Ten Things That Won't Help You
Lose Weight

chillibreeze writer — Priya Brijesh

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Achieving that perfect hourglass figure or those perfectly shaped abs is every individual's desire. Losing weight is crucial not merely for the sake of aesthetic appeal but also for healthy reasons, considering the various risks obesity can lead to in people, such as heart disease, back pain, diabetes etc. It is, therefore, no surprise that there has been an unending propagation of some or means or the other of new weight loss techniques by the market and media. In addition, most of these also abide by the concept of quick, easy and rapid weight loss methods, most of which are either bogus claims or those that bring about change initially only to bounce back or cause severe health problems later. It is perhaps the mass appeal of the concept of weight loss in today’s world that's resulted in such a large number of myths associated with it.

Here are ten things that won’t help you lose weight although they've been highly recommended in the past and are popular even today out of sheer ignorance of the science behind them. Remember some of the following may bring about temporary changes but they soon fade out or cause severe heath risks unless supported by a well-developed exercise routine and a balanced diet. So... let’s begin to break the myth one at a time.

1. Skipping meals
It seems like the perfect solution but the actual reality is that extended periods of fasting can actually sabotage your diet. The weight lost temporarily through fasting is predominantly water weight. Extended periods of fasting causes fatigue and dizziness, which in turn caises hunger along with a feeling of deprivation. In such a state, one tends to lose control and make high-calorie, high-fat choices, with the sense of deprivation leading to over eating.

2. Drinking lots of water
One of the most notorious myths is that drinking excess water can help boost metabolism and flush away excess fat. Actually, replacing drinking habits such as sweetened and other high calorie drinks with water, will lead to lesser consumption of calories and hence the associated weight loss. Water, as such, has no role in shedding the pounds. Drinking water may bring out the sense of fullness in the stomach but only temporarily as hunger can be satiated only through the nutrients supplied by food.

3. Exercising on an empty stomach
Aerobic exercise helps burn fat as well as carbohydrates stored in the body from previous meals. So if you skip a meal prior to your workout, you will have no carbs to burn. However, all the fat is not burnt either; instead the body burns its own muscle for fuel which leads to lower metabolism, which forgoes the purpose of the diet. Further, exercising on an empty stomach causes you to tire easily and hence retire quickly from the exercise regime, thereby burning fewer calories. It is therefore recommended that you have a meal three or four hours before a workout, or a snack one to two hours before exercising.

4. Eating foods like grapefruit, celery, or cabbage soup
One of the most persistent myths that foods such as the above are thermogenic and can burn fat (only if it were that easy). The fact however remains that no foods can burn fat.

5. Low-carb (high protein) diets
It is unadvisable to cut out any food group permanently, instead a balance needs to be sought and sustained in any healthy diet chosen. Research has indicated that though low carb diets show an initial but insignificant weight loss in obese people, the benefits are short lived

6. Losing weight while eating whatever you want
No weight loss is possible without bringing about a balance in life style, where there is reduction in the portion of calorie intake and/or increase in physical activity. You need to pay attention to the total amount of calorie intake.

7. Low-fat or fat-free food
Low fat or fat free foods claim to be lower in calories than the same sized portion of the full fat product but in reality, they possess either as many or more calories in comparison. These extra calories are in the form of additives such as sugar, flour, thickeners, which give the flavour and texture after fat is removed.

8. Weight loss pills
It is indeed a fantasy to have pills that help lose weight without the requirement of any exercise or diet changes. The markets are filled with such products but these are nothing but scams that rob you of your money. You cannot melt your fat away while consuming high calorie foods on a daily basis with the help of any kind of pill. These pills claim that they can block the absorption of fat, calories or carbs, but no pill is capable of such a process. In any case, it's also very unhealthy and dangerous to block any vital processes of the body. It is advisable not to consume any pill that claims instant weight loss, as any kind of rapid weight loss is unhealthy and regained quickly with an extra few pounds.

9. Excess of exercise
Though exercise is crucial in a weight loss plan, too much of it can be detrimental and have an opposite effect as a result of the inability of the body to handle the stress. Jogging for one hour helps to lose lesser than 500 calories, which is lower than the calories produced by consuming a single burger. Hence, adequate exercise with a well-planned nutritious diet can only prove beneficial in a weight loss plan.

10. A fruit only breakfast
Research has not brought about any evidence showing that consumption of fruits as breakfast has weight loss benefits. They are of course healthy, being high in vitamins and nutrients, but do not provide the necessary carbohydrates required by the body after an all night fast. This can therefore tire you out, lowering your energy levels for the day.

To cut a long story short, losing weight is no easy task, but it is not an impossible one either. It takes a certain amount of discipline, will power and a balanced diet with simple exercise, and if you feel like you still need to resort to products and methods popular in the market, make sure it is an aerobic or exercise cassette, a yoga class, a gym membership, exercise equipment or even a pair of simple jogging shoes. Don’t let fad diets and rapid weight loss remedies fool you.

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—About our writer: Priya says, "Though I am an architect by qualification, my passion for writing made me take it up as my profession. The experience and education as an architect however opened a whole new dimension to my thinking, which I try to incorporate in all my pursuits at work. In general, I am a voracious reader. I love writing and have even finished a novel called "The Dancing Waters" but unfortunately finding immense difficulty in getting it published. I enjoy music (I play the harmonica) and singing."

 

 

 

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