Some weight loss advice is so inaccurate, it sounds to professionals like it’s straight out of a fiction novel. The internet is filled with bad weight loss advice. Some advice has no proven evidence supporting it, and others have research proving them to be untrue! Here you will find some of the most common myths, so you can avoid wasting your time with them!
1 – There is one, single best diet for weight loss. A variety of diets can lead to weight loss if you are consuming less calories than you are burning. This an be achieved by following all sorts of diets. Find a healthy diet that works for you!
2 – Carbs make you fat. Anything in excess, including carbohydrates, can lead to weight gain, however, you can actually lose weight on a high carbohydrate diet, if you are eating less calories than you are burning.
3 – Fat makes you fat. Again, anything in excess, including fat, can lead to weight gain, but you can lose weight on a high fat diet. Also, some fats, like monounsaturated fats (found in avocados, olive oil and nuts) are extremely healthy and great for your heart! A small portion of fat has more calories than the same portion of protein or carbohydrates, so you have to be careful with your portion sizes.
4 – You have to completely eliminate a food group. This is just simply untrue. There is no specific food group that independently leads to weight gain. Each food group has health benefits, and if eaten in recommended portion sizes, is important to include in a healthy diet.
5 – Protein shakes help you lose weight. Although some meal replacement shakes and protein shakes can be effective tools, adding one to your existing diet, or replacing a snack with a protein shake will likely not produce the results you are looking for. You can even gain weight from adding a protein shake or replacing a smaller snack with a shake!
6 – You can eat as much as you want, as long as it’s healthy. You can eat a large volume of lower calorie healthy food, yes, but you certainly cannot eat as much as you’d like. Some healthy foods are low in calories, and calories still matter!
7 – Eating or drinking a certain beverage or food will “melt your fat.” Claims like these are just plain false. For as much as we want to believe them, they just are not true.
8 – Eating healthy foods costs too much. Eating healthier can be more expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. Purchase seasonal fruits and vegetables, shop the sales, cook at home, and you may even spend less on your grocery bill than before switching to a healthier diet!
9 – Nutrition bars help you lose weight. Some nutrition bars are far from nutritious and can pack in the sugar and calories! You still need to check the nutrition facts panel and use good judgement when evaluating foods that claim to be healthy.
10 – There’s a supplement that causes you to lose weight by doing nothing other than taking that supplement. There is no magical combination of supplements that will independently cause you to lose weight.
If you want some weight loss tips proven to work, check out our blog post, Fifteen Evidence Based Weight Loss Tips.
If you are trying to lose weight, please consider visiting us at Olivera Weight Loss.
We use research-proven strategies, approaches and tools to help our patients achieve successful weight loss. We offer a variety of services to meet your needs. In our remote Nutrition Consultations, our Registered Dietitian develops a plan customized to meet your needs without you ever having to leave your home. Phentermine, an FDA approved appetite suppressant proven to help patients lose weight, is available at Olivera Weight Loss for patients who qualify. For more information on pricing and our other services, please visit our webpage or give us a call at 773-327-6624. Follow us on Facebook for free weight loss tips, recipes and more.
*Please note, appointments are required for new patients and strongly encouraged for returning patients to minimize wait times.*
