“5 Nutrition Myths That Won’t Help You Lose Weight” – Monica May

 

I think you’ll agree with me when I say that it’s so freaking hard to lose weight nowadays.

With so much misleading info out there and a sea full of “magic solutions”, it’s nearly impossible to determine right from wrong.

That’s why I decided to go through a few more of the most popular weight loss nutrition myths out there, and bust them to the core.

That’s right!

We’re tackling 5 nutrition myths that are totally misleading and just don’t work when it comes to losing weight.

Let’s jump right into them!

 

5 Nutrition Myths That Won’t Help You Lose Weight

1.Drinking Lemon Water First Thing In The Morning

I know, I know… 

This one will make a lot of people mad, because it just feels like it’s so good for you.

However, drinking lemon water will not “boost” your metabolism.

It will hydrate you for sure, but that’s about it.

Lemon water is not linked to weight loss and there is absolutely no scientific evidence to prove otherwise.

So, if it feels good to drink lemon water in the morning, you should absolutely keep doing it.

But if you drink it just for the sake of losing weight, you might as well don’t do it.

2. Consuming Apple Cider Vinegar

#2 is a bit controversial too, so please don’t take it personal.

Apple cider vinegar will not be the direct causation of weight loss.

There, I said it.

Vinegar is a great way to dress your salads with, and it can help bring out the flavors of certain foods when you are using it in cooking.

However, it is not the magic solution for weight loss, “boosting” metabolism, digestive health, and other health benefits.

In fact, apple cider vinegar is an acid made out of fermented apples.

And although it is promoted to have all these health benefits, apple cider vinegar has not been studied in well-controlled trials, and there is no evidence base for any of that.

Yes it can contain fiber, pectin, and gut-friendly prebiotics, however they are usually added to the vinegar, plus there are healthier options than vinegar (that contain these things naturally) such as fruits and vegetables.

So, please don’t use apple cider vinegar for health and weight loss purposes, because it’s not linked to them.

3. Detox And Cleanse

Detox and cleanse are a myth themselves.

They are basically just two fancy words for laxatives.

Detox is actually all about colon cleansing, which is believed to improve health by removing toxins from the body, boosting energy and enhancing the immune system.

In my article DON’T FALL FOR THESE WEIGHT LOSS TRENDS I tackle this subject.

They are basically laxatives with better marketing.

And there is absolutely no evidence that colon cleansing produces these effects or is beneficial at all.

Also, our bodies naturally detoxify our systems each day.

Visiting the bathroom more often don’t speed up the metabolism and most certainly won’t help you lose weight.

In fact, colonic irrigations done improperly can seriously injure the large intestine.

So, if your goal is to get healthy and lose weight, detox won’t help you.

4. Cutting Out Entire Macronutrients From Your Diet

Another nutrition myth is cutting out certain food groups or an entire macronutrient to lose weight.

Now, don’t confuse diets done for MEDICAL PURPOSES, because that’s the only time cutting out a macronutrient (or certain food) group makes sense.

If someone is allergic to nuts it is necessary for them to cut out nuts and foods containing nuts.

If someone is allergic to gluten, it makes sense for him/her to cut out foods containing gluten.

What doesn’t makes sense is if you’re doing it for weight loss purposes only.

Going gluten-free when you don’t really need to eat gluten-free won’t do anything for you in terms of getting healthy and losing weight.

Unless you are diagnosed with celiac disease, it’s not harmful or unhealthy to eat it, and it’s not an ingredient that causes weight gain.
In fact, it’s usually the other ingredients that are a problem for your health, like quick rise yeast, and added sugars.

Also, there is  no villain when it comes to macronutrients and food groups – they are all equally important and we should include all of them as a part of a healthy and balanced diet.

Weight gain is caused by having excess of any food group, not just carbs.

That being said, cutting out foods that are actually beneficial for your body is not a good way to approach weight loss and health overall.

Weight loss and health are a total sum of your dietary pattern, your activity level, and your daily habits.

So, no, kicking out completely healthy foods such as fruits, lentils, peas and beans are not an option in a healthy diet.

That’s why keto never made sense to me.

Read more about why keto is not the best way to lose weight here.

5. Snacking Is Bad

This is hilarious.

As someone into fitness and nutrition for over 10 years, I can safely say that snacking is what keeps me sane.

And I know snacks have been on bad rep since forever.

That’s because people think that snacks in general are a bad choice, especially when trying to stay fit and maintain a healthy weight.

But snacking can be a completely healthy habit if done right.

It’s not snacking what causes you to gain weight, it’s the choice you make.

Saying that food causes weight gain is not true, but if you say unhealthy food is causing you to gain weight, then we are on the same page.

Learn more about how to snack right in my article The Best Snacks For Weight Loss – 20 Healthy Snacks

Let’s Spread The Word About These Myths!

Almost anyone that’s first diving into weight loss have gotten through a phase of trying out things that don’t really work.

Magic solutions, fast fixes, teas and pills – you name it.

The truth is, your weight loss journey will be determined of the total sum of your dietary pattern, so when you see something like “drink this and you’ll lose x amount of weight” just don’t do it.

No ONE supplement, no ONE food, no ONE drink will ever be the direct causation of weight loss.

Let’s help more and more people to get on the right track by sharing true nutrition facts.

If you are interested to learning more about how to eat healthy, check out my BBB meal plan.

Till next time, babe!
xoxo