Weight Loss Facts and Fiction

There are many things being said about losing weight that are simply not true. Sometimes it is hard to separate fact from fiction. Here are some facts to consider while you are making the lifestyle changes necessary to lose weight.

Consuming fewer calories will help you break a weight loss plateau. Not true. It will cause your body to hold onto every calorie it has, because it thinks it is being starved. Increasing your exercise and even increasing your calorie intake slightly is going to be your best option for breaking a plateau.

Eating late at night will cause you to gain weight. It is what you eat and not when you that affects your weight gain. It just so happens that people tend to eat more junk food in the evenings and that is where the weight gain comes in. There is nothing wrong with a healthy snack in the evening.

No eating between meals. I recommend just the opposite. Your body is going to function more efficiently if it is fed every 2-3 hours. If you are getting hungry, it is better to eat before you become famished. You have a better chance of being able to control what you eat, if you eat before you are starving.

Don’t give into cravings, because they are all in your head. Giving into a craving while it is still and urge and one serving will satisfy it, is better than waiting until it is an obsession and may lead to a binge. Have a small serving of the food you crave and move past it.

Eating breakfast will make you hungry all day. As long as you eat more than carbohydrates for breakfast, this will not be true. Carbohydrates do not stay with you very long and you will soon feel hungry again. It is best to have foods with protein and a small amount of fat. You find they will keep you full longer than bagels or doughnuts.

You can eat anything you want as long as it is fat-free. Not true. At the end of the day, it is the number of calories that is important. If you read the label, fat-free products usually have as many calories, if not more calories, than foods that are not “fat-free.” You will also find that most fat-free products contain a lot of sugar. They have to put something in it to make it taste good.

There are many tips that have been passed down through the years and as time passes, research may tell us that these facts may indeed be myths. Taking time to keep up on the latest research can be very helpful, when it comes to losing weight.

Marjorie Salada is the owner of Weight Loss 3000, a website that contains information on weight loss, exercise, weight loss surgery and living a healthy lifestyle.