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Saturday, May 17, 2008

Myths on Weight Loss

May 20, 2008

Myths on weight loss? Yes, that’s right; they’re all over the place. You won’t believe all they’re saying. Now that we understand the math on weight gain, perhaps, we’re ready to check out the myths surrounding around this very issue.

Here’s one. “I can’t lose weight because my metabolism is slow.” Let’s start with defining what metabolism is. It refers to the amount of energy we burn while we are at rest. The bigger the people are, the higher their metabolic rate is. As we get older, our metabolism rate drops. This is when we limit our activities and lose the muscle mass.

Mind you, it’s true that some people have slow metabolism but this is not common. It is more like the exception rather than the rule. This may explain their weight loss as in the case of a person who has hyperthyroidism. These people spend a lot of energy.

What is surprising to some is that weight loss can lower one’s metabolism rate. This we can understand because the smaller we are, the less food we need. That is why some people who go on a diet of course have some kind of weight loss. And because their metabolism has gone down they may not reach their goal.

So what do they do? In order to reach their desired goal, they will need to eat less to reduce the calories. Some just have to increase their physical activity. This is what is recommended by most weight loss programs. Increase the level of exercise in order to reach the goal of weight loss.

Here’s another myth. I eat like a bird; why am I gaining weight? This is like saying the dog ate my homework. The only way to have weight loss is to eat less food containing less energy and we are spending less of this energy than we are putting in.

So the only way to gain weight is to eat more food with more energy and to move less thus spending less of the energy we brought into our body. It is impossible therefore to eat like a bird and gain weight at the same time. We know very well, that we underestimate the amount we eat. I know I am guilty as charged.

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