Lose Weight The Safe Way, These 10 Fitness Myths Could Be Hurting You

When it comes to weight loss or exercising for fitness, one of the biggest hurdles is the information blitzkrieg that will hit you even before you’ve entered the gym or started consulting with your dietician. From the internet, from well-meaning friends and from overzealous family. You will be confused by the thousands of diet chart you can consult, the never-ending list of must-do exercises, and much more.

Most advice usually boil down to a few things. That Green tea is purportedly a magical drink that helps you lose weight; that carbs are the enemy you must defeat. Right,

Health experts disagree.

As the internet meme goes, the only way to lose weight from green tea is, if you go to the mountain and pick it yourself. As for carbs, well, you need them just as much you need proteins and minerals. Read on for 10 commonly held myths and facts.

Pooja Thacker, nutritionist, Bhatia Hospital, Mumbai, shares her take:

Myth: Coffee is a great pre-workout drink

Fact: Caffeine causes a lot of dehydration. Recently, studies have also found that caffeine is directly linked to cardiovascular diseases. Drinking coffee before a workout is not advisable.

Myth: Green tea is great for weight loss

Fact: It does not practically help you in weight loss. Plus, if you’re having it with honey, it just adds to your calorie count.

Myth: Hot water with lime is beneficial

Fact: Vitamin C gets destroyed in water. So, it’s baseless having lemon with hot water. You’re not gaining anything. Instead, drizzle a few drops of lemon on poha, after it’s come off the stove.

Myth: Brown bread is good for you

Fact: People assume they can eat a lot of brown bread. If you check the list of ingredients that go into making brown bread, you’ll find it’s made of common refined flour. So consume it in moderation only.

Myth: Corn is a good snacking option

Fact: Bhutta, corn flour, corn starch syrup (found in food with preservatives) are all harmful for you. Corn is simple refined carbs and not advised in any form. Also, if you’re on a diet which allows soups, don’t go for sweet corn soup. Pop corn, however, is fine occasionally.

Dr Rajeshwari Shetty, head of dietetics, SL Raheja Fortis Hospital, Mumbai adds to the list:

Myth: If you go off carbohydrates, you lose weight faster

Fact: There are simple carbs and complex carbs. If cut out carbs completely from your diet, you miss out on fiber that is present in complex carbs. You can actually end up with deficiencies. There are healthy carbs in fruits, vegetables and beans. Instead, chuck added sugars and processed food from your diet.

Myth: You shouldn’t eat after 7pm

Fact: People in cities often reach home late, have dinner and call it a day. If you’re not doing any activity or there’s no mobility, you will have trouble digesting food. It’s advised to not eat 2-3 hours before bedtime. So don’t eat after 7pm only if you hit the bed by 10pm.

Myth: You can eat any amount of healthy fats

Fact: Foods like avocadoes and olive oil contain healthy fats. But even healthy fats need to be consumed in moderation. Fat is fat at the end of the day. One gram of fat contains 9 calories. Compare that with 1gm of carbs, which contains 4 calories.

Myth: You shouldn’t eat foods you like

Fact: You need to go a little easy on yourself. If you completely go off chocolates, donuts and the like, you’ll be discouraged and go off your diet soon. Once in a while, go ahead and indulge in a scoop of plain vanilla ice cream. Also, don’t stress-eat or binge at parties.

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Myth: Eat less and exercise more to lose weight faster



Fact: Everybody’s body and metabolism levels are different. You have to look at the type of foods you eat. You need a variety of healthy foods. Go in for millets and different kinds of grains. Also, sticking to a routine causes your body to plateau. You reach a stop gap. There’s no result after a point of time.