We’ve all been there before: “I’ve tried everything! Nothing works!” This is a common experience for anyone trying to achieve their weight loss goals. And there’s a good reason. Most weight loss advice doesn’t recognize that our weight is controlled by complicated internal machinery, and everyone’s machinery is different. One size does NOT fit all!
Here are some common myths about weight loss:
To lose weight, you should eat only one type of food. “Cut out carbohydrates”; “Eat only carbohydrates”; “Cut out fats”; “Eat only fats.” The human body cannot operate on only one type of food. For most of us, eating an unbalanced diet will simply make us crave the foods that are not on the approved list. An unbalanced diet also puts our health at risk.
You have to go hungry to lose weight. Actually going hungry (starving yourself) is the worst possible way to achieve weight loss. It causes a “rebound” through over-eating once the diet is over. It can also cause unhealthy chemical imbalances. (This is also why eating a nutritious breakfast in the morning is important.)
You can lose weight in a fixed period of time. Many weight loss programs advertise spectacular results by saying you will lose “10 pounds in a week!” These claims are not realistic. It took most of us many years to gain the unnecessary pounds we are carrying now, so we should not expect our weight to drop overnight.
You can “exercise away” your weight. Exercise is certainly necessary for a healthy lifestyle, but it does not guarantee weight loss. Some people even gain weight when exercising due to the addition of muscle mass.
It is easy to lose weight if you just use the right system. Nothing could be further from the truth! It is never easy to lose weight, unless you are sick. And being sick is not what we are looking for here. A healthy body resists changes in weight – don’t forget that.
The bottom line: Respect your body and its nutrient needs. Eat a balanced, healthy diet. Exercise but don’t expect exercise alone to shed all the pounds you want. Be patient with the process and with your body.
