Myth or fact: 6 persistent nutrition myths about weight loss debunked

Carbohydrates are bad. Eating after six o'clock at night makes you fat. And you lose weight quickly with a juice cleanse. You've probably heard it before. Or read it. Or tried it yourself. So much information circulates about weight loss that you can't see the wood for the trees. What is actually true? In this blog, Dyon Poll, club manager at Happy Bodies Amsterdam Zuid, takes a closer look at six persistent nutritional myths. Without judgment, but with nuance.

Myth 1: Carbohydrates make you fat

This is a persistent one. Carbohydrates have gained a bad reputation due to diets like Atkins and keto. But the truth is more nuanced.

Carbohydrates themselves don't make you fat. Too many calories make you fat. And yes, if you eat mountains of pasta, bread, and cookies, you consume a lot of calories. But that applies just as much to fat or protein.

Carbohydrates are actually your most important energy source. Especially when you exercise. Your muscles need glucose to perform. Without carbohydrates, you feel weak and tired during your workout.

What does this mean for you? Choose whole-grain varieties and eat carbohydrates around your training. A slice of bread with peanut butter before working out gives you energy. A bowl of rice after working out helps with your recovery.

Myth 2: Eating after 6:00 PM makes you fat

This myth sounds logical. You burn fewer calories in the evening, so what you eat is stored as fat. Right?

No. Your body doesn't look at the clock. It looks at your total calorie intake over the entire day. Whether you eat those 2,000 calories at 12 or 8 pm makes no difference to your weight.

What really matters: what and how much you eat. Many people snack in the evening in front of the TV. Chips, chocolate, a glass of wine. That adds up. Not the time, but the choices.

What does this mean for you? Do you train in the evening? Then feel free to eat afterwards. Your body needs that fuel to recover. Just be mindful of what you eat. A meal with protein and vegetables is smart. A bag of chips is not.

Myth 3: You lose weight quickly with a juice cleanse or detox.

Juice cleanses, detox shakes, smoothie diets. They promise quick results. And yes, you lose weight. Temporarily.

What happens: you consume very few calories. It makes sense that you lose weight. But you mainly lose water and muscle mass. Not fat. As soon as you eat normally again, the weight comes back. Often with interest.

Moreover: your body does not need a juice cleanse to “detox”. You have a liver and kidneys for that. They do that work 24 hours a day, for free.

What does this mean for you? Save your money and your muscles. A juice cleanse is not a sustainable solution. Healthy weight loss is achieved through a slight calorie deficit, sufficient protein, and exercise.

Myth 4: You must avoid fat to lose weight

For a long time, we thought: fat makes you fat. Logical, right? But that's not how your body works.

Fats are necessary for the absorption of vitamins, the production of hormones, and the proper functioning of your brain. You cannot live a healthy life without fat. It is about the type of fat you eat.

Saturated fats from fried food and fatty snacks are less beneficial. Unsaturated fats from avocado, nuts, olive oil, and fatty fish, on the other hand, are healthy. They keep you feeling full longer and prevent you from snacking.

What does this mean for you? Feel free to eat a handful of nuts as a snack. Or half an avocado with your lunch. Those fats are more satiating than a cookie and provide your body with valuable nutrients.

Myth 5: Cardio alone is enough to lose weight

Running, cycling, the elliptical trainer. Many people think that cardio is the way to lose weight. After all, you burn calories.

That's correct. But there is a catch. With cardio alone, you also lose muscle mass. And muscle mass determines your resting metabolic rate. Less muscle means lower calorie burning at rest. In the long run, it doesn't get you very far.

The combination of strength and cardio works better. Strength training builds muscle. Those muscles burn calories, even when you are not doing anything. Cardio is good for your heart and fitness. Together, they are a golden duo.

What does this mean for you? The Milon Circle combines strength and cardio in 35 minutes. That is why it works so well for weight loss.

Myth 6: Weight loss pills and injections are the fastest way

Ozempic, Wegovy, weight loss pills. You read about them more and more. And yes, some people lose a lot of weight with them.

There is a big 'but' to this 'solution'. These products were developed for people with severe obesity or type 2 diabetes. Under medical supervision. They are not a miracle cure for everyone who wants to lose a few kilos.

Moreover, if you stop the injections, the weight often comes back. After all, you haven't learned to eat or exercise differently. And here too, the rule applies: you lose not only fat, but also muscle mass.

What does this mean for you? For most people, the combination of a healthy diet and regular exercise is more effective, safer, and more sustainable. No pills, no injections. Just train smart and eat consciously.

So how do you lose weight healthily?

Many of these myths and methods have something in common: they lead to a loss of muscle mass. And that is exactly what you don't want. Less muscle means a lower metabolism. In the long run, this actually makes losing weight more difficult.

The formula is simpler than you think. Combine a healthy diet with strength training. This way, you lose fat mass and maintain your muscles. Your metabolism stays at a healthy level. And your results last.

No quick fixes. No extreme diets. Just an approach that works.

Want to know more?

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