10 Myths About Metabolism That are Keeping You From Losing Weight!

Winters are about to end, and that means you need to sculpt your summer special beach body.

There's plenty of information available on the internet about losing weight. However, in today's day and age, it is quite simple to fall for some age-old myths and new-age trends.

You can do everything to the point and still see little to no progress in your weight loss endeavors. However, we've got you all covered. Here are ten myths exposed to help you break your weight loss plateau and get a summer-ready physique.

Myth 1 - A heavy breakfast is mandatory to kickstart your weight loss journey

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. How many times have you heard this statement? However, that's not always true. Burning more calories than you eat will help you lose weight. Therefore, there isn't any room to consume most of all your calories in the daytime. Skipping breakfast altogether (intermittent fasting) might help you to burn fat. Most people do not have a huge appetite in the morning. As the name 'breakfast' suggests, it should only be enough to break the overnight fast. Therefore, having a big breakfast is not mandatory for fat loss.

Myth 2 - I'll only worry about calories and not necessarily the type of foods I eat

It is well established that you have to eat fewer calories than you burn (caloric deficit) to lose weight. However, some people tend to take advantage of this concept. They eat anything that would fit into their caloric budget without worrying about the nutritional profile of that food. Though it's a good strategy on some occasions when you're eating out or when you're having a craving, that shouldn't be the case every day. The term flexible dieting was coined so that you can get more options for foods. For example, if you're bored with chicken and rice, you can have maybe fish and potatoes instead. However, people are using the flexible dieting term as an excuse to include junk food in their diet, and doing it regularly will prevent you from burning fat.

Myth 3 - You can always burn fat and build muscle at the same time

Though that can be the case for beginners or experienced lifters, it's not always the case for the rest of the people. People should take one goal and focus solely on it. If you want to lose weight, then stay in a caloric deficit. If you want to build muscle, stay in a caloric surplus. It's as simple as that.

Myth 4 - You have to eat very less to lose weight

Sure you will eat less to lose weight. However, that should not come at the cost of your satiety. You can have foods that are high in volume that can keep you filled up for a long time. Protein-rich foods and salads can keep an individual full for a long time, and they're also less in overall calories.

Myth 5 - You need to do exorbitant amounts of cardio to lose weight

Cardio is great for burning some extra calories. However, weight training or strength training continues to be the best option irrespective of your goals. There have been countless research studies proving that weight training burns the highest amount of calories and that added muscle helps an individual with increased metabolism.

Myth 6 - Weight training would lead to women looking like men

Just like picking a tennis racket won't convert a woman into Serena Williams, lifting weights won't lead a woman to look like a man. Weight training is even more important for women so that they could build solid muscle that can help them to improve their metabolism.

Myth 7 - You need to drastically limit your carbohydrates to lose weight

This is another false statement that has been going on for a while. Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy for your body. Therefore, drastically reducing carbohydrates can lead to many issues like decreased energy, generalized weakness, poor hormone regulation, poor sugar levels, etc. Carbohydrates with a low glycemic index (white rice, white bread) usually don't satiate an individual and have to be eaten in comparatively larger quantities than high glycemic index carbohydrates (brown rice, brown bread). Therefore, one can just substitute low GI carbohydrate options with high GI carbohydrate options. It can also be beneficial for people suffering from diabetes.

Myth 8 - Adding Cheat meals or foods I like will sabotage the fat-loss process

Cheat meals or high-calorie meals are at times important to get your metabolism back on track and give your body that much-needed break. However, cheat meals should be in moderation, and it should be noted that cheat meals shouldn't be converted into cheat days.

Myth 9 - Weighing scale is not always the best indicator of fat loss

There's a significant difference between the concept of fat loss and weight loss. Unless you're obese, at times fat loss occurs but does not necessarily reflect on the weighing scale. Body composition can be a significant factor in your weight loss journey. At times, you may lose fat and gain a bit of muscle and therefore, the weighing scale might reflect the same number. At times, you might have just retained a bit more water. Therefore, one should also keep a track of other indicators like waist circumference.

Myth 10 - Lean people and Overweight people have the same metabolic rates

Lean people tend to have more muscle than overweight people. Therefore, their ability to burn calories while being in a rested state is way more than an overweight person.

(Input from various media sources)

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