social media to spread the truth: With a sustainable energy deficit you will lose fat from your whole body. It’s up to your genetics where you will lose more fat. Exercising can tone up your muscles and help you to improve the appearance of the areas you want. But again, you cannot lose fat exactly where you want.

6. You should be worried about sugars in fruit

When you are trying to change any unhealthy eating habits that could cause weight gain, the last thing you need to worry about is sugar in fruit. Fruit is low in calories, and high in valuable vitamins and minerals.

Fruit contain simple sugars, but they also contain fibre. Fibre reduces fruit’s glycaemic index. This means your blood sugar will not spike, but it will be absorbed gradually.  Also, fibre will help you feel full for longer . 

This is why simple sugars in fruit do not count as added sugars. You will find added sugars in processed foods, were fibre is not present to prevent your blood sugar from spiking. Also, processed foods with added sugars are usually high in calories, added salt and saturated fats.

7. You always need to change something about your breakfast!

Having or skipping breakfast for weight loss is a common debate in the fitness industry.

Others suggest to add a specific food to your breakfast, which is a weight loss myth.

• In 2020, the meta-analysis of seven randomized controlled trials showed that skipping breakfast significantly reduced the participant’s weight. However, changes in body fat and body mass index (BMI) were not significant.

• The same meta-analysis a significant increase in LDL cholesterol when participants were skipping breakfast .

• In 2021, the most recent meta-analysis has shown that here is a higher risk of weight gain over the years for breakfast skippers. However, findings among studies are still not consistent . 

To sum up, this is what you should keep in mind:

You do not have to force yourself to start eating breakfast according to research . Instead, you could try it and see how it goes!

If you notice that having a healthy breakfast makes you more physically active and reduces your cravings for unhealthy high energy snacks, then it could be a positive change to your diet. Overall, having a healthy breakfast has been associated with numerous health benefits. It’s not just about weight loss!

8. You need to turn everything into a smoothie

Green drinks could be nice snacks once in a while. However, eating whole fruits and vegetables is a better option for weight management and your overall health. Juices and smoothies have a lower fibre content, higher simple sugar and energy content comparing with the same amount of whole fruit/ vegetables. Since they are lower in fibre, simple sugars will raise your blood sugar more easily.

The reduced fibre content is the reason smoothies and juices count as 1 of your 5 a day no matter how much of them you drink !

Also, chewing participates in nervous system signals that make you feel full more quickly. If you turn your fruit and vegetables into smoothies often, you will may end up consuming more calories before you start feeling full .   Finally, you lose part of soluble fibre, which has been significantly associated with reduced appetite. Check this post on fibre and weight management for more information!

9. You need more expensive foods

It’s a myth you have to increase your grocery shopping budget for weight loss. You don’t need fresh fruit and vegetables every few days and organic foods!

• Frozen fruit and vegetables keep their vitamins and minerals. They can last in your freezer for super long and you will not have to waste food. Tinned fruit are also a good option as long as they do not contain added sugars.
• If you purchase frozen meats and fish, avoid pre-cooked and pre-seasoned options. If they are cooked in vegetable oils they could be higher in calories. They could also contain extra sodium.  (Note: Canned mackerel and sardines are a source of ω-3 fatty acids. Tinned tuna is not.)
• Spending more money on organic products has nothing to do with your weight. It’s better to buy more healthy regular groceries instead! You don’t need protein bars and protein bars. They are often high in added sugars and they can be quite expensive. You can get the protein you need from real food. Also, please remember that protein bars usually contain as much energy as regular chocolate bars. There is nothing wrong with having a small piece of the candy bar you are used to having!

Click here for more tips!

10. Carbohydrates after 6 pm slow down weight loss

Another weight loss myth that creates stress for no reason. Your total daily energy intake is what matters. Not if you had a snack at 5 pm or at 10 pm.  Also, it doesn’t matter if your late evening snack contains carbohydrates or not.

Remember: 1 g carbohydrates contains 4 kcal

1 g protein also contains 4 kcal.

It’s a weight loss myth that calories from protein don’t count! Adequate protein intake is very important for your health and fitness levels, but it is still a macronutrient with 4 kcal/gr. There many healthy snack options that contain carbohydrates and there is no reason to exclude them from your diet if they fit into the total energy intake you are aiming for.

If you notice that a healthy evening snack prevents your evening cravings for sugary processed foods, then by all means keep doing what you are doing!

References