If your diet lacks certain vitamins or minerals, there is nothing wrong with consuming it as a supplement. However, the notion that such supplements will help you lose weight is misguided, according to dietitians. Sellers of these supplements might claim that their products help you lose weight by blocking the absorption of fat or carbohydrates, curbing your appetite, or speeding up your metabolism. But there's little scientific evidence that they actually work.
Moreover, taking a specific supplement or vitamin that is not necessarily right for you or consuming high doses can be harmful. If you are interested in adding dietary supplements to your diet, consult your healthcare provider. This is especially important if you have high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, or other medical conditions
One of the most common and pervasive weight loss myths is the belief that it's all about calories. It seems to make perfect mathematical sense, burn more than you consume, eat considerably less, and the pounds will come off. But in fact, study after study shows that in the long run, this is rarely effective.
Everyone has a set point or a weight range in which the brain wants to keep the body. This weight range varies from person to person and is determined by both genes and life experiences. When you attempt to eat fewer calories than your body needs, metabolism actually slows down as your body attempts to conserve energy. As you continue to eat less than you need, your body starts to break down muscle to use for energy. This muscle loss causes the metabolism to slow further, so you burn even fewer calories.
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As previously suggested, the key to a healthy and nutritious diet is balance. When you completely cut out one substance, for example, carbs, you're probably consuming too many fats to compensate and vice versa, according to Kristin Kirkpatrick lead dietitian and manager of wellness nutrition services at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute in Cleveland Ohio.
The truth is both carbs and fats are required nutrients, and it’s overconsumption that is the culprit for weight gain. “For weight loss, a basic rule of thumb is to limit your carb intake to about 1 cup per meal (about the size of a coffee mug or woman’s fist),” says dietitian Julia Zumpano. Fats have a beneficial effect on health, as long as you eat them in moderation.
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This tip can prove helpful to some individuals, experts say, especially if this routine fits in your daily lifestyle or you need to track your sugar levels. That being said, a study published in the British Journal for Nutrition found that increased meal frequency did not promote greater weight loss compared to less frequent meals, the contents of which add up to the same energy levels. A different study even indicated that eating meals more frequently might prompt some people to eat more.
The reason, according to Kirkpatrick, is the subjective definitions different people have of a 'small meal'. "When one doesn't define a small meal correctly, this advice can easily turn into a bad one."
Some food items can serve as healthy snacks, like apples, for example. Every now and again a there is a fad that says one single food item is the ultimate meal. But if you try to have an apple or cabbage as a substitute for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, you're depriving your body of essential vitamins and minerals that can only be acquired through a diverse meal.
On top of not being healthy, this practice isn't sustainable. Repeatedly replacing a whole meal for a singular food item is bound to become boring, and any weight lost that way will be near impossible to maintain.
As yummy as they are, juices are not a proper replacement for a meal. Adhering to a liquid diet is likely to do more harm than good: it slows down your metabolism because juices have no protein or fat. A slower metabolism can cause you to gain weight once you resume a regular diet.
Nutritionists like Kirkpatrick note that contrary to what you may have heard, whole fruits and vegetables are superior to juices. Juicing fruits can sieve off the fiber content that the pulp and skin of the fruit has. Fiber helps in boosting digestion, controlling blood sugar, and lowering cholesterol. Moreover, it keeps you full for longer, particularly if you are looking to lose weight. Another drawback of drinking fruit juice is the sugar content is absorbed in the body quickly due to the absence of fiber content. This doesn’t mean juices don’t have benefits too, they can definitely be enjoyed with a meal or as a snack, but not as a meal replacement.
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