The diet culture, as we know it today, has made arbitrary food regulations common in our society. These principles are frequently expressed as precise directives about what, where, and how we must consume food. However, many food regulations that we were made to believe previously don’t make much sense now. They’re overly restricted, impractical, or unscientific, and what’s more, they’re typically harmful to your relationship with food. Our bodies, nutritional demands, preferences, cultures, health history, food access, finances, and lifestyles all play a role in determining optimal dietary choices. As a result, inflexible, general dietary habits don’t work for everybody. Here are some diet myths that you need to get rid of based on scientific research in order to have a healthy relationship with your food.
1. Getting Rid Of Carbohydrates
One of the most infuriating diet regulations is bidding goodbye to foods rich in carbs, especially because most foods you love have a high percentage of carbs! But, honestly, you don’t need to avoid any food groups if you don’t have an allergy or sensitivity to them, and this includes carbohydrates. Here is something you should keep in mind. Carbs and gluten do not cause weight gain (1).
The fact is, too much of any meal leads to calorie overconsumption, and that might result in weight gain. So you must attend to a balanced diet and not leave any food out. Furthermore, eliminating dietary types may result in vitamin deficiencies. For example, if you avoid fruit because you’re frightened of sweets, you’ll be missing out on fiber, vitamins, minerals, and potent antioxidants.
2. Not Eating Dinner
Eating late in the evening does not inherently undermine your weight loss efforts. If you’re always hungry at night, it could be because you aren’t eating enough during the day. You might also be worried or exhausted.
3. Choosing An Extremely Low-Calorie Goal
Dieting is not the same as starving yourself, and if the diet you have chosen makes your tummy rumble and your body weak, it’s time to quit it and eat something nutritious. We use up a lot of food as energy in order to complete mundane tasks. As a result, we’ll need to refuel. It might be pleasant to use “willpower” and “control” to achieve a significant calorie deficit, but trust us, it never lasts! You can try all the crash diets as you like, but eventually, your body will give in to the cravings without a strict schedule and proper nutrition.
4. If You Are Hungry, You Must Eat
Before starting any fitness adventure, whether you aim to gain, decrease, or maintain weight, figure out how much nutrition your body requires. You may use one of the numerous online calculators to help you choose an appropriate beginning point, or you can consult a professional such as your physician or a registered dietitian. Then, carefully pick a calorie quantity that sounds appealing and promises to help you lose weight promptly.
5. An Obsession With Calorie Counting
As a person new to weight loss, you will know the food by the calories it holds. So a banana is 89 calories for you, and an apple is 52 calories (2). It’s all fun till you get obsessed with it. Everything will be ‘numbers’ to you, and even if you crave something, you will hold back after calculating if you can burn that calorie through your workout. Life is more than just counting how many calories you can burn through your activities. It’s time you eat healthily and stress less about food.
6. Intense Workouts
If you are guilty of this, it needs to be stopped ASAP. If you are not a fitness freak and don’t enjoy spending time with gym gear, then it’s time to quit it. The gym is not the only place to shed extra kilos, and you can choose an exercise more suited to your nature. You can even lose weight by doing something fun like dancing or cleaning the house (not so much fun!).
7. Skipping Dessert
Yes, sugar is not good for your health, but that doesn’t mean all your sweet dishes have to be churned out of sugar only. You could eat something healthy like yogurt with chopped fruits or whole fruit. If you are craving something, you can always replace it with something healthier.
8. Being Hungry And Playing Games With Your Body
Stop drinking water, chewing gum, bathing, exercising, or using any of the other “tricks” to keep you from eating when you’re hungry. Instead, spend your time and energy thinking about what you’re consuming. Allow yourself to crave food.
Staying healthy is the ideal way of leading life, but it doesn’t mean that you need to starve and punish yourself for every extra calorie you gain. Instead, accept your body type and keep a bodyweight goal ideal for you. If your diet is not made for your body type, there will be subtle signs from your body telling you otherwise. So, which of these diet secrets shocked you the most? Let us know in the comments section.
