7 Myths of Weight Loss

Which One Do You Believe? Is It Stopping You From Losing Weight?

CNNHealth.com recently reported that over 100 million Americans vow to lose weight as part of their new year’s resolutions. And roughly 4 out of every 5 fail to keep that resolution.

Those aren’t the kind of odds most of us would lay bets on at the craps table. Not if we wanted to win anyway.

So why are so many people falling off the weight loss bandwagon?

There are obviously many reasons but one may be the countless myths surrounding weight loss and dieting. If we don’t know fact from fiction how we can make healthy choices? Without healthy decisions how will we lose weight and keep it off?

In an effort to debunk weight loss lore below are 7 common weight loss myths and the real truth behind each of them.

7. Certain foods help you lose weight faster.
This myth became popular with diets like the Grapefruit Diet and the Cabbage Soup Diet. The truth is no particular food helps you get slim faster than others. It comes down to eating right and getting exercise.

And weight loss simply takes time. 1-2 pounds per week is about average but remember you have a much better chance of keeping those pounds off when you do it slowly!

6. How you lose weight is not important – it’s just important to lose the weight.

This may not be a myth so much as it is a hope for many of us. While we may not be willing to admit it there are lots of us out there who have tried “fad” diets in hopes of losing 30 pounds in a month, or a week or some very short amount of time. Pounds that we shed gradually have a better chance of staying gone than any weight we can lose on “fad” or “crash” diets.  https://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/the-truth-about-fad-diets

5. Video games are bad for you.
While this may be true of some video games there is one that can give us all a good workout, the Wii Fit. It’s definitely a great way to start exercising.

Many people who use the Wii Fit have said it has helped them try exercises they normally would not. Because most of the activities are low-intensity the Wii may not be the long-term answer for a lifelong exercise habit but since more Americans are out of shape than ever before it’s at least a place to start. The Self Growth web site has a great article about Wii workouts: https://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/The_Wii_Workout_Can_it_Help_You_Lose_Weight.html

4. Stop eating carbs.
This is another myth spread by countless diets in the last decade. Think “South Beach Diet”, “Atkins Diet”, “The Zone”, etc.  Limiting some carbohydrates can be healthy (for instance eliminating the simple carbohydrates of refined sugars like those found in sodas and candy bars) but not eating any carbohydrates is not sustainable.

Plus the long-term effects of this type of nutritional restriction aren’t fully understood so it seems wisest to eat a balanced diet and limit the amount of refined sugars we eat. You can find more information at https://girliegirlarmy.com/blog/20090101/weight-loss-myths-and-juice-fast-tips/

3. Cravings aren’t real – use your willpower and don’t give in to them.
Many of us have a sweet tooth and find it pulls us off track during our weight loss endeavors. Yet others of us crave a big fat steak and beat ourselves up when we finally cave and eat one. While it isn’t wise to give into these cravings all the time, there is a way to wean ourselves off of sugar and/or fat while we lessen the frequency and intensity of our cravings.

The key is to gradually eat less of the sugary and fatty goods so our bodies adjust. Then when our cravings do strike it takes less sugar and less fat to satisfy our taste buds. Over time if we replace the fat and sugar in our diet with healthier options our food desires will fade.

2. Cutting back on calories alone is enough to lose weight.

The real key to losing weight is to consume fewer calories then you are using during the day. The easiest way to do this? Get a good workout in several times a week and shed some calories.

1. Riding an electric bike isn’t much of a workout, or is it?
At first glance it may seem like riding an electric bike doesn’t offer the same cardio exercise that a pedestrian bike offers but that first glance would be wrong.

An electric bike like the Optibike provides an excellent workout because you can ride longer, rack up more miles and go further than you can on a non-electric bike.

Many people who ride e-bikes like the Optibike can use them for commuting – something they can’t do normally. An Optibike makes a 40 mile commute possible for anyone – even people who aren’t in great shape and aren’t 25 years old anymore.

Take Pierrino Moscarino for example. At 69 years of age he easily makes 45-50 mile commutes part of his daily activities.

Click here to learn more about Optibike’s widest selection of electric bikes. From entry level e bikes like the Pioneer Allroad to the R11 Offroad Mountain Bike, you’ll find the perfect electric bicycle to meet your needs and your wallet.