Physical Wellness

Four Myths about Weight Loss

By Cheri Cheng | Update Date: Sep 24, 2014 02:28 PM EDT

For people looking to lose weight, they have many different kinds of weight-loss methods to choose from. Even though some of these diet plans and techniques can be effective and safe to follow, others simply are not.

Here are 4 Myths about Weight Loss:

Myth #1: More Exercise is Better

Since exercise burns calories, doing more of it should ideally lead to greater weight lost. However, simply exercising more will not automatically lead to weight loss. Some studies have found that when people exercise too much, they tend to overeat in order to replenish the amount of energy they burned. In order to prevent this, experts recommend exercising for a shorter period of time at a high intensity everyday.

Myth #2: Diet Plans have to be followed to the Tee

Many diet plans are created with the idea that losing weight can only be achieved if you follow and stick to the plan. This "all or nothing" mentality can be draining, making people less likely to want to stick to it. Instead of adhering to all of the aspects of a diet plan, try changing up certain aspects of it so that the plan is catered to your needs and goals.

"Making small, consistent changes fits more easily into people's routines [than radically altering your diet]," commented Brian Wansink, Ph.D., EatingWell advisor and professor of marketing at Cornell University according to MSN.

Myth #3: Healthy Snacking is Vital

If you need to snack, picking a healthy option that can both satisfy your cravings and keep you full for a longer period of time can help prevent weight gain. However, healthy snacking is vital to losing weight, especially if you end up snacking multiple times per day. If you can, try skipping the morning snack unless there are more than four hours between your breakfast and lunch.

Myth #4: Use Thin Models as Inspiration

If you want to lose weight, finding the right kind of inspiration can either make or break your diet. People who use pictures of thin models as inspiration end up jeopardizing their weight-loss goals. By constantly looking at thin models, who tend to be naturally skinny due to genetics, you are creating unreachable goals, which can become discouraging over time.

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