Diet Myths You Probably Believed

Eat less, no carbs, and eat early. Don’t let common misconceptions keep you from reaching your weight loss goals! 

You’ve probably heard a few of these more than once. Do they hold any truth to them? Here are just a few diet myths that science has debunked and, will hopefully shed some light on what dieting really means.

The myth: Cutting down on portions will allow you to lose weight faster.

The truth: If you’re eating half a burger instead of the full portion, you’re still consuming unnecessary calories. The key is to cut down on your calorie intake, not just portions. Plus, if you eat healthy, you’re able to eat a full bowl of rice as opposed to half a burger which will get you feeling hungry fast. It’s about what you eat more than how much of it you eat.

The myth: The moment the clock hits 8pm, the food you eat won’t burn off.

The truth:  This myth has some truth to it in that we shouldn’t eat too close to bedtime. However, eating past 8pm is bad not solely because of the hour but because the foods we tend to eat late at night are junk foods – chips, chocolates, and sweets. Your body burns fats throughout the night, but it’s still best to skip the junk food which contains unhealthy fats. As an alternative, nibble on fruits or healthy snacks like yogurt to curb the 8.05pm hunger pangs.

The myth: Eating more meals in smaller portions will help you burn calories as it speeds up your metabolic rate.

The truth: Food isn’t the main factor affecting your metabolism. Some foods, especially those that contain caffeine, will speed up your metabolic rate for only a certain amount of time. What really affects your basal metabolic rate is your body composition and size. More muscles burn more calories. So the trick is to work out!

The myth: Because there are no carbs in this diet, it’s easier to lose weight.

The truth: The gluten-free diet was designed for people with celiac disease, which is a digestive disorder that causes intolerance to gluten. But, skipping meals that contain gluten means that you miss out on foliate, which may – in the long term – cause an increase in amino acid homocysteine which increases your risk of getting a heart attack. Choose healthy carbs, such as whole-grain breads and cereal which contain foliate, vitamin B, and fibre that your body needs.

The myth: Going vegan to lose weight – it’s all vegetables, how bad could it be?

The truth: This diet has religious or noble causes, and weight loss is not one of them. When doing the vegan diet, you’ll need to make sure you balance out all your meals with supplements – mainly Vitamin B12, which is something found in animal foods. Besides that, you’ll also need healthy fats such as DHA, EPA, and two types of Omega-3.