Debunking Weight Loss Myths

Obesity is on the rise and a large section of the populace is overweight. Even kids are showing a trend of being overweight. Much of the problem comes down to the food we eat, but one must seperate the fact from the fiction to understand.

Tens of millions of people try to lose weight every year. Thousands of businesses try to sell the on the best way to do it. This leads to competing claims, so many that it is difficult to tell what is true and what is not. Let's take a closer look.

Magic weight loss foods are often touted as part of diets. These magic solutions blur over the simple fact of weight gain and loss. If you eat more calories than you burn off during the day, you will gain weight. If not, then you lose weight.

So, why the focus on the type of food in diets? The real reason is a diet is often designed to give you the maximum volume of food with the minimum of calories. Salads are examples. They have a lot of volume and low calorie counts.

If you eat late, you will gain more weight than if you eat the same amount of food earlier in the day. Wrong. Again, it is the total calorie intake, not when you eat it. It is best to eat something every couple of hours during the day and taper off at night.

Is rapid, large weight loss possible in a short period of time. The answer depends on whether you want to keep the weight off. Most of these miracle diets involve the loss of water weight. Once you stop the diet, the water pounds pile back on.

Fats are horrific and must be avoided if you want to lose weight. This is another statement that seems to be written in stone, but is not really true. Fat from McDonalds is not good for you, but fat from nuts and seeds is.

The next myth to be debunked is the meal strategy. The story goes that if you skip just one meal a day, you will lose weight. Skipping a meal is not going to help if you make up for it by feasting during your other daily meals.

The water before the meal myth is one that actually is true. If you drink a full glass of water prior to any meal, the water will help induce a full feeling in your stomach. You will stop eating sooner and take in fewer calories.

Ultimately, losing weight comes down to calories eaten versus expended. Exercise can make a world of difference. Cut down on calories and work out. You will see the pounds drop off in a slow and steady manner.