Common Weight Loss Myths Debunked By The Diet Expert

You come across your best friend skipping lunch to lose weight and you wonder is it this the real deal, is this what it takes to lose weight?

If you’re thinking about adopting some of their “healthy” habits, think again. Read on to separate fact from fiction. Here are some common misbelieved myths that are debunked by Celebrity Nutritionist Harpreet Pasricha

1.   To lose weight, should I skip dinner or should I just have a fruit and milk for dinner?

Answer: Salt free dinner or skipping dinner might give weight loss but the bitter truth is it’s temporary. It will only slow down metabolism and will result in an increase of fat% in the body with which the weight will bounce back. This will also lead to deficiencies of vitamin B, vitamin C, zinc, magnesium and many more which will cause cravings, hormonal imbalances, hair fall and so on. 

2.   I want to lose weight, should I give up foods like Mango, Rice, and Sweets etc.?

Answer: Of course not! You should not deprive yourself from all your favourite foods. Deprivation will lead to overeating. Giving up on foods will not help, eating the right foods at the right time with the right combinations will help in weight loss.  Rather you should keep away yourself from dead foods like biscuits, cereals, namkeens and eat real foods. Mango, rice, homemade butter are real foods rich with nutrients which will rather help in weight and fat loss.

3.   Are flavoured yoghurts less fattening than ice-cream?

Answer: Yoghurts have gained a lot of popularity because of its probiotics. But not all yoghurts are made the same way and not all yoghurts are as healthy as you might think. Most of the readymade yoghurt are laden with sugar, artificial sweeteners, preservative and additives which will prevent weight loss. I would recommend the use of homemade yoghurt (dahi) to the ones available in the market. You can flavour by using seasonal fruits like mango, strawberry etc.                                                             

4.   Does warm water make you lose weight?

Answer: Body would eventually convert the temperature of the water to the ideal body temperature. Though warm water doesn’t help in weight loss, it can help a bit in digestion. However warm water or cold water is an individual’s choice and may not affect weight loss.

5.   Does drinking lemon juice water in the mornings help in weight loss?

Answer: No waters whether it is lemon or cucumber or ginger water will act as miracle drink and melt away all the fat magically from your body. These waters do acts as a diuretic and throws excess water out of your system hence making one feel lighter, but remember it’s not melting away your fat. The right way to lose fat and weight is by eating right proportion of carbohydrate, protein and fat.

6.   Is it true to lose weight one should eat less and workout more?

Answer: This formula only works for a few kilos, before the body stops losing weight. Desperately slashing calories or exercising too much, disrupts the hormone cycle in your body. It reacts by overcompensating, creating cravings that force you to overeat. It slows your metabolism to compensate for the decrease in calories. Both these processes will happen together because cutting calories plummets your leptin levels. Leptin is the hormone that helps regulate your weight (by controlling hunger and your metabolism).

In other words, if you’re PUNISHING your body to lose weight, you’re picking a fight you can’t win with Leptin, as it’s the most powerful hormone related to weight loss.