Metabolism Myths Sabotaging Your Weight Loss Journey

As most nutritionists would say, when it comes to weight loss, it all majorly boils down to your calorie intake. Metabolism is the rate at which your body burns calories and converts your food into energy to support bodily functions.

Even though it is a naturally occurring process, metabolism is also affected by our life choices. This sense of control tempts people to try different things to speed up their metabolism and accelerate their weight loss.

However, it is important to separate facts from myths so that you do not inadvertently sabotage your weight loss journey. Here are some myths that you need to stop believing:

1-Skinny People Have A Faster Metabolism:

While you may think that thinner people have a fast metabolism which gives them the liberty to eat anything they want without getting overweight, it is not true. First of all, skinny people are usually thin because they don’t eat enough and they have a tendency to overestimate the number of calories they consume.

Moreover, skinny people have a slower resting metabolism than larger people, which means an average person burns more calories at rest than a thin person. However, additional weight is not the only thing that boosts metabolism. A person with a large amount of muscle will burn more calories throughout the day than a person who weighs the same but has more fat. That is why strength training is important, as a diet-only plan might not be enough to accelerate weight loss.

2-Breakfast Boosts Your Metabolism:

While breakfast is an important meal and must not be skipped, it is not going to rev your metabolism. Whenever you eat breakfast or any meal for that matter, you experience ‘thermic effect of food,’ which happens because your body uses up calories to break down the food you eat. However, the process only makes up about 10 to 15 percent of total metabolism.

3-Late Night Snacks Turn Into Fat:

People on a weight loss journey are often asked to not eat late at night because that food will be stored as fat. However, the way our body stores fuel is not that straightforward and it depends on many things such as food quality, hormones and energy expenditure. Skipping late night meals is not the key to fat loss. Instead of concentrating on the time of consumption, you should focus on what you are eating and the number of calories in it.

4-Low-Fat Diets Promote Weight Loss:

If you think that eating processed, low-fat foods will help you reach your weight loss goals, you might not be aware of the filler ingredients such as sugar and additives manufacturers add to low-fat foods to make up for the lack of fat. This can make you gain weight and sabotage your weight loss journey. Even though healthy fats are good for your health, it is better to read the labels when buying anything from supermarkets to make sure there are no unhealthy, fattening ingredients.

If you are unable to lose weight despite your best efforts, consult a dietician. You can find and book an appointment with top Dietitians in Multan, Karachi, and Islamabad through oladoc.com. You can also call our helpline at 042-3890-0939 for assistance to find the RIGHT Doctor for your health concerns.