Hey Friends!, since most of us find ourselves locked indoors during this COVID quarantine, I find myself wandering into the kitchen for a snack out of sheer boredom. That’s right. Boredom. Seemed like a good time to share some of my favorite weight loss myths that I’m often asked as a registered dietitian. So, keep on reading for Weight Loss Myths – Busted.

“You shouldn’t eat too late in the evening because your metabolism slows down while you sleep”

No, No it doesn’t. In fact, your metabolism has a minimum “burn rate” All. Day. Long. This is called a Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) which basically references the energy (calories) that your body must expend to keep your lungs breathing, your heart beating, and your brain processing. You get the idea. The time of day you eat has nothing to do with your metabolic rate decreasing, however, I will add that many people self-impose the rule to “not eat after 7pm”, for example, to prevent late night snacking, which ultimately adds extra calories.

“I’m big-boned; my whole family is big-boned”

No, no you’re not. Scientifically speaking, all our bones are nearly the same size, with some room for differences between large men and teeny women. Do me a favor and check out this graphic for a perfect image to conceptualize this.

“If I eat fewer calories I will lose weight faster.” 

The answer to this statement is that it is generally untrue. If you eat fewer calories than you need to sustain your weight, you will lose weight. That being said, if you eat too few calories, you can slow your metabolism. It’s the old “If you don’t use it, you lose it” phenomenon. People generally shouldn’t reduce their daily calorie consumption to less than 1,200 calories per day. Most of us need more than this to meet our BMR.

You can target weight loss from certain areas of your body.

This one’s another “No, No you can’t”. (i.e. “I want to lose my tummy”) Honestly, if I had the magic answer to this question, I’d be a millionaire….. actually a billionaire. Where excess weight is stored is actually genetic. You can’t change any part about that; however, exercising and targeting specific muscle groups can help to tone those fat-storage areas.

“Carbs will make you fat.”

I wish I could put a hex on the person that started this rumor. Carbs are NOT bad! That being said, let’s address what a carbohydrate actually is really quick. A carbohydrate is a molecule of stored energy. Your brain actually prefers carbs as a fuel source! (The reason people on a strict Keto diet get the so-called “Keto Flu”) The thing is that there are plenty of carbs that are great additions to a healthy diet, and they get a bad rep because of all the high fructose, sugary beverage, sweet-laden food production that exists in our increasingly obese American society. *steps off soapbox* There are plenty of whole grains, fruits, and starchy vegetables that can be very appropriate additions to a balanced diet that are “carb heavy” foods.

“Fat will make you fat.”

Again with the hexing…. Also untrue. One thing I like to point out about fats is that regardless of the type of fat, all fat provides more than double the energy of a carbohydrate or a protein. Which means you get a lot of bang for your buck! We all need a minimum amount of fatty acids in our diet regularly to promote healthy hormonal function, process some vitamins, and sustain our appetite between meals. Fat has a lot of positive functions in the body – just don’t overdo it. 🙂

“Fruit has too much sugar.”

(But you’re willing to drink that regular soda because artificial sweeteners are bad??) Please see the previous “Carbs are bad” statement above. Yes, fruit does contain sugar, and yes, because it contains sugar it is “carb heavy”, but this sugar (fructose) is in a much lower quantity than the fructose in your regular soda! The liver processes significant amounts of fructose differently than other sugars, leading to altered spikes in insulin and storage of said sugar. Ultimately, the fruit sugar is not the enemy! To be frank, It’s nearly impossible to eat as much fruit in a day that you would need to modify the way the fructose in sugar is metabolized.

“Artificial sweeteners cause you to gain weight.” 

I know, I know. Many of you readers will immediately be either A) in shock by this statement, or B) enraged by this statement. But hear me out – there is little credible evidence…. emphasis on the word credible, that this is actually true. For my patients/clients, I usually focus on what their personal nutrition goals are in relation to how sweeteners may or may not be a desirable choice for them. For example, if your goal is to have better blood sugar control, well yeah, let’s cut out all the actual sugar we can! If your goal is weight loss, let’s cut out all the actual calories we can! Now, if your goal is to eat completely “clean”, then sweeteners are probably not your thing, but I’d caution everyone against having such a harsh opinion of the artificial sweeteners!

What other weight loss myths have you heard?? Comment below – I’m always up for a new professional challenge! *wink, wink* Be sure to check out my recent post on the health benefits of exercise too!