Common Misconceptions Regarding Weight Loss Diets

An overweight person is fed up with his/her body weight and wants to get rid of those extra pounds. What he/she does is pick up the mobile, search for the weight-loss diets, and start following them without any professional recommendation. And, the result? Not satisfying at all!

The reason behind this failed effort of weight loss is the lack of knowledge or misconceptions regarding healthy weight loss. Here are a few common misconceptions regarding weight-loss diets that lead to an unsuccessful weight loss journey.

1.    We forget the role of liver

It is very common to hear that a healthy digestive system is what a body needs for healthy weight management but what keeps the digestive system healthy? Besides eating stomach-friendly foods, it is also necessary to keep the liver in shape by consuming more water and lesser fatty foods. A healthy liver speeds up the detoxification process which consequently improves all body functions including digestion.

2.    We neglect the carbs

The common but major misconception that online diet plans carry is the lowest portion from carbs or no carbs at all. This may speed up the weight loss but only for the time being because as soon as a person gets back to a normal routine the weight starts increasing in an abnormal pattern. Moreover, the weight a person loses in such weight loss programs is majorly the muscle portion and water reserves, and this is not counted healthy.

3.    We fail to understand the role of protein

In common weight loss diet plans, protein is often used to fulfill the 15% to 20% of place in a diet without looking into its impact on the diet. Whereas protein-rich foods, due to their slower digestion than carbs, cause longer fullness of stomach and also help to speed up the body metabolism.

4.    We overrate the role of green tea

The recommendation of green tea and other caffeinated beverages is very common in weight loss diets but the thing, we neglect most of the time, is that a single step is never enough to reach a particular destination. People drink green tea and get no results, why? Because they fail to understand that without the precaution in dietary options, this drink is not going to do any wonder at all. The role of green tea is to detoxify the body and help a little bit in fat oxidation, that’s all! It will not crush the fat all alone, and thus it is a major misconception that green tea alone can help in weight loss.

5.    We misunderstand the term “physical activity”

Want to lose weight? Go out, start running and tear yourself out. And, then what? The person will get tired, muscles in the body will be torn apart, and there will be no oxygen left in the body to carry out fat oxidation. Consequently, this common misconception did nothing but caused the body to run out of the oxygen essential for performing different functions. For healthy weight loss, it is always suggested to be light on your body, and gentle in exercise.

All the misconceptions that are presented in front of you all are to create awareness that everything we hear or we see on the internet is not always the way we perceive it. However, there are some natural methods that can help in achieving weight goals but always get a recommendation from a qualified dietitian/nutritionist before following anything.

Ms. Zainab Usman Khan
(Nutritionist)