"I am working like crazy and still can't get rid of my weight." As a dietician who has specialized in the weight loss field for several years, I've heard this said by so many people all too often, over the years. Yes, it is not uncommon to find people working extremely hard to lose weight. Often far too hard. The biggest mistakes people make when they're trying to loss weight is to focus too hard on the wrong things such as: weight loss gimmicks, impractical promises and misguided perceptions about dieting.
The truth is: getting caught up in weight-loss myths will only sabotage your success. To help you succeed, below are three top weight-loss myths that you should avoid like the plague.
Myth: You can lose 15 pounds in only 3 weeks.
Truth: Yes you could even lose 20 pounds in only three weeks if you went on a crash fast, but you are going feel terrible and damage your health -- and the chances of keeping that weight off are ironically slim because the majority of the weight (and often more) will return once you start eating normally again.
The truth is, to lose just one pound, you need to "eliminate" 3,500 calories from your lifestyle. If you could cut out 500 calories per day by either eating less or through exercise or a combination of both, and do it every day of the week, then you would lose about a pound a week. Now that would be real weight loss.
Myth: I do a lot of exercise so I can eat as much as I want.
Fact: Unless you're working out at a horrendous rate, to get rid of excess weight you will still need to keep an eye on how many calories you're eating on a daily basis. Amazingly, "calories in" seem to always add up much more quickly than "calories out." Consider this for a moment: two medium-sized cookies will deliver roughly 400 calories. To burn off 400 calories through exercise, the average person with a normal metabolism needs to jog or walk 4 miles.
Myth: All dieting involves feeling hungry.
Fact: If you try to cut calories randomly, without a doubt you're probably going to feel hungry. But if you plan your day so that you're adequately replenishing yourself with healthy, nutritious foods every3-4 hours, you're likely to feel quite satisfied even on significantly fewer calories. You should aim to include a source of lean protein -- like chicken, turkey, fish, skimmed milk and fibre such as fruit and most vegetables -- in every meal and snack.
Myth: If you are on a diet, eating too close to bed-time can make you put on weight.
Fact: Your metabolism varies in speed throughout the day according to how much physical exertion you do. However, your resting metabolism remains the same regardless of what time you are resting.
Myth: Drinking "tons of wate" will help get rid of weight.
Fact: Of course staying hydrated is extremely important regardless of whether you are on a diet or not. But if your daily fluid consumption consists of, juice drinks, sodas, colas or sweetened teas then substituting them with plain water will result in consuming fewer calories, which will always aid weight loss. But simply increasing your water intake will not, help you get rid of weight. It is true that, drinking water can make your tummy feel fuller, but this feeling of being full is only temporary. Hunger is not a simple function of your stomach - Hunger is when your "whole body" is crying out for nutrients in food, so drinking plenty water won't satisfy you for long.
