10 efsaneyên windabûnê: hilweşînin û tevbigerin

If you tell someone that you are trying to lose weight, you will be inundated with advice and “facts”, and sometimes extremely contradictory. And most of these “facts” are likely to be old myths that modern science refutes. Remember these 10 common weight loss myths that you need to ignore in order to really lose those extra pounds.

Lose Weight correctly

It seems, act according to the “rule” of Maya Plisetskaya and the chiseled figure is provided. But the command “Eat less” by the body is perceived ambiguously. He, like a capricious girl, comes up with hundreds of thousands of excuses, just not to part with the “back-breaking labor”.

Not surprisingly, in tandem with the word “losing weight”, as if an epithet, the word “right” is most often used. And all the books on the fight against obesity can now be given one title “Diets: Myths and Reality.” The story of “10 myths about weight loss” will go on forever. We will focus only on the most common and “publicized” misconceptions.

Myth number 1. Weight loss depends solely on willpower

Appetite, addiction to certain foods, stress reactions and hormonal balance depend not only on your will, but also on the work of hormones. Insulin, ghrelin, leptin, sex hormones, cortisol, and dopamine all play a role in controlling appetite or stimulating food cravings.

In principle, it is possible to influence the work of hormones: it depends on our lifestyle. Unhealthy eating habits activate hormones that increase cravings for certain foods (most often unhealthy foods) and appetite.

But here you find yourself in a vicious circle, because when the process of hormonal disorders has already started, you will hardly be able to fight them, relying on your willpower. Whether you like it or not, hormones will make you eat more and increase your food cravings. Eliminating hormonal imbalances (often with the help of a doctor) can be the first step to a healthy and happy life.

Myth number 2. Slow weight loss is the key to long-term success

One study found that more than 80% of people in the fast weight loss group achieved their goal, compared with only 50% in the gradual weight loss group.

However, in general, it does not matter how fast the weight is lost – what matters is your behavior after losing weight. Returning to old habits will inevitably cause weight gain, whether you are losing weight quickly or slowly.

Healthy eating without delusions

It is difficult to live in harmony with common sense and with a cool head look at the shelves of groceries in the supermarket when you are constantly exposed to information attacks. Then a well-known adherent of a fashionable food system replenishes the list of myths about diets with another “innovative masteve” (“natural” flavors help him turn ordinary water into a delicious milkshake, like from a famous fast food cafe and, thereby, “save” 350-400 kcal), then a well-known glossy magazine called low-fat foods synonymous with healthy weight loss. Where is the truth, and where is a publicity stunt, it is not so difficult to understand.

Myth number 3. You need to count calories

Many people believe that this is the key to success and use all sorts of devices and applications to count, count, and count. But this tactic can be counterproductive because simple calorie counting does not take into account the quality of the food you eat. It makes no distinction between nutrients and empty calories. It does not allow you to understand whether a particular product will provide you with a feeling of satiety, whether it will help you to lose weight, how it will affect the overall hormonal background.

In addition, calorie counting does not take into account the fact that some foods require more energy to digest and take longer to be absorbed. The list is endless, because not all calories are created equal!

Myth number 4. Whole grain breads and breakfast cereals support a healthy weight

For years, we have been talking about how a diet high in the right carbohydrates helps not only achieve leanness, maintain optimal weight, but also improve overall health.

One of the main modern weight loss myths that breakfast cereals, crackers, crisp bread and so-called whole grain bread are healthy alternatives to a slice of a fragrant, soft piece of white loaf is nothing more than an ingenious marketing ploy.

The fact is that these “healthy” foods are almost always heavily processed (and they lose the benefits of whole grains), and they also contain a lot of unnecessary by-ingredients. They often cause health problems and interfere with losing weight.

Myth number 5. Fat consumption leads to obesity

In the past, the rationale behind the need to reduce fat intake in order to lose weight was that fat contains about twice as many calories per gram as carbohydrates or proteins. In fact, foods like avocados, vegetable oils, nuts and seeds, and oily wild fish help the body absorb stored fat. They improve appetite, make you feel full and satisfied after a meal, and improve your mood. Healthy fats strengthen the immune and cardiovascular systems, improve metabolism and brain function, restore hormonal balance and reduce harmful inflammation in all body systems.

