Steer Clear from these Weight Loss Myths

You've probably heard of these weight loss myths at one point or another. Learn the truth about them because they could actually be harmful for you.
Steer Clear from these Weight Loss Myths

Last update: 09 November, 2019

The world of nutrition is plagued with weight loss myths. In fact, there are so many myths out there that sometimes, we don’t even know what’s true or what’s false anymore. In our post today, we’re going to debunk some of the most popular myths so that you can make a start and lose weight.

Keeping yourself informed on health issues is essential for reaching your goals. If you lack the basic knowledge of nutrition, eating correctly will be impossible. Debunking nutritional myths is crucial!

Weight loss myths

1. You have to count calories

Most diet plans aimed at reducing body fat focus on calorie limits. These limitations lead dieters to obsess over numbers and religiously check the calorie content of all foods.

But, checking calorie content isn’t helpful at all for weight-loss. If you really want to know what you’re eating, you have to take a closer look at the nutritional facts.

You can check how much of each nutrient is in a product by reading the label. Understanding them is simple thanks to the percentages provided for a given serving size.

When you start analyzing nutritional facts, you’ll begin to realize that not all calories are the same. Consequently, counting calories doesn’t necessarily translate into eating better.

weight loss myths calories

Consuming 10 calories of lettuce isn’t the same as 10 calories of mayonnaise. While the caloric values are the same, the nutrients that they offer are completely different.

2. Eliminate fats from your diet: weight loss myths

Dieters also often try eliminating fat from their meal plans completely. They think that by not consuming any fat, their bodies can burn off any accumulated fat faster. But they’re wrong; fats are essential.

Just as we’ve talked about in other posts, you should eat a variety of nutrients. You should focus on the quantities you’re consuming of each nutrient. Fats should make up 20 percent of your total daily calorie intake.

Some of the benefits of consuming fats are:

  • Better absorption of fat-soluble vitamins.
  • Builds strength and improves coordination.
  • Maintains normal hormone levels.
  • Improves eye health.
weight loss myths fat

Eliminating fats from your diet isn’t just harmful to your health, but it also prevents your diet from being complete and effective. In short, axing fat from diets is just another diet myth.

3. Skipping dinner helps reduce body fat: weight loss myths

Many people stress the importance of a light dinner. You should keep it light as you’ll likely not exercise afterward. Your body won’t utilize a heavy meal and instead, will just turn it to fat.

Upon learning that excessive meals could turn into fat, many people decide to eliminate dinner entirely. They assume that by skipping dinner, fat can’t accumulate and thus, they’ll lose weight faster. It’s another completely erroneous belief.

If you don’t eat dinner, you’ll actually wake up hungrier than usual. As a result, you’ll eat more than you should at breakfast with a high likelihood of choosing unhealthy food options. You’ll also be more likely to snack between meals.

weight loss myths dinner

Remember, dinner serves two purposes, which makes it essential for your everyday. First, it provides you with a small number of nutrients that you need to end the day with energy. Second, it regulates your appetite and prevents binges the following day.

Those are the three myths and now, it’s time to push them behind you. Don’t forget that a balanced diet and regular exercise form the only healthy and effective weight loss plan.


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.


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This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.