Saturday, March 16, 2013

THE MISTAKEN BELIEFS OF LOSING WEIGHT

It's a fact that burning off less than what you consume will lead to weight gain. Many people read product labels with the belief that measuring calories in the foods they prepare will translate to a slimmer waistline. Often they become disappointed when their efforts don't produce the desired result. All the measuring  is a meaningless activity without the understanding of how the body works to store fat. 

Cut Out All Fat

All fats are not equal. The body's organs, including the brain, require some fat to function. The myth begins with the idea that all fat must be eliminated. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are healthy and are found in olive oil, nuts and avocados. It's the hydrogenated and trans fats that are unhealthy and are found in many food products today.

Skip Meals for Weight Loss

In the effort to lose weight, millions skip breakfast only to gorge themselves with unhealthy foods when hunger strikes during the day. Skipping meals is unimportant next to eating more high fiber foods that are found in fresh fruits and vegetables. Eating 6 small meals to the customary 3 meals can lead to less accumulation of fat.

Eat Less Dairy
Milk, cheese and eggs do contain fat but the extra fat comes from the processing of those foods. Whole, unpasteurized milk contains more healthy ingredients than the milk that comes from cows fed grain and injected with growth hormones and antibiotics. A farm fresh egg is healthier in nutrient content than eggs that come from chickens kept in coops until they die.

Willpower is Necessary to Lose Weight
So many people believe this lie that they never get started to a healthier lifestyle. They may have the willpower to make a start, but once the weight refuses to melt away, they get disappointed and abandon their programs. Losing weight does not need to be difficult. The major mistake comes from focusing too much on weight and the expectation of losing it quickly. Weight loss has more to do with a poor lifestyle than what is consumed at the dinner table. Simply eliminating smoking and drinking habits, reducing stress and getting regular exercise can lead to a loss of weight, often without effort.

Substitute Water for Meals
Water will fill you up if you drink before your meals, but drinking gallons of it as a substitute for nutrition will tax your kidneys. You're likely to get tired of such a diet and get back into the old habits of eating the wrong foods.

You Must Engage in Intensive Exercise to Lose Weight

The idea of sweating in a gym along with trim bodies simply doesn't appeal to most people. Sweating helps detoxify the body, but intensive exercise is not necessary for weight loss. Many people confuse exercise with activity. For them, exercise means aerobics or lifting heavy weights. Activity is exercise that includes walking, gardening, cleaning house or playing ball with the kids. No one has yet complained that swimming or throwing a Frisbee at the beach are hard exercises.

Perhaps the last myth has its roots in the belief that weight loss is possible through pills, potions, diets, surgery or doctor supervision. They do help but permanent weight loss requires the same kind of effort and discipline the alcoholic needs to stay sober. There are no easy ways to shed pounds.


Looking for science based ideas and tools to get healthy?  Contact Linda @ 608.314.4004

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