People often fast — through daily eating windows or diets such as the diet — in a bid to lose weight, but there's nothing superior about it, other than it might help someone stick to a calorie deficit. Cardio has many health benefits, but it isn't necessary for weight loss, Mockler said.

She said that if you put foods such as pizza, cookies, and cake on a pedestal and tell yourself you can't have them, you're more likely to crave them and ultimately overindulge. Sugar may not be nutritious or particularly satiating meaning it's easy to overeat , but you don't have to avoid it entirely.

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HOMEPAGE Newsletters. Rachel Hosie. Share icon An curved arrow pointing right. Share Facebook Icon The letter F. Facebook Email icon An envelope. It indicates the ability to send an email. Identify the widespread misconceptions about weight loss nutrition to make better choices on your weight loss journey.

It can feel overwhelming to wade through the rising tide of information related to weight loss. How do we sift through the fad diets, supplements, and quick fixes to find reliable advice? The weight-loss process looks different for everyone, and achieving your weight-loss goals results from long-term lifestyle changes.

Here, you will learn about common weight loss myths and alternative steps to take you in the right direction. Myths about how to lose weight pervade, and it can be hard to identify the best advice. Though widespread, these weight-loss myths often suggest unsustainable habits and have been debunked by rigorous evidence.

By knowing fact from fiction, you can make lifestyle changes based on trustworthy advice to keep yourself on track. Carbohydrates do not inherently prevent weight gain.

Carbohydrates are easy for your body to break down and fast-acting sources of energy. While they can be nutritionally dense foods and are important for a balanced diet, people looking to lose weight are often advised to avoid them. This is because refined-grain carbohydrate foods like white bread, pasta, and rice on their own are quickly digested and broken down into sugar, spiking your blood sugar and leaving you feeling hungry soon after eating.

By pairing complex carbohydrates like whole-grain bread or oats, which break down more slowly, with protein and fats, you can keep your glucose and hunger stable while adding important nutrients like fiber and iron to your diet.

Try replacing refined carbohydrate foods like white bread and pasta with whole-wheat versions and filling the rest of your plate with plenty of protein and vegetables. We all know we would probably be better off eating a few more vegetables.

Not only are they jam-packed with micronutrients, but vegetables are also low-calorie and full of fiber and water, which makes them a superpower for weight loss.

Salads offer endless ways to combine vegetables with members of other food groups like fruits, nuts, meat, legumes, and cheese. Though labeling something as a salad may make it sound healthy, what often gets overlooked are the salad toppings, which can make or break your salad.

To decrease your calorie intake, select low-fat dressings and toppings like a light vinaigrette or this avocado cilantro lime dressing. An important part of staying consistent with healthy meals is enjoyment. If salads are leaving you unsatisfied, try out other ways of adding vegetables to your diet , like smoothies, soups, and wraps.

Increasing your water intake at the beginning of a weight-loss journey may appear to shed pounds based on the scale, but this is likely the loss of water weight, not fat.

Drinking water does not result in fat loss directly. However, water is a crucial element for overall health. Water aids in balancing glucose levels, delivering nutrients to cells, organ functioning, brain health, hunger recognition, and sleep quality.

Drinking more can help with weight loss while making you feel full and energized. Increase your water intake by bringing a reusable water bottle with you and incorporating drinks like tea or low-sugar juice into your day.

Listen to when your body might need a little extra, like after exercising or drinking coffee, to keep yourself hydrated. Optimal daily water intake varies between people depending on weight, geography, and activity levels. A good starting point is ½ your body weight in ounces.

A calorie is a measure of energy. Foods with the same amount of calories contain the same amount of energy. However, this does not mean that different types of food with the same number of calories affect your weight in the same way. Different types of food pass through different metabolic pathways and are broken down differently.

As a result, they have different effects on hunger and the hormones that regulate body weight. For example, protein can increase the rate of your metabolism more than fat and carbohydrates.

How calories are combined with fiber and water content can also affect how many calories you consume in the long term. Fiber and water content slow down food breakdown, helping to stabilize blood sugar and keeping you full.

If you are craving something sweet, opt for a piece of fiber-filled fruit instead of desserts with added sugar. While skipping meals might result in short-term weight loss, it is unlikely to over time.

A successful weight loss process is based on sustainable lifestyle changes. Not eating is not only physically unhealthy but also unenjoyable and can lead to harmful thought patterns surrounding restriction.

Not eating enough can actually slow down your metabolism, making weight loss harder in the long run. Instead of resorting to severe restrictions, build healthy habits that make you feel good. Learn to listen to what your body needs to feel its best.

To lead a healthy lifestyle, we encourage people to eat as much healthy food as their body needs. However, there are several reasons why people end up eating more than what their body needs, such as emotional eating or stress binging.

These eating habits can prevent people from reaching their weight-loss goals. Portioning can be an important tool for ensuring that you are hitting your calorie goals for a healthy weight.

To better control your portions , try downsizing your dishes, serving yourself portions instead of eating from containers, and limiting snacking. A diet high in sugar, carbohydrates, and calories could still be considered vegetarian.

If you choose to go vegetarian or shift towards a more plant-based diet, keep the fundamentals of a healthy diet in mind, like designing balanced meals, incorporating nutrient-dense foods with plenty of protein, and avoiding glucose spikes.

Comparing the cost of a fast-food burger to a bundle of greens at the grocery store can feel disheartening, especially when comparing the time investment needed to prepare both.

Research shows that healthier diets tend to cost more than unhealthy diets. Take the quiz and test your knowledge! Together with her husband, Kansas City Chiefs MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Brittany Mohomes shares how she parents two children with severe food….

While there are many FDA-approved emulsifiers, European associations have marked them as being of possible concern. Let's look deeper:. Researchers have found that a daily multivitamin supplement was linked with slowed cognitive aging and improved memory.

Dietitians can help you create a more balanced diet or a specialized one for a variety of conditions. We look at their benefits and limitations. A Quiz for Teens Are You a Workaholic?

How Well Do You Sleep? Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Health News Fact Checked 4 Nutrition and Weight Loss Myths Debunked for a Healthier By Cathy Cassata on January 29, — Fact checked by Sheeka Sanahori. Myth: Everyone should follow keto or low carb eating. Myth: You need caffeine for energy.

Myth: Prescription weight loss shots are risk-free. Myth: You should try cleanses and detox diets. The bottom line. How we reviewed this article: History.

Jan 29, Written By Cathy Cassata. Share this article. Read this next. The 11 Best Meal Planning Apps to Help You Lose Weight. By Ansley Hill, RD, LD.