3 Diet Myths You Need to Stop Believing

Ah, the vicious cycle of diet after diet, plank after plank, shakes after shakes and still nothing seems to work. You look behind you as you weigh yourself to see if anyone is tipping the scale, but it's just you. If you have felt that extreme frustration of a failed weight loss plan after you did everything "RIGHT," you're not alone. There is an overwhelming amount of information on losing weight, and it becomes difficult to even keep up. However, if you have been tricked into believing the next three myths, I encourage you to experiment with changing your thought system.

1. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

I remember school teachers, and even my nutrition professors in college raving about the positive effects of having breakfast every morning. However, in some cases, "breaking your fast" may not work in your favor. See, when you fast you allow your glucose (sugar levels) to lower, which is a good thing. A drop in glucose signals programmed cell death. We want to allow our bodies to have time to properly rid toxic cells (Autophagy) and use fat stores as fuel. If we are constantly feeding our cells with food, we never properly go through programmed cell death. This leads to disease. There are even studies explaining how fasting improved the result of chemotherapy in cancer patients! Fasting increases cell renewal rate, giving us a stronger immune system and a better quality of life. The most sustainable form of fasting includes intermittent fasting, in which an individual fasts for 12, 14, or 16 hour periods daily. Disclaimer, you may feel light-headed for the first few days. However, if you are able to stick to it, you will notice dramatic changes in your weight, reduce cravings, and experience improvements in hormone secretion in the body. If you suffer from any chronic conditions or diabetes, please consult a physician before attempting any type of fast.

2. Exercise is always good for you.

Individuals that exercise daily have been linked to living healthier lives. The problem with this statement is that it is too broad and it gives the impression that as long as you exercise you will be healthy. This could not be further from the truth. To start, individuals that exercise too close to bedtime report having trouble sleeping and struggle with fluctuating hormones. Every time we exercise, our body goes into a fight or flight mode, releasing stress hormones. When we exercise earlier in the day, we have time to properly cool off, whereas at night, our body is not always ready to fall asleep right after high-intensity exercise. Another fact that is overlooked is you may be doing too much high-intensity exercise. There have been countless studies done explaining how effective high-intensity exercise is in burning fat. This statement is true only in doses. If every day we preform high intensity exercise, never allowing our stress hormones to relax, we end up storing more fat as a result. Try incorporating low-moderate exercises three days a week and high intensity only two days a week.

3. Caffeine is your friend.

We all love coffee, it keeps us functioning through our hectic lives. A normal serving of coffee has been linked to better performance during exercise. However, some women who suffer from hormonal imbalances might want to lower their intake to improve weight loss. Too much caffeine stimulates the stress hormones and may eventually burn out your adrenal glands, a condition called Adrenal Fatigue Disorder. When this happens any slight stress on the adrenal glands causes drastic effects in the body such as mood swings, acne, excessive weight gain, and intense cravings. I would consult with your primary physician if you feel you have this disorder and cut back on caffeine. Even switching to green tea or black tea can keep hormonal fluctuations at bay.

At the end of the day, it is all about figuring out what works best for your body. The only way you will find success is if you constantly experiment with yourself as you go through your weight loss journey. I wish you all the best and commend you for taking the difficult steps in bettering your health.

Anna Maria Adams

Instagram @Fitby_am

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