12 Common Myths on Dieting You Should Know

We always wanted to go on dieting, but what we did not know is most of our belief in dieting was actually myths.

Here’s the full truth on what you might have been led to believe and the false information that dieters feed themselves.

1. Myth: You should eliminate all carbohydrates and eat only protein

Truth: This is actually one of the worst things you could do for your body. It is a staple of low-fat, high-carb diets.

Low-carb diets have been shown to improve weight loss and productivity while high-carb diets have not.

Low-carb diets, especially very low-carb diets, can promote greater short-term weight loss than do low-fat diets.

However, a randomized controlled trial found that at 12 or 24 months, the benefits of a low-carb diet are not very large. ¹

Cutting down calories and carbs intake may not be the main factors for weight loss.

Some studies show that you may lose some weight due to the high protein intake as it can cause you to feel full longer. 

2. Myth: You need to take vitamins to lose weight

Truth: Actually, there is no evidence that taking vitamin supplements will cause any significant changes in weight.

If anything, it provides some good nutrients that your body does not get from food and you should still get them through food if possible.

The main keys to losing weight are you need to have a balanced diet and engage with physical activity at least 150 minutes per week.

There is no point in taking any vitamins supplements if you are not disciplined to practice those two. ²

3. Myth: You have to eat six small meals a day to lose weight

Truth: It is absolutely not required for losing weight.

There is a study that concluded that increasing meal frequency from three to six per day has no significant effect on 24-h fat oxidation, but may increase hunger and the desire to eat. ³

The idea behind it is that eating small portions helps the body to burn calories more efficiently and so helps people to lose weight. However, it does not work in reality.

It also makes people feel hungry and when they are hungry, they eat more of what they are already eating.

4. Myth: It is not possible to lose weight by using some kind of diet pill

Truth: Some diet pills do have medicinal chemicals that help a person burn fat.

However, it’s not the best option because it also changes the hormonal balance and keeps the metabolism running at full capacity which prevents it from burning fat.

5. Myth: You have to restrict calories in order to lose weight 

Truth: This is one of the most common myths about dieting.

By severely cutting down your calories, it can lower your metabolism which can cause you to regain weight after you lose it. ⁴  

Restricted calories, therefore, is not healthy to follow.

6. Myth: Weight Loss through diet pills is useless

Truth: Diet pills may help some people reduce their weight but they are not at all effective for the long term.

They can be harmful to your health in the long run and do not really work to sustain a lower weight permanently.

Instead, stick to a strict exercise plan which will help you lose weight permanently and keep it off in the long run.

7. Myth: It is more effective to drink juice than water

Truth: Drinking water has been proven to be one of the most effective and natural ways you can lose weight.

Plain water has zero calories but juice slightly contributes to the calorie increment since it comes from fruits. ⁵

8. Myth: Sugar is bad for you

Truth: While sugar gives some calories, it does not cause obesity in the same way as high-fat foods do.

However, sugar does have a high Glycemic Index which means that your body needs more energy from it than from other foods at the same calorie level.

Avoid sugar at all costs.

Instead, look for berries and other fruit which are packed with antioxidants and fiber that slows down the digestion of glucose into your bloodstream thus helping lower your blood sugar levels.

9. Myth: Fat is bad for you

Truth: Even though there are unhealthy kinds of fat, there is some good fat that your body needs like Omega 3s which scientifically proven can reduce your cholesterol. ⁶

Stay away from oils because they are loaded with cholesterol and trans fats which will cause a number of serious health conditions if not avoided completely.

Also, make sure that the meat you eat is lean.

If you have a healthy diet, you can easily lose weight by cutting fat while increasing the amount of protein.

10. Myth: Eating foods rich in carbohydrates such as bread will make you fat

Truth: You should avoid carbohydrates that are packed with trans fats and sugar.

Instead, eat your carbs in the form of whole wheat bread and pasta that will help to sustain your energy levels without causing weight gain.

11. Myth: Eating food increases the number of calories burned during exercise

Truth: Using this theory, you would think that exercising more frequently will burn more calories.

The truth is that if you are eating the same amount of food as usual, but feel like eating more afterward, that extra food and its calories will not help you lose weight.

But if you eat very little after your exercise session, your body goes into starvation mode and uses much more energy to maintain itself.

Eating more before you exercise will only lead to an energy deficit and make you lose weight quicker, but if you eat the same amount afterward, gaining weight can still occur.

12. Myth: You should only eat carbs during the first few minutes of your workout because they are the easiest to digest and will give you an immediate “sugar high”

Truth: Carbohydrates are the fastest source of energy for muscles post-workout.

However, to sustain the energy supply throughout the workout, it is better to consume complex carbs rather than simple carbs as it is slowly digested which can keep energy ahead of a workout. ⁷

What to take from this?

• First of all, don’t think that you can rely on a single article or source to tell you what you need to know.

The nutritional landscape is constantly changing, and the trends are often counterintuitive and confusing.

This means that the most important thing you can do is to listen to yourself.

By observing how your body responds (and fails) to different kinds of food, you will be able to learn a lot about what it takes for your body to function optimally.

You’ll be able to make informed decisions about which diets and exercise regimens will work best for you at any given moment.

• Second, understand that many of these myths are not true at all.

The reason why they are so popular is because there are a lot of people out there who don’t know any better, and the information they get from the internet just sounds like something that would be correct.

It may be true for other people, but they aren’t you. So don’t let these mythologies hinder your progress and get in your way.

• Third, understand that you will need to change some things about your diet if you want to lose weight.

If you want to lose weight quickly, it will probably not be possible to eat like you have been eating. So keep that in mind.

• Fourth, the single most important thing you can do is to get yourself working out regularly.

Exercise is the best way to lose weight, and it also has a whole host of other benefits as well.

It makes your heart healthier, keeps your hormones balanced, strengthens your bones and muscles, helps with blood circulation, and boosts the immune system.

So make sure that you are working out as much as possible because this will be what leads to a healthy body overall.

It’s important to stay away from myths if you want to lose weight safely and effectively.

References

1. Alexandraki I, Palacio C, Mooradian AD. Relative Merits of Low-Carbohydrate Versus Low-Fat Diet in Managing Obesity. South Med J. 2015 Jul;108(7):401-16. doi: 10.14423/SMJ.0000000000000308. PMID: 26192936.

2. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. “Diet plus exercise is more effective for weight loss than either method alone.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 15 April 2011. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110414141449.htm>.

3. Ohkawara, K., Cornier, M., Kohrt, W. M., & Melanson, E. L. (2013). Effects of increased meal frequency on fat oxidation and perceived hunger. Obesity, 21(2), 336-343. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.20032

4. Rosenbaum, M., & Leibel, R. L. (2010). Adaptive thermogenesis in humans. International Journal of Obesity, 34(S1), S47-S55. https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2010.184

5. Deborah F Tate, Gabrielle Turner-McGrievy, Elizabeth Lyons, June Stevens, Karen Erickson, Kristen Polzien, Molly Diamond, Xiaoshan Wang, Barry Popkin, Replacing caloric beverages with water or diet beverages for weight loss in adults: main results of the Choose Healthy Options Consciously Everyday (CHOICE) randomized clinical trial, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 95, Issue 3, March 2012, Pages 555–563, https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.111.026278

6. Omega-3 supplements: In-depth. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/omega3-supplements-in-depth. Accessed Nov. 22, 2020.

7. American Heart Association. (2018, April 16). Carbohydrates. www.heart.org. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-basics/carbohydrates