We have a friend who just published a book about weight loss and how he succeeded. As soon as he stopped believing in myths (which had damaged his health), he started making progress!
In my practice, I often encounter people who want to lose excess weight. It doesn’t matter whether it’s 5 kilograms or 50 kilograms (oh yes, there are such cases), the stories are almost always identical – they’ve tried everything and eat almost ‘nothing’, but the numbers on the scale always show the same value.
In a desperate attempt to lose excess weight, they will grasp at almost any straw of hope, and I remind you, the weight loss industry is an extremely ‘fertile’ area. If you pay a little closer attention, you’ll notice how, especially in spring (who knows why?!?), the bombardment of advertisements offering instant weight loss products begins. My dear ones, remember, there is NO instant weight loss because, let’s be real, you didn’t instantly accumulate your kilograms!!
Before you fall for one of the ‘magic’ teas, read about the five most common misconceptions or myths when it comes to weight loss:
Myth #1: Weight loss is just about counting calories
The equation should be simple: we must burn as many calories as we consume. This claim is partly true, but things are always a bit more complicated. Not all calories are the same! For instance, if we consume 500 calories from pizza, it’s not the same as 500 calories from broccoli. The energy value (calorie) is the same, but the composition of pizza and broccoli is not and doesn’t have the same impact on the body.
To ensure 500 calories from broccoli, you would need to eat a considerable amount of broccoli. By consuming this cruciferous vegetable, you’ll provide your body with complex carbohydrates, fibre, antioxidants like vitamins C and A, and many other useful nutrients. On the other hand, 500 calories from pizza would correspond to one slice of pizza that will ‘provide’ mostly fats and simple carbohydrates.
Advice: Give importance to the quality of food in relation to quantity (be sure to read nutritional declarations and the composition of the food/product).
Myth #2: We lose weight exclusively through cardio exercises
Cardio exercises are excellent if we want to improve our cardiorespiratory system, they must be an integral part of physical exercise, but by no means the only one! According to some research, cardio exercises give a short-term boost to metabolism (only a few hours), while anaerobic exercises (exercising with dumbbells, weights) give a 24-hour boost to metabolism.
Also, this type of exercise strengthens bone and muscle structure (the more muscle, the greater the metabolic response!). Exhausting yourself with long-term pedaling on a stationary bike while watching one of the soap operas will be more stressful for the body than a shorter and more intense workout with dumbbells!
Advice: Don’t underestimate practicing yoga, which will bring balance at the body-mind level!
Myth #3: To lose weight, I have to starve
Of course, if you don’t eat anything, it’s certain you’ll lose weight. But what are you actually doing: you’re exhausting the adrenal gland which stimulates the release of so-called ‘stress hormones’ like cortisol, which has an extremely bad effect on the entire body (in continuous, excessive secretion). In the end, you’ll exhaust your body so much that you’ll give in at the first thought of food and overeat!
Remember: ‘Slim people’ eat less and more often, which means they prefer organic fruits and vegetables, complex carbohydrates that they distribute in several smaller meals throughout the day (4-5 daily), and avoid refined sugars and other ready-made products that can be bought in any store.
Myth #4: Fats make you fat
Wrong! Fats don’t make you fat, sugar makes you fat! Fats in the form of mono and polyunsaturated fats have important roles in our body, and fats like Omega 3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA of animal origin and ALA from the plant world) have an anti-inflammatory effect.
COOL MOTIVATION: She vowed to visit the gym for 100 days in a row. Here’s what happened
What actually makes you fat are refined sugars and grains, and other processed foods that are quickly “absorbed” (high GI-glycemic index) through the digestive tract and similarly stored in fat cells. Besides, it has a highly pro-inflammatory effect (promotes the inflammation process).
Myth #5: To lose weight, I have to constantly weigh myself
Forget about the scale! Don’t burden yourself with what that little ‘evil’ in your bathroom will write. Eat healthily, nurture healthy habits like exercise, rest, fun (everything that makes you happy).
The first signs of weight loss will be shown by your clothes that will start to ‘dance’ around you and the rings you wear on your fingers. The weight loss process is long and requires willpower (like everything in life), so be positive, stick to your goal and the result will not fail!
These are my five myths about weight loss. Do you have your own? Send them to us in the comments! Thanks for reading.
Bonus topics:
Hilarious campaign for a slim figure (which almost took place in Zagreb too)
Weight loss: Five worst enemies of slimness or how to avoid the yo-yo effect?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Alenka Brozina, specialist internist. For many years, she has been involved in sports cardiology, functional testing of athletes, and diet therapy. In her free time, she studies clinical phytoaromatherapy. As a doctor, she emphasizes a holistic (comprehensive) approach to human health.
