5 bogus things about losing weight that you just shouldn’t believe

The weight loss industry is massive and the amount of content and trivia around weight loss that is out there is as huge. All of us at some point or the other have frantically looked up ways to lose weight, tried some, and procrastinated over others.

But you must have noticed that not all of them yield results. That’s because there are a lot of misconceptions about weight loss out there and we are here to list some out for you so that next time you don’t fall for them.

1. Eating carbs can make you put on weight
While eating refined carbs such as sugar does lead to weight gain, you cannot expect to maintain a healthy diet if you completely cut off carbohydrates from your diet. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains, all have rich carbohydrate content in them–and yet make healthy meals.

What most of us don’t realize is that even fibre is a type of carbohydrate and avoiding it is going to take a toll on your energy levels and thus day to day functioning.

2. Crash dieting is a good way to lose weight quickly
If you are starving yourself and following crash diets, you might get quick results; but if you are looking for long-term weight loss then starvation is unlikely to yield fruitful results.

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Your body will lose energy because of the lack of nutrients, and as a result, you will end up craving for high-fat, high-sugar food items. And in case you give in to these cravings and eat them, you might consume more calories than what your body needs, thus causing weight gain.

3. Cutting fat from your diet will stop weight gain
Fats can be healthy when consumed in the form of avocados, walnuts, flax seeds etc. In fact, they can actually help you lose some weight and lower inflammation levels in the body.

Avoiding fat can actually give you the opposite result. When you cut down fats from your diet, you tend to replace those calories with added sugar and refined grains. This can lead to inflammation.

4. Stay gluten-free to lose weight
Gluten is a protein that isn’t particularly harmful–not for everyone at least. Found in certain grains like wheat, barley, and rye, gluten is associated with foods rich in fibre, vitamins and minerals. However, some people are gluten intolerant and develop celiac disease, which makes it difficult for them to digest this protein.

Those who don’t fall in this category have no rhyme or reason to avoid gluten-rich foods. However, if you have been falling for the trap of gluten-free products, thinking that they will aid weight loss then let us tell you that many of them have higher levels of fats and sugars. So you might just gain weight rather than losing it.

5. All calories are equal
Even though all calories have the same energy content that does not mean all calorie sources will affect you in the same manner. Different foods go through different metabolic pathways and have varied effects on hunger and the hormones that regulate your body weight.

When you consume whole foods like fruits, it tends to be much more filling than the calories you attain from refined foods.