Thread: Common Weight Loss Myths

Calories

You seem to always see this one with the “experts” giving you faulty advice. Are you ready for it? Here it is: Weight loss requires fewer calories consumed or more calories spent in activity; it doesn’t matter what diet you do as long as you consume fewer calories. This is the expert’s inability to differentiate between types of calories: a calorie of white sugar is the same as a calorie of celery. Maybe this person is still stuck in confusion in chemistry class talking about molecules, thinking that everything is a combination of protons and electrons and therefore it doesn’t matter if something came from the ground or from a chemical lab. If calories are all the same and this theory were true, how do you explain people cutting calories and not losing weight or very skinny people eating tremendous amounts of food but never gaining an ounce? The argument breaks down here; however, the expert will then jump to genetics: “They are just born with a slow metabolism.” Hormone reactions to the different calories from foods are VERY different. There is a much more effective principle to focus on: Instead of even looking at calories, focus on foods with the highest density of nutrients (plant foods). These, by the way, have the lowest calories. The experts will then tell you, you did not lose the weight because of the nutrients—because of the low calories of plant food. Very funny. High-nutrient-dense food sends signals to your brain telling it, “That’s enough—stop eating; I’m satisfied.” Low-nutrient-dense food signals never give this message, leading to “I’m still hungry; keep eating.”

Drink your water

When someone tells you to drink 8 ounces of water per day, or half your body weight in ounces, always ask them, “Where have you heard this?” This is just another “everyone knows that,” with a lot of speculation: water flushes the fat out, or water burns calories, or water satisfies you and makes you less hungry. Water is necessary but not for fat reduction; it’s the wrong tool. Drink when you are thirsty and don’t force yourself to drink. Drinking water is a very trivial piece of the puzzle. There has been way too much emphasis placed on it.

Everything in moderation

I hear this often as the justifier for eating junk foods: “It’s just a little bit—it won’t kill me”; “It’s only a few calories”; and “I’ll just have a small bite.” Here’s a missing piece of important information: It only takes a small amount of insulin-stimulating carbohydrate to BLOCK all six fat-burning hormones. In the presence of very small amounts of insulin (sugar or refined-carbohydrate induced) the fat-burning effect from a healthy diet and exercise is nullified. You will not understand this unless you rid yourself of the misconception of the calorie myth. You can do all the right things yet be consuming, unknowingly, hidden sugars in your foods and NOT get any results. Just to demonstrate this point, weigh yourself and then consume some pure refined carbohydrate foodstuff. Then weigh yourself the next day. You will weigh a few pounds more. You’ll weigh more than the actual foodstuff you ate. WHY? Because low-density foodstuffs deplete nutrients in your body, especially potassium, causing the retention of sodium AND the retention of water. You will hold more fluid with refined foods.

Exercise more

[FONT=&quot]If you are trying to solve a problem of weight and it’s not working within a reasonable amount of time, then maybe you are solving the wrong problem. Exercise doesn’t work by melting the fat off your body through heat (thermodynamics). It merely influences hormones, which act a couple of days later during the rest period. A lot can happen in between (dietary-, stress- and sleep-wise) that can block this effect. It can also be the wrong exercise for your body type. Adding more exercise, if you are doing the wrong kind for your body type, can result in adding more stress to an already overstressed body. This equals more of the same—no results.


Many Thanks,
Dr. Eric Berg

Interesting post Dr.Eric_Berg. I do agree with most of the information. Thank you sharing.

Drink your water

When someone tells you to drink 8 ounces of water per day, or half your body weight in ounces, always ask them, “Where have you heard this?” This is just another “everyone knows that,” with a lot of speculation: water flushes the fat out, or water burns calories, or water satisfies you and makes you less hungry. Water is necessary but not for fat reduction; it’s the wrong tool. Drink when you are thirsty and don’t force yourself to drink. Drinking water is a very trivial piece of the puzzle. There has been way too much emphasis placed on it.

Yeah, I read that this is a myth too. I was surprised since I believe that I need to drink 8 glasses of water a day but then I read that drinking too much water is bad for your body.

I hear this often as the justifier for eating junk foods: “It’s just a little bit—it won’t kill me”; “It’s only a few calories”; and “I’ll just have a small bite.”

Lol.. this is what I used to tell myself. I think I still do but not as often.

kathy, I think we are all guilty of saying those lines before.

I read that drinking 8 glasses of water is a myth too. I think there is a medical term for it of you have too much water in your system but I can't remember what it was.

It's true that some people are born with slow metabolism so I think they should try those metabolism boosting techniques to help them lose weight. As for the water myth, I read about that too. Honestly, I don't know which story to believe. Everything in moderation, that applies to all foods, not just junk foods. About the exercise myth, I don't know how to make of it. I guess you could consult with a fitness expert first to help you plan out which exercise is best for you.

I agree. I guess these myths would explain why exercise and diet doesn't work on other people. Maybe that's why they try to lose weight using other methods.

It does makes sense if you think about it that way. Some people are born with big bones too so they easily gain weight.