If you haven't yet heard about those caffeine-infused undergarments, pants, and shapewear that help you lose weight wearing them, don't plan to drop coin on these items. They are a new weight loss myth, not a weight loss Holy Grail. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has levied some huge fines (for customer refunds) against companies making "revolutionary" marketing claims that wearing their caffeine-infused undergarments leads to weight loss. Turns out the notion of caffeinated clothing as a weight loss aid is actually pretty false. Those too-good-to-be-true type of claims actually aren't the only crazy weight loss myths pervading our culture.
Humans by nature often look for a quick fix or something, anything to speed the process. Losing weight takes time and discipline. Getting in shape takes time and discipline. Not some coffee grinds in your panties.
Of course, there are both extreme and subtle, to supplement and support those efforts and processes. But it's these totally outrageous claims, like undies that can reduce hips by two inches and without any effort, that are beyond ridiculous. You don't ever lose weight by simply doing nothing. The weight loss industry wouldn't be such a lucrative one if the counterintuitive idea of doing nothing to shed excess pounds were true.
This whole coffee pants scandal all reminds me of other funny or silly weight loss myths, like when Cher tells her bestie Dionne in Clueless that if you cut your food up into tiny little pieces, it'll totally help you shed some pounds. That's not exactly backed by science. Here are some other eyebrow-raising weight loss claims that actually had/have true believers.
1. Snacktacular
Some folks believe you should never, ever snack, but the prevailing wisdom is that you actually should snack, as long as it’s the right type of snacking — say, a fistful of almonds or some baby carrots, instead of, you know, a Snickers bar or Red Velvet Pop-Tarts. Snacking staves off hunger pains, can cause you to eat less later, and prevents binging.
2. Burn, Baby, Burn
Then there is the myth that certain foods help you burn calories fast. That's not true. Weight loss experts say a calorie is a calorie is a calorie, whether it's a French fry or an apple providing said calorie. Even if a food boosts metabolism, it's by too small of a rate to count on it as an added weight loss method or technique. Sorry, celery enthusiasts!
3. Chewbacca
There's also another school of thought that suggests if you chew your food more, you take in less calories. Hmm, sounds okay... but really?
4. Sweets First? Sweet!
Then there's the idea that eating desert first can help you lose weight based on the notion of satisfaction and thinking about what good and bad foods you intake during a diet. It's psychological, sure. Maybe too psychological. Can overthinking burn cals, too?
A healthy diet, eating right, exercising, and knowing your body and its limitations are really where you need to focus, not looking for a loss of pounds and inches from coffee (or soda) pants or by cutting your food into tiny nuggets or morsels. Or, you know, eat whatever you want. Food is freaking awesome.
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