5 Of The Biggest Weight Loss Myths Busted December 2014 | Page 3

Myth 1:
The less you eat, the more weight you’ll lose.
You may have had the experience of feeling really hungry but ignoring your body and ‘being strong’
because feeling hungry = burning fat, right? Right …?
Well not necessarily. In fact, when the body is ‘starving’ the metabolism will respond by slowing
down to ensure the body has the energy (i.e. calories) it needs to keep vital bodily functions
working.
Some detox programs or juice fasts can result in rapid, quite dramatic weight loss – and you might
be thinking – well hey, this is great, minimal effort (except a bit of hunger) and voila I’ve lost 5 kg!
However, when you go back to eating normally, the body will respond by working hard to build up
its fat stores in preparation for the next ‘detox’ or round of starvation.
While most people do need to reduce their overall calorie intake to lose weight, we need to be
eating enough food to maintain a good metabolic rate and to ensure our body is functioning at its
best. In fact, dietitians often recommend eating every 3-4 hours when you are trying to lose weight –
the key is choosing the right foods when you do eat.

Key Action Areas


Try to avoid skipping meals. Long periods of time between eating will encourage your
metabolism to slow down rather than encourage your body to burn fat.



Often, when people skip a meal or avoid snacks they end up over-eating at the next meal
because they are so hungry - small regular meals and snacks can not only help give your
metabolism a boost, it can also help you control your portions and stop the urge to overeat or
binge later.

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