Myth number 6. Low-fat and other “dietary” store products help to lose weight

Low-fat foods, low in saturated fat, sodium and carbohydrates, baked rather than fried – they literally fall on us from the store shelves. People mistakenly believe that this food is good for health and helps to reduce weight.

However, manufacturers often replace fat or other ingredients with sugar and sugar with artificial sweeteners and flavors, salt, monosodium glutamate, and other harmful additives. In addition, sugar is often hidden in such products under different names, which, of course, does not change its essence. As a result, these highly processed foods increase hunger by triggering food cravings and consuming more and more empty calories.

Myth number 7. Sugar substitutes promote weight loss

The sweet tooth gasped when, in the last century, store shelves were replenished with sweet products, which included saccharin, aspartame, sucrasite, etc. instead of granulated sugar. It would seem that the perfect jam – it is as tasty as the usual grandmother’s jam, but it does not pose any danger to the figure … But, as time has shown, this is nothing more than another myth about weight loss.

Artificial sweeteners actually increase body weight, waist circumference, and body fat. They increase our appetite and make us eat more often, provoking sugar cravings, which leads to fullness.

In addition, many sweeteners do not accept heat treatment – under the influence of high temperatures they release highly toxic substances. Read about how to sweeten life without danger to health, read this material.

Slimming and sports

What is more important in the process of achieving the desired weight – a balanced diet or hard training – scientists have not come to a consensus. Some claim that the lion’s share of success depends precisely on the contents of the plate. Others say that only by sweating on exercise machines, you can sculpt the body of your dreams. And still others went even further, assuring that classes at a certain time of the day and in a certain form (talking about the material) can be considered truly effective. It is in your power to destroy myths about weight loss and take action.

Myth number 8. Sport can be effective without diet, and vice versa.

According to some foreign researchers, reducing the calorie content of the diet faster brings the desired result in weight loss, rather than just “working off” a brand new membership in a fitness club. But keep in mind that restriction in food deprives us not only of the hated fat, but also the muscle mass necessary for health. While sports loads keep the level of muscle mass normal, and sometimes, if necessary, increase it.

However, remember that playing sports without following an elementary diet is unlikely to bring a significant and visible effect.

Myth number 9. If you play sports, sweets will not harm your figure.

Remember the notorious rule “The arrival of energy should be equal to the consumption – then you will forget about the extra pounds.” Succumbing to this logic, the conclusion suggests itself: having practiced, for example, cycling for an hour (this consumes about 400-500 kcal, depending on personal physiological characteristics and training intensity), you can easily afford a solid piece of tiramisu without “consequences”. Yes, mathematically, this rule works. But in reality, it can be very difficult to stop at one serving of dessert, or to correctly determine the “safe portion” of carbohydrate dessert.

Firstly, manufacturers sometimes indicate true indicators on product labels (data on calorie content are underestimated). Secondly, we often do not realize how long and how intensively we must “work off” what we have eaten. Keep in mind that in one chocolate halva candy (25 g) there are about 130 – 140 kcal – which is more than 15 minutes of active crawl in the pool (or more efficiently in open water), and for 100 g of the well-known chocolate with almonds and nougat you will have to run at a speed of 8-9 km / h for 50-55 minutes. Serious arithmetic, isn’t it?

Myth number 10. Exercises on the press will help to lose weight in the waist area

According to the laws of nature, the female body is designed in such a way that, first of all, we gain weight in the waist and hips. And if, working on the hips, you can quickly achieve the desired results, then the stomach will require the most close attention to itself.

What to do? Raise your legs and torso from a prone position, as well as curl, you say. From childhood, we are taught that thanks to these exercises, you can achieve, if not a relief press, then a flat stomach. However, this is another myth about weight loss and it has little to do with reality.

The fact is that twisting affects the upper abdomen (for most women, it remains in good shape without any effort), and leg lifts – on the hips, while the area below the navel (it is to her that women have the most claims) remains practically unused. Try replacing your usual exercises with diagonal crunches – this way not only the oblique abdominal muscles will be worked out, but also the lower abdomen.

But keep in mind that not everyone can achieve the coveted cubes on the press. And to be honest, this is not very necessary for a woman who someday plans to give birth to a child. In girls who are overly addicted to fitness, there is very little visceral fat in the body (it maintains the internal organs at the required level).