5 Myths About Your Metabolism (That Are Making You Gain Weight)
Your metabolism influences almost every part of your life, whether you realize it or not. Every time you eat, your metabolism determines how the food will be used in your body. The more efficiently your body metabolizes food, the better your overall health will be, and the easier it will be to maintain a healthy weight. For example, if you’re told that someone has a slow metabolism and this means they’ll have trouble losing weight, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s true at all!
1) Calories are not made equal
The conventional wisdom has always been that a calorie is a calorie, and as long as you are spending more than you are taking in, you’ll lose weight. But many people who have struggled with weight loss have long felt something was wrong with that point of view. A new health investigation says that they are right. While many people have considered low-fat diets more healthy, many naturally high-fat foods can, in fact, be part of a healthy diet. The fats in foods like avocados, nuts, and fatty fish like salmon can promote weight loss, prevent heart disease, and reduce the risk of diabetes. Because these foods are calorie dense, you still want to consume them in moderation. But they are filling and can keep you from mindless snacking in between meals. If you find yourself hungry at 2 p.m., for example, eating a few tablespoons of guacamole or sliced almonds could help satisfy those cravings without sabotaging your progress by overindulging later on. Foods rich in monounsaturated fats can also help lower LDL cholesterol levels by 25 percent! Be sure to replace processed oils like soybean oil, corn oil, and canola oil with olive oil and avocado oil. And even though butter is high in saturated fat (it contains 14 grams per tablespoon), it doesn't seem to increase our risk of cardiovascular disease—in fact, it may even decrease it.
We tend to think of carbohydrates as unhealthy because they make us gain weight.
2) Reducing carbohydrates will help you lose weight
Reducing carbs will not necessarily help you lose weight. In fact, the CDC estimates that American women consume an average of 160-200 grams of carbohydrates per day. That's about 35% to 40% of the 2,000 calories per day recommended by dietary guidelines. When limiting your carbohydrate intake too severely, your body reacts in a natural and healthy way by slowing down your metabolism as a protective mechanism to conserve energy. Eating enough carbohydrates also provides essential vitamins and minerals, which are important for many functions in the body. The bottom line is this: don't cut out all carbohydrates from your diet unless instructed by a doctor. Instead, find ways to increase protein and fat while reducing grains, sweets, and sodas if you want to see changes on the scale. Also, be sure to watch portion sizes.
Sticking with a calorie-counting diet may not work for everyone: Some people do well on calorie-counting diets because they like being able to measure every bite they take and know exactly how much they're eating. Other people find these types of diets difficult because they can't have anything without keeping track or have trouble with the guilt associated with 'overeating'. Again, there's no one size fits all approach to weight loss--what works for one person may not work for another person so it might be worth trying something else if calorie counting doesn't seem to be helping you reach your goals!
3) Skipping meals will lead to faster weight loss
Missing a meal doesn't just cut calories - it slows your metabolism. Skipping breakfast could lead to consuming an extra 384-520 more calories per day. Eating 5-6 smaller meals instead of 3 larger ones can boost your metabolism by speeding up the release of sugars into the bloodstream. Consuming a healthy diet also helps you lose weight, including whole grains, lean protein, healthy fats, and fresh fruits and vegetables to keep you feeling full. By eating regularly throughout the day, you're preventing spikes in blood sugar levels that would otherwise make you crave carbs or sweets for energy. The best way to gauge whether or not your metabolism is slowing down is by tracking how many pounds you've lost in a week.
4) Saturated fat is bad for your health
Saturated fat is bad for your health and can increase your risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol levels, and other chronic conditions. So cut down on the butter or you'll be sorry! Right? Wrong. The truth is that there are healthy fats out there that can actually help promote weight loss. These fats are found in salmon, walnuts, avocados, olive oil, and sesame oil. And while a diet rich in saturated fat may not be ideal if you're trying to shed pounds ASAP, a small amount of saturated fat consumed with lean protein and whole grains throughout the day will keep your metabolism humming along nicely. What's more, certain types of saturated fat like stearic acid found in cocoa powder, chocolate, and animal meat won't raise cholesterol levels or your blood sugar like other forms of saturated fat like palmitic acid.
5) Obesity has nothing to do with calories
Fat accumulation, on the other hand, is directly related to how many calories you eat and how many calories you burn. This is a fact that we don't seem to talk about enough: We have an obesity epidemic because our eating habits have changed in recent decades. This has created a calorie surplus where our average daily expenditure from activity and exercise doesn't match the number of calories we consume. If you want to lose weight, then all it takes is balancing your caloric intake with the number of calories you burn each day through activity. The problem is most people are burning fewer calories than they're consuming, which leads to fat storage. That's why as soon as someone starts exercising or cutting their caloric intake, they start losing weight.