These are the 9 biggest weight loss myths

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If you want to lose weight, you don’t have to starve.

Sweets are a no-go, and problem areas can be easily trained away with focused exercises – many things are said in the diet universe. But we shouldn’t believe every piece of advice. We uncover which myths are true and which are not.

1. During the diet, snacks are prohibited

If you eat often in between meals, you may have trouble losing weight. With every meal, the blood sugar level rises and the fattening hormone insulin is released. Eating healthy snacks is never wrong. One to two snacks a day are also allowed while losing weight. In this way you can avoid cravings and concentration is strengthened. Berries and nuts are particularly suitable. Cottage cheese, hard-boiled eggs, and papaya are also low in fat and calories.

2. Problem zones can be easily trained away with concentrated exercises

Unfortunately, no. The genes determine where our fat is stored. The body only makes use of these reserves when the other fat deposits are also empty. For example, if we want to lose weight on the stomach and train particularly hard there, we do not know where exactly the body gets the energy for this movement. Training in specific locations has no effect on fat reserves, but muscles can be built up at this point.

3. Standing on the scale daily is helpful

We hardly lose any weight in 24 hours. But the number on the scale can vary by a few hundred grams from day to day because our metabolism doesn’t work the same way every day. Depending on the cycle, water retention occurs, and we do not eat the same amount of fiber every day. These bind liquid and ensure that the food we eat has a larger volume and weight. Many people get depressed by the slight fluctuations and lose stamina. And even if our scale shows a lower weight, this is not an incentive for everyone. Because if you’ve lost some weight, you automatically think that you can allow yourself a little more – and the hard work is already in the bucket.

4. Sweets are taboo

No, it even needs a little snacking. Because if we completely forbid ourselves treats, we give up the diet more quickly. And then the yo-yo effect is guaranteed. Nevertheless, sweets should be eaten in bulk and not contain too many calories and fats. Dark chocolate works very well. Our craving for sweets is then largely satisfied, and we don’t wake up at night from sheer cravings.

5. Fat is only burned after 30 minutes

Fortunately this is not true. We use and need energy every minute. What never ends cannot only begin after a certain period of time. As soon as a stress stimulus is present, fat burning begins. It is advisable to incorporate small stresses into everyday life, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator. In this way, fat burning continues and the metabolism works better. The only truth to this myth: Our fat provides the largest amount of energy that the body needs for training after a load duration of 30 minutes.

6. Avocados melt fat

There is a persistent rumor that a special enzyme is supposed to prevent the fat from the avocado from being stored and that the many unsaturated fatty acids in the avocado accelerate fat breakdown. Even if it would be nice, that’s unfortunately not true. With 144 calories and 14 grams of fat per 100g, the avocado provides a lot of energy compared to other types of vegetables and should therefore be consumed consciously rather than excessively. Nevertheless, it is true that the avocado contains many unsaturated fatty acids and thus provides healthy fats.

7. If you sweat more, you burn more calories

This myth is almost too good to be true. We sweat to cool our body. The amount of sweat depends on various factors such as weight, age, fitness level and the number of sweat glands. While it’s entirely possible to lose weight through profuse sweating, it’s water, not fat. More calories are only burned when you sweat more because the intensity of the workout increases.

8th. Carbohydrates are fattening foods

Rice, pasta and bread are your worst enemies when it comes to losing weight. If you want to lose a few pounds, you have to completely avoid carbohydrates. This myth persists. You have to distinguish between good and bad carbohydrates. The nutrients consist of various sugar building blocks that are connected to form chains of different lengths. The longer the carbohydrate chains are, the more sugar the metabolism splits off. It takes more time to do this, which causes the sugar and insulin levels in the blood to rise slowly. Long-chain carbohydrates keep you full for a long time and are found, for example, in whole grains and whole grain products, legumes, fruit and vegetables. Anyone on a diet can enjoy healthy carbohydrates in bulk without a guilty conscience.

9. Endurance training is more important than strength training

Strength training is only for bodybuilders, if you want to lose weight you have to do endurance training. That’s not true! Although cardio is important and good for the cardiovascular system, regular strength training boosts the metabolism and has a higher afterburn effect than endurance sports. So you keep burning calories, even if you’re lying comfortably on the sofa after your workout. Strength training is particularly important for people over the age of 30. Then the body begins to break down muscle. Those who do not counteract this with strength training increase their susceptibility to injuries or diseases such as osteoporosis. (bnp)

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