If you’re trying to lose weight, there’s a huge amount of information available on the internet. Great, but at the same time, that information overload can make the process even more confusing. A single Google search can easily send you down a rabbit hole of conflicting advice. On top of that, social media is packed with influencers promoting their own strong opinions on health, ranging from plant-based diets and intermittent fasting to detoxes and even the carnivore diet. Can’t see the forest for the trees anymore? Here are three weight loss myths you can let go of for good!
Eating too little
The idea of your body going into ‘starvation mode’: that your body stops burning fat when you eat too little, is often misunderstood. Starvation mode doesn’t really exist. If you consistently take in fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight. That’s also called a negative energy balance. However, your body does respond when you stay in a calorie deficit for too long. This process is called adaptive thermogenesis, and it’s your body’s clever survival system, not your metabolism shutting down.
Here’s what really happens when you consistently under-eat:
· Your resting metabolism drops. Your body uses less energy to perform basic functions like breathing, heart rate, and regulating body temperature.
· You subconsciously move less. Less fidgeting, less spontaneous movement, because there’s not enough energy for those types of movement.
· Your hunger hormones increase (like ghrelin), and your satiety hormones decrease (like leptin), leading to more cravings and higher chances of overeating.
· Your body may start breaking down muscle tissue, since muscle is one of the most energy-demanding tissues to maintain. Less muscle means lower energy expenditure.
These changes mean you burn fewer calories than expected, even if your food intake hasn’t changed. So no, your fat burning hasn’t stopped, your body just slows things down through these smart adaptations. You can prevent this by staying in a small calorie deficit: around 500 to 700 kcal below your daily needs tends to work best for long-term success. Strength training helps maintain (or build) muscle mass, which keeps your metabolism higher. And don’t forget to eat enough protein to support your muscles, get enough sleep, and keep stress at a minimum.
Only eating ‘clean’ foods
We love a good challenge in the fitness world, think 75 Hard: two workouts a day, strict diet, 10 pages of reading, no alcohol or cheat meals. Social media is full of transformation stories from people who follow extreme diets or challenges. That can be super motivating, but let’s be real: making a complete lifestyle shift like that is incredibly hard to maintain. Most people end up slipping back into their old habits after a few days or weeks. The same goes for eating only ‘clean foods’. We all know the classics: rice, broccoli and chicken. But eating like that all the time takes serious willpower - and let’s be honest, most of these meals don’t exactly hit the spot. The more you restrict yourself, the stronger your cravings become. So why make it so hard on yourself? Eat what you enjoy, but make conscious choices. Go for a smaller portion, add fiber and protein to your meals, and give yourself permission to truly enjoy your food, especially the less healthy options.
Labeling foods as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ can mess with your relationship with food. It creates an all-or-nothing mindset: if you eat something ‘bad’, you can feel guilty and think ‘this whole day is ruined now’. Thoughts like these can lead to the ‘screw it’ effect: eating everything in sight because ‘you’ve already messed up anyway’. Deep down, you know one less-than-perfect meal doesn’t ruin your day, but it’s your mindset. Try to start seeing food as fuel, and all foods can fit into a healthy lifestyle. When you make conscious choices and keep enjoying the foods you love, you stay in control. That also means fewer cravings, fewer binges, and no regret afterward if you make the conscious choice to enjoy a less healthy meal.
Increasing your cardio
This myth is still going strong: ‘do more cardio and you’ll lose weight’. First of all, losing weight starts with being in a calorie deficit. You can do all the cardio you want, if you still eat more than you burn, you will not lose weight. Yes, cardio can help by increasing the number of calories you burn, but it’s definitely not your only option. In fact, there’s a smarter strategy: strength training. While cardio usually burns more calories during a workout, lifting weights helps you burn more calories over time. Why? Because muscle mass is metabolically active: it uses energy even when you’re at rest. The more muscle you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate. That means more calories burned throughout the day, and if you keep eating in a slight calorie deficit, you will see results faster. You don’t need to spend hours in the gym: two or three sessions a week can already make a big difference.
The biggest take-away message? Losing weight comes down to one core principle: being in a calorie deficit. You can make this easier if you focus on foods that are rich in proteins and fibers, so you feel full for longer. Physical activity can help speed up your weight-loss by burning more calories. Weight lifting is effective because having more muscle mass elevates your resting metabolic rate, meaning you burn more calories while resting. Cardio is very important for your heart and lung health, so try to combine the two.
