Our health is a cumulative result of our mental, social, and physical well-being. While we talk about health, we can not miss how important diets are. A healthy diet not only adds the required nutrients to our bodies but also reduces the chances of us getting sick.
Following a particular diet can be used as a target for different results. Let us discuss dieting.
What is Dieting? Why is Dieting Needed?
Dieting can be explained as the monitoring and regulation of what we consume. While most people pursue a dieting plan to lose a few pounds, it is not always the case. Health benefits like lowered blood pressure, lowered triglycerides, improved cholesterol ratio, and improved heart health can be reasons why people prefer dieting.
While dieting is very popular, it is nothing unusual that a lot of myths revolve around it. The existing misconceptions about dieting are many. Let us debunk 10 myths regarding dieting in this blog.
1. Skipping meals mean lower calories intake
Skipping meals and fasting has been a traditional way of losing weight and dieting. But wait, is it really another myth? Let us see if it really is. The changes that the body undergoes with lower consumption of calories are detrimental. With missed meals, you tend to lose weight in an unhealthy manner. Body starvation can increase the chances of abdominal fat.
Skipping meals can also cause a threat of being vulnerable to certain diseases. People who skip meals, especially breakfast, were reported to have higher risks for diabetes and heart complications. With missed meals, the risks of binge eating increase, and you also might not find exercising appealing.
2. Exercising more makes you lose more weight
Physical activity and exercise no doubt have been promoting weight loss, but are you overdoing it for shredding a few extra pounds? If you are, you should consider stopping it. Although exercising is meant to be good, overdoing it might lead to some adverse consequences for your body.
Determining how much you should exercise varies with your gender, age, type of workouts, and medical conditions. Exercising should make you feel good. Exercising does not only have to be a gym workout of two hours. You can also promote weight loss along with dieting through different physical exercises like dancing, swimming, aerobics, or cycling.
3. Low-fat foods mean healthy
When dieting, a lot of people prefer low-fat foods and even are convinced that they are good. While lower fat intake has been associated with weight loss, it should be noted that completely limiting fat intake too is dangerous. But it is necessary that you consume the required amount of fat in your diet. Very often, edible products that are low in fat contain loads of additional tastes (like added sugars) to match the original taste.
Even if a product promises to be a low-fat product, it is necessary that you check the label and take note of the total fat and saturated fat content in what you consume. Fats can be healthy and unhealthy. While it can be a good thing that unhealthy fats are avoided. But it is equally necessary that you provide the fat requirements of healthy fat to your body.
4. All carbs are similar
It is often assumed that carbs fatten you. But we disagree. If you know the right options, you can smartly continue your dieting and include carbs in it. A group of carbs called smart carbs are necessary for the body to provide nutrients and fiber. For dieting, the best carbs to consume are the ones that provide a fiber-rich nutrient.
When compared with simple carbs (which are minimally processed and whole), smart carbs tend to be low caloric. To enhance the effects of dieting, choose the right kind of carbs rather than depriving yourself of the carbs. Smart carbs are essential for your body, as they effectively fuel your body.
5. Carbs will make you fatter
Carbs are often blamed for making you gain more weight. Some of the dietings plans completely eliminate carbs, while some of the lenient ones follow a low-carb diet. Let us be reassured CARBS ARE NOT FATTENING! Rather than carbs, weight gain is caused by the consumption of too many calories. Carbs are required by our body as an energy source and hence become crucial for our body.
We often end up consuming the wrong kind of carbs, which results in weight gain. Following a diet that fulfills the requirements of the body is essential rather than following a diet plan that starves you of any of the nutritional content. Eating the right kind and the right amount of carbs will not make you any fatter.
6. Slimming teas and pills are healthy
The market is flooding with products promising to aid weight loss and make you look slim. If you purchase any of such products, be aware of what ill effects the products may cause. The authenticity of the products you are ingesting should be taken care of. Unprescribed products for dieting and slimming should be avoided at any cost.
To rely on slimming pills and products should not be your first option. Weight loss can be promoted by regularly exercising and monitoring a healthy intake of calories. Even the prescribed products might not be suitable for every person.
7. Eating healthy is expensive
It is generalized that healthy foods cost a lot. But the truth is that you can eat healthy food without spending a lot. The incorporation of pulses (which are quite budget-friendly) can be healthy and inexpensive. Buying frozen fruits and vegetables is another habit you can inculcate. When compared with fresh fruits and vegetables, frozen ones can be used for longer periods.
Frozen fruits and vegetables also delay spoilage, which prevents any wastage. Another way dieting can be less expensive is that you cook dishes yourself from scratch. Not only are you making it a cheaper option in dieting, but you can add nutritional ingredients based on your preference.
8. Food choices available for dieting are limited
Dieting limits a lot of food choices. Many times dieting can be beneficial for cutting off the foods that are not good for our bodies. But if you are dieting, you might limit your food choices to extremes. Limiting the foods in your diet can promote weight loss, but in the long run, it stays ineffective. Following a monotonous diet can also become boring.
Limited foods in your diet can also result in nutritional deficiencies. Hence it becomes utterly important that you consume a wide variety of smart food options in dieting. It is necessary to make sure that all the nutritional requirements are well furnished.
9. Drink more water to lose weight
Drinking water in dieting and weight loss has no supporting scientific reason behind it. Some myths also agree that warm water can melt the stubborn fat of the body. We agree that water renders a lot of benefits, but there’s no proof that water can accelerate weight loss. Apart from this, water is an important part of a healthy diet.
Enough water should be made available to your body. Hydration provided by water should not be confused with weight loss. Water can also suppress hunger, which can prevent you from snacking. But to say that water is filled with properties of weight loss, we would surely be wrong. Very often we see people drinking water more than the required amount; people might face water toxicity.
10. Being overweight is unhealthy
Being overweight is often associated with an invitation to health conditions. But you can be overweight and healthy simultaneously. It is possible that a person with extra weight can have a healthy heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels. We do not promote gaining extra weight as it can further lead to medical complications.
If you are overweight and healthy, gaining extra weight surely is no good idea for your health. Hence, it becomes necessary to maintain weight; at last, no one wants to invite disease. Even if you are overweight and healthy, the risks of diabetes and heart disease are increased.
Wrapping It Up
Healthy weight, no doubt, is a synonym for good health. But to maintain a healthy weight, we often cross a lot of extremes which make it troubling for our body. The Internet is flooded with multiple guidelines for weight loss. While we follow a weight loss plan, we might hear a lot of advice and opinions from almost everybody. It is essential that you pay no heed to any advice unless you really know if it is really authentic. Before you follow advice, you have to understand if it is supported by medical or scientific research or not.
Very often, we also lose a few pounds of our weight by doing things in the wrong way. Monitoring calorie intake and regular exercises remain the best and healthiest solutions to weight loss. The association of food, diet, and your body is a little more complex than we think. To find the authenticity of weight loss and dieting plans, it is important that you follow trusted sources.