1.     Skipping meals is a great way to lose weight.

The absolutely worst thing you can do when trying to lose weight is to skip meals. Skipping meals can actually backfire on you because on the next meal, when you feel absolutely famished, you will have a tendency to overeat and crave for sweets or other unhealthy food. So, instead of actually losing fat by not eating, you will have more fat and your body might build a habit of holding onto fat because of binge eating.

2.     Cutting off carbs completely from your diets makes you lose weight.

This is a common diet myth not just in the Philippines, but all over the world. Carbohydrates have a distinct purpose in bodily functions. Cutting it off from your daily diet might yield negative results. Short-term, cutting carbs might help you lose weight but at a certain point, your body will look for carbs to properly function—and this includes proper weight loss. You need carbohydrates to properly metabolize fat. Just imagine what will happen if you don’t take in carbs. However, you also have to bear in mind that you have to choose your carbs wisely. Choose unprocessed, wholegrain carbs over refined carbs (ex: brown over white rice)

3.     Fad diets are not great for permanent weight loss.

Fad diets are exactly what they are, they are passing fads. And because of this, the weight loss you might have had while you were on a fad diet will definitely come back with a vengeance once you stop. The main reason: Fad diets are unsustainable and they make your metabolism slower without you knowing it. In order to lose weight permanently, you need to have a sustainable eating plan that you can follow daily for the rest of your life.

4.     BFAD/FDA-approved slimming teas and pulls are safe ways to lose weight.

BFAD and FDA approved slimming teas are definitely a safe way to lose weight otherwise they wouldn’t have been approved by these governing bodies. But, even if something is government approved, it does not mean that it is an effective weight loss tool. Slimming teas are part of the “detox diet myth” wherein “detoxing” by frequent toilet visits equals weight loss. Also, most slimming teas work by acting as a diuretic and laxative. If you are not careful, you might end up with severe dehydration as one of the side effects. Slimming teas are also not sustainable because eventually, long—term use of something that has a laxative or diuretic effect has a negative effect on your body. Plus, when you go to the toilet, the slimming tea and pills do not choose to just excrete fat. You also remove valuable nutrients, vitamins and minerals from your body.

5.     Exercising in the morning burns more calories or is more effective than working out in the evening.

Exercising in the morning actually has an effect throughout the day. By exercising in the morning, your endorphins and metabolism will be higher than usual and this will continue as the day goes by. However, exercise is exercise. There is no excuse for not exercising just because it is already evening. Exercising in the evening will still benefit your body as opposed to no exercise at all.

6.     Lifting weights don’t help you to lose weight because they bulk you up.

Although the main purpose of lifting weights is to build muscle, it does not necessarily mean you will bulk up. Lifting weights can actually help you lose weight because it increases your muscle percentage which actually helps burn fat.

7.     Cutting out snacks helps you lose weight.

Cutting out snacks will not help you lose weight, instead it can even contribute to helping you gain unwanted fat! When you skip snacks, you lengthen the period where your body has no fuel to process. By the time your next meal rolls around, your body is already tired and starved and will be telling you to eat more than you should. In turn, you gain fat when you should have lost weight.

8.     Eating small, frequent meals boosts your metabolism.

Eating frequent meals does boost your metabolism but they should not necessarily be too small because small is highly subjective. If you still eat too little, even if frequent, you still slow down your metabolism. Also, If you eat like a bird throughout the day in larger frequencies, chances are by the evening, you might get hungry and binge.

9.     In losing weight, it’s better to eat only healthy foods than it is to count calories.

In losing weight, you always have to look at the benefits the food you eat has fro your body. For example, to fill your 2400 calories for the day, you can choose to eat 4 large burgers from a leading fast food chain. But, doing this will also raise some health concerns such as heart disease, diabetes, and other lifestyle diseases. Thus you should also look at the health benefits apart from just counting calories. Weight loss alone should not be your only goal.

10.  Foods labeled ‘low fat’, ‘reduced fat’, or ‘no sugar’ are always the safer and healthier choice.

I do not believe in “low fat”, “reduced fat” and “no sugar” labels in food products. Yes, you might have bought something that says “reduced fat” but reduced compared to what? When looking at the label, always zero in on the ingredients to check whether it is worth eating or not. Besides, all these marketing hype enticing you to buy by making you believe you are actually making a healthy choice is just a way to sell more products. Bottom-line, always check the label and read the ingredients list.

We can help Transform your Health through the Healing Power of Food. Contact Baron Method to know more.