5 MYTHS ABOUT WEIGHT LOSS😮

So many strict rules that you don't know what's true and what's a myth.

Today we debate 5 famous myths about weight loss

Nobody likes long introductions, especially when the subject is so controversial that you're burning for answers, so let's get started!

1. SUGAR IS FATTENING

WRONG - Doctor Anda Avramescu warns that sugar is a necessary source of energy for the body, only by respecting the following amounts:

• 8 teaspoons per day for healthy people/maximum 40g per day;
• 2 teaspoons per day for people with high blood pressure.

However, the rule of thumb is simple: consume fewer calories than you burn.

You can eat sugar in peace, as long as you have a healthy and active lifestyle. Sugar itself is not fattening, but any excess can lead to problems of various kinds. Yes, excess sugar is fattening, but that's the least of the problems it causes. Excess sugar can lead to other life-threatening health problems, which is why we recommend that you exercise moderation. Don't strictly eliminate sugar from your diet, but consume it in moderation.

What does moderation mean when it comes to the amount of sugar?

The World Health Organisation recommends that sugar should not exceed 10% of a person's total calorie intake per day (about 50 g for a 2,000 kcal diet).

Research suggests that people tend to eat more than they think they do. When asked to write down everything they ate in a day, many people tend to report less food than they actually ate. If you're not sure how much you should eat, you can buy a scale to measure how much you eat. Another method is to check the labels of the products you buy to see how many kcal each one has.

2. DIET PRODUCTS HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT

WRONG - Diet products are not, in themselves, the reason you lose weight. Instead, you can make them work. Strange, isn't it? Let's see the explanation:
Dr. Mikhail Pautov says supplements work for some people because of the placebo effect. People fall for the marketing tactic and want the supplements they pay for to work so badly that they become more conscious of what they eat.

You mean supplements aren't healthy?

Let's draw a parallel between diet products and the natural products you find on store shelves. You don't find packaging on carrots, tomatoes or broccoli - trying to convince you they're healthy foods. Instead, diet products have all sorts of ads displayed, promises and convincing pictures trying to get you to buy them. Follow this simple principle: if a product needs explaining, it's definitely heavily processed, it expires in a few years and YES, IT'S UNHEALTHY and it won't do you any good (maybe just the placebo effect, but you can certainly induce that effect by eating something really healthy and beneficial to your diet).

3. I NEED SALON TREATMENTS TO LOSE WEIGHT

WRONG - We are taught that beauty salons are the only ones that can help us get rid of excess belly fat. However, have you seen how much such sessions cost and how often they need to be done to "be effective"? As mentioned earlier, if a product needs excessive advertising, it's NOT necessarily good, just well promoted. Certainly sport, healthy eating and a balanced lifestyle are essential, but what do you do if, however, your tummy stays the same no matter how hard you try to lose weight? Continue to have an active lifestyle and exercise using neoprene belts to reduce the fat on your tummy. It works similarly to expensive salon procedures, only without the huge investment and time wasted on the trip to the salon. Another myth tells us that "there are no accessories to make you lose weight at home". The same myth is a tactic used by body contouring salons to promote themselves. Try neoprene belt tights while exercising and we guarantee you'll save a lot of money in the long run.

4. I DON'T LOSE WEIGHT BECAUSE I HAVE A SLOW METABOLISM

PARTLY WRONG - You may have a slower metabolism because you don't exercise enough, but that can't stop you from losing weight. You need to start the process gradually. First, you need to work on your metabolism. How? By exercising regularly, you'll speed up your metabolism and end up burning calories faster than before. Why? Because muscle cells require more energy to function than fat cells.

Ok, but what does that mean?

People with more muscle mass than fat tend to have a faster metabolism. Larger bodies require more energy to perform basic bodily functions.

5. DRASTIC DIETS

WRONG - Such a diet may be good for the short term, but soon after, you'll experience the yo-yo effect, i.e. you'll gain weight back. Such diets can't be kept constant, because every body needs diversified food, and such a diet can unbalance your body.

These diets only work in the beginning. By totally abstaining from food for a long period of time you start to lose weight, obviously. BUT, muscle tissue is a much better source of energy than fat stores, so you will lose more muscle mass than fat. Add on top of all this the dysregulation of hormones that regulate hunger and appetite, changes in energy homeostasis, mental overwork. You are most likely to give in and suddenly return to unhealthy habits, and therefore to the kilos you had before.

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to losing weight, but if you follow a healthy and balanced lifestyle, there's no chance of failure. No strict diet will benefit you in the long run. We need to replace crash diets with a consistently healthy lifestyle, even if that means eating sugar and rewarding yourself with cake. You can have it all, no need to give up small pleasures, just be moderate! Weigh your foods and choose the healthiest options for you. Weighing 'by eye' is not always effective and salon treatments are often just an extra cost. Healthy lifestyles don't cost more, but you need to find the options that are best for you. Indeed, the most expensive options are most often promoted, but not the best ones. Keep in mind the secrets I've written above - cheap accessories can have a greater effect than such treatments.