The internet is rife with many misconceptions about weight loss and management. Many people have taken and run with some of these ideas only to end up somewhat let down by the results. It’s understandable; you can easily get lost with so much information floating around.
Continue reading to learn more about some weight-loss myths that have been debunked by experts and in research.
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Myth 1: Cardio Is the Way to Weight Loss
No, don’t get us wrong. We do not mean that cardio will not help you lose weight. Rather, the idea is that cardio exercises are not the only effective route to weight loss, contrary to what some people seem to think.
It may not suffice to simply do cardio every day. You should aim to combine your cardio routine with strength training for a more rounded approach to burning fat and maintaining your muscles. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) combines both cardio and strength training perfectly.
According to a 2021 review published in the journal Sports Medicine, researchers found that only strength training helped participants to lose 1.4 percent of their total body fat, on average, after training programs lasting around five months.
Myth 2: Exercise is All You Need
The benefits of exercise to not just losing weight but also to enjoying a great overall health cannot be overemphasized. But this does not automatically mean that it is all there is to weight loss. You need to also ensure that you keep to a healthy diet and that does not necessarily mean a “weight-loss” diet.
Be mindful of your food choices. Stick to those that help to limit your calorie intake. Avoid processed foods, refined sugars, and unhealthy snacks. Make sure you drink lots of water – you can hardly go wrong with this one.
Exercise alone will only help you achieve modest weight loss. Add a healthy diet and you can improve your results markedly. Researchers, for example, reported no link between weight loss and physical activity of some Biggest Loser (reality show) contestants in an Obesity study. They found that those who ate the least, not the ones who exercised the most, lost the most weight.
Myth 3: A Calorie is A Calorie
When people talk or think about calories, they often seem to suggest that they are all the same. You need to stop doing so, if you ever believed that idea. The source of the calories you are consuming will determine how much weight you lose by cutting down on them.
Don’t make the mistake that a particular amount of calories in a sugary drink or candy is the same as that in a whole food choice. Unlike processed foods, whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains require more energy to break down. This makes them less worrisome (and actually beneficial) when talking about weight management. Researchers confirmed this in a Nature Communications study published in 2023. They reported that the body reacts differently to calories from high-fiber whole foods and to those from ultra-processed foods.
Myth 4: Carbohydrates Are Bad for Weight Loss
Carbs have become somewhat “demonized” when it comes to weight management. Practically everybody thinks they are bad for everyone looking to lose weight. But you don’t really want to turn your back on carbohydrates entirely.
Experts say a low-carb diet will not work for everyone – some people will do better on a low-fat diet. Researchers wrote in a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology that they could not find data to back the idea of cutting total carb intake for weight loss.
Carbohydrates could actually aid in managing body weight. They provide energy for exercise and for maintaining bodily functions. They can also help to make you feel full and satisfied. However, you will do well to steer clear of processed carbs.
Myth 5: Smaller, Frequent Meals Are More Helpful
If you have been searching for the best weight loss tips for some time, chances are that you have come across the idea that more frequent, smaller meal portions are better than large meals. This is believed to help because it keeps blood sugar levels more stable, thus checking increased appetite.
Some experts suggest that smaller meals may not matter if you still end up consuming the same amount of calories. Research shows no significant effect from these compared to fewer larger meals. One study in the journal Obesity revealed that more frequent meals could make a person want to eat more.
Myth 6: Crash Diets Offer a Rapid Solution
A highly common weight-loss myth is that a crash diet will help you shed pounds quicker. This involves restricting calorie intake severely and limiting your food choices. Crash diets have been gaining popularity in recent years because they do cause rapid weight loss, at least initially.
These kinds of diets are not sustainable in the long run, however. And, before you know it, you could regain the weight you lost initially and some over time. Crash diets may also bring about other issues, including lean muscle loss, a slowed metabolism, and poor nutrition.
In a paper published in The Indian Journal of Medical Research, the authors advised adopting a diet and exercise program that is sustainable even if the results are slow. They noted that crash diets are rarely successful in the long term.
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Myth 7: Weight Loss Is Linear
If you have been told or expect weight loss to occur linearly, you should think again. The journey to achieving a healthy body weight may be full of plateaus.
Progress may seem to stall but do not feel discouraged. Slowed metabolism (due to age or another factor) and water retention are among the factors that could cause this. The body weight of participants in a 2020 PLoS One study, which was calorie-controlled, showed fluctuations of 0.35-1.35 percent.
Stick to your healthy food choices, exercise routines, and other healthy habits. Do not feel discouraged and go back to your old ways.
References
Wewege, M.A., Desai, I., Honey, C. et al. The Effect of Resistance Training in Healthy Adults on Body Fat Percentage, Fat Mass and Visceral Fat: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Med 52, 287–300 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-021-01562-2
Kerns, J. C., Guo, J., Fothergill, E., Howard, L., Knuth, N. D., Brychta, R., Chen, K. Y., Skarulis, M. C., Walter, P. J., & Hall, K. D. (2017). Increased Physical Activity Associated with Less Weight Regain Six Years After “The Biggest Loser” Competition. Obesity, 25(11), 1838-1843. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.21986
Corbin, K.D., Carnero, E.A., Dirks, B. et al. Host-diet-gut microbiome interactions influence human energy balance: a randomized clinical trial. Nat Commun 14, 3161 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-38778-x
Yunsheng Ma, Barbara Olendzki, David Chiriboga, James R. Hebert, Youfu Li, Wenjun Li, MaryJane Campbell, Katherine Gendreau, Ira S. Ockene, Association between Dietary Carbohydrates and Body Weight, American Journal of Epidemiology, Volume 161, Issue 4, 15 February 2005, Pages 359–367, https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwi051
Ohkawara, K., Cornier, M.-A., Kohrt, W. M., & Melanson, E. L. (2012). Effects of increased meal frequency on fat oxidation and perceived hunger. Obesity, 21(2), 336-343. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.20032
Joshi, S., & Mohan, V. (2018). Pros & cons of some popular extreme weight-loss diets. Indian J Med Res, 148(5), 642–647. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6366252/
Turicchi, J., O’Driscoll, R., Horgan, G., Duarte, C., Palmeira, A. L., Larsen, S. C., Heitmann, B. L., & Stubbs, J. (2020). Weekly, seasonal and holiday body weight fluctuation patterns among individuals engaged in a European multi-centre behavioural weight loss maintenance intervention. PLoS ONE, 15(4), e0232152. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232152
