By: Lisa Payne
Remember the grapefruit diet? How about the fat-free diet? While those weight loss diets are myths that have long been debunked, weight loss trends and tips continue to go from harebrained to physician-recommended. This wide spectrum can leave you questioning their validity and what’s right for you.
Take a look at 4 popular weight loss myths we’re debunking.
Weight Loss Myth #1: Following a Carb-Free Diet Is the Best Way to Lose Weight
Going completely carb-free can lead to some weight loss but it can also cause memory fog, fatigue, and reduced energy output throughout the day and during workouts. However, limiting your simple carbohydrates and eating primarily complex carbohydrates has been shown to boost energy, maintain blood sugar, and help you lose weight more safely.
Weight Loss Myth #2: Fasted Cardio Is Your Best Weight Loss Workout
The idea behind fasted cardio is that without consuming the prime carbohydrates you normally use for energy, your body would revert to using stored fat as an energy source for your workouts. The people who incorporate fasted cardio are usually the ones who work out early in the morning before eating any breakfast. Note: While you may lose weight with fasted cardio you can also risk losing muscle. Lean muscle increases the metabolic effect long-term.
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Weight Loss Myth #3: Eating Before Bed Causes Weight Gain
A full night’s rest is itself fasting. So eating breakfast within an hour of rising is important to maintain blood sugar and to give you energy. If you skip dinner the night before, you could end up eating more the next day than you normally would. But if you eat something like pizza at night not only is that not a healthy choice, but you risk weight gain. Keep it light but filling with something like a yogurt, oatmeal or peanut butter toast.
Weight Loss Myth #4: Hot Yoga Will Help You Lose Weight
In a hot yoga class, temperatures can range anywhere from 95°F-105°F with high humidity. Following a hot yoga class, you may experience some temporary weight loss. However, this is most likely caused by dehydration and is not actual fat loss. Some yogis even claim that doing twists in hot yoga helps with said fat loss. Translation: twisting can expedite bowel movements and may also contribute to temporary weight loss.
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When you’re on a mission to lose weight, you want those results to happen fast and to last. With these myths, it’s safe to say that consistently eating the right foods throughout the day and finding workouts that do more than make you sweat is key to long-term weight loss and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
