We learned last week that one of the top diet myths is that all exercise doesn’t necessarily relate to weight loss. The assumption that it will often leads to dissatisfaction with the results and can even lead a dieter to give up completely on weight loss. Knowing the truth about diet myths such as this can open your eyes, provide a realistic goal and approach to weight loss, and ultimately result in success. This week we will cover another myth for losing weight that can prevent you from reaching your goal. Read on to learn Diet Myth Number 4 in our set of 5 Diet Myths you need to know.
Diet Myth Number 4: Your Genes Prevent You From Losing Weight
It is true that we inherit our metabolism and our general body makeup from our parents or other relatives. However, just because our family is of the heavier persuasion doesn’t mean it is impossible to lose weight. In fact, many studies have shown that heavier children often have heavier parents due to eating and exercise habits that have been passed down, not necessarily genes 
or a slower metabolism. By convincing yourself that you are destined to be a certain size, whether you try to eat healthy or not, is essentially creating a roadblock in your weight loss efforts that you are unlikely to ever get around. Think about it this way: If you knew, without a doubt, that no matter what you ate, how much you exercised, etc., you would never ever lose weight or be healthier, how long would you stick with it? Most likely, not very long at all. And you would still be convinced that the lack of weight loss is due to genes and that there is no hope. This is a diet myth that can be detrimental to your weight loss if believed.
A Better Option
You don’t want to discount your physical makeup completely when dieting. If the majority of your family members have a certain shape to their bodies, you may have that shape as well. Whether this means smaller hips, larger buttocks, or any other physical attribute, it is often something that can’t be avoided. This also means that if you have a slower metabolism, you may have gotten it from one of your parents or other relatives. Instead of looking at this inherited trait as meaning there is no hope for weight loss through proper eating and exercise, you want to embrace this physical makeup so you know how to approach your diet plan. For example, if you know that your metabolism is slower than average, you need to create a dieting plan that will help you speed it up – short bursts of exercise throughout the day, eating several times a day in the 100-200 calorie or less foods range, etc. Likewise, if you know that because of genes you easily build large muscles but you don’t want to, you can opt to only use your own body weight for exercise instead of using excessive weights. There is some truth to the myth that genes affect our bodies, but it means altering the plan of eating healthy foods and exercising, not abandoning it.
Busting the Diet Myth
We are all blessed and cursed in our own different ways, and our bodies and how they react to different activities and foods, weight gain and weight loss, are all different. This doesn’t mean, however, that you can’t lose weight just because your family members struggle with the endeavor. Recognizing your own physical attributes, and how they can affect your weight loss efforts, will allow you to approach it in whatever ways necessary to help you achieve your goals. Because, despite your physical makeup due to genes, it is possible for you to achieve the weight loss you desire.
Thanks for reading our article! If you are ready to stock up on great low carb low calorie snacks to accommodate your diet and exercise plan, visit us at ThinSlim Foods! And be sure to watch for Diet Myth Number 5 next week!