Weight loss myths are as common as the cold. They've been repeated so often some have gained the status of "fact." The free weight loss tips I share in this article are centered on common weight loss myths. I'm taking aim on the myths and I'm going to shoot them down with the true facts. There's a ton of these myths and I'll just blast four of them today.
Drink up and lose fat - Myth Buster #1 (AKA - The first of my free weight loss tips)
Stated another way . . . drink enough water and you'll flush out the toxins along with the fat in your body. Sorry. It just doesn't work that way.
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While it is true most Americans go through life dehydrated, we still can't magically flush out the bad stuff with gallons of water. The toxins stored in your fat will be processed in your liver in natural detoxification processes. Again, drinking excess amounts of water won't help this.
But here's a rule of thumb that will help. Each day - winter, spring, summer, and fall - you should drink half of your body weight in ounces of water. Say what? If you weight 200 pounds, half of that is 100 and therefore you should drink 100 ounces of water each day. Rain or shine, hot weather or cold. Oh, and drinking ice-water doesn't help you lose weight either by raising your metabolism. Thought I'd toss it in here since I was talking about water.
Lose weight with many small meals - Myth Buster #2
It all comes down to the fundamental rule: Eat more calories than you burn, or need, and you'll gain weight. Do this long enough and you'll get fat. It's that simple.
On the other hand, you may benefit by eating many smaller meals. Or you may do just fine with 3 regular meals throughout the day. The point is to do whatever works for your lifestyle. What makes you feel the best and gives you the best results for losing weight and keeping it off?
If you have better success with several small meals - do it. If you have better success with three regular meals - do it. Your body will adapt to whatever you do on a regular basis. Regardless of which pattern of eating you choose, as long as you eat less (fewer calories) than your body burns you'll lose weight.
Carbohydrates equal weight gain - Myth Buster #3 of free weight loss tips
Bad carbs. Good carbs. Naughty carbs. Angelic carbs. It all makes the same amount of sense. It really isn't whether you eat carbohydrates or not; it's how much you eat. Moderation and control are the real secrets.
Certainly some types of carbohydrates are more nutritional for you (whole grain). Some don't load you with glucose and send your blood sugar on dangerous roller coaster rides (glycemic index). But again, when you eat more calories than your body needs you'll get fat whether the calories come from carbs or another type of food. Nonetheless, if you're addicted to carbohydrates you'll need to cut back.
So monitor your pasta, potatoes, rice, corn, bagels, donuts, cookies, cakes, bread and so on. Here's another related free weight loss tip for you: You CAN have too much of a good thing but you don't need to completely avoid it either.
Zippy Foods Boost Metabolism - Myth Buster #4
I get real "fired up" about this one. The premise is your metabolism is raised when you eat spicy foods which burns extra calories. If it were true this spicy Mexican food fan would be in his glory.
Although there is some scientific research behind this myth, there's not anywhere near enough to load up on spices and expect magical weight loss. Capsaicin is the star of this research. It is the active ingredient in hot peppers. A study showed when combined with caffeine, tyrosine and green tea extract, capsaicin did boost metabolism a tad over a four hour period. This resulted in an extra 20-calorie burn.
Problem is . . . researchers don't know how long that "boost" lasts in any given day. And 20 calories isn't very much. Plus, it's extremely doubtful any of us could consume enough of the right combination long enough to effectively help us lose weight. Eating spicy foods may help you drink more water so you're properly hydrated, but that's about it.
Those are four myth busters and each one is a valuable tip. And that's because these four free weight loss tips will keep you away from false hopes and unproductive rabbit trails. Knowing the real facts will help keep you focused on what DOES work for you. Good luck and remember, eat fewer calories than you burn and you'll lose weight.
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