For those who are looking to be at a healthier and ideal weight, the internet has no shortage of weight loss tips. Well, in this article I’m going to put some common advice in a lie detector and try to find out which one is true and which one is not true and which one lies in the middle ground. Let’s dive into the article:
Drink Black Coffee:
“Drinking black coffee boost your metabolism”
Well yeah, caffeine is a stimulant, so it could potentially boost your metabolism. But why this statement is valid to believe, because black coffee means that it doesn’t have excess calories from sugar, milk and creamer.
In addition, black coffee will technically keep your fast going. So if you’re a fan of intermittent fasting, you’re still gonna be getting a lot of those same benefits with having a little stimulation on. However, the effect of caffeine varies by individual tolerance, genetics and lifestyle.
Small plates, mindful bites:
“Use smaller plates and bowls to serve your own food. This is an optical trick that will give you a full sensation from seeing a clean.”
I think this tip is like a treasure for those who want to lose weight without stressing themselves. Really one of the biggest problems in the eating habits of my patients who are obese or overweight is that they eat really big portions and they don’t even realize it. So by having a smaller plate, you’re already helping yourself to figure out a healthy portion size. But also when you see it and you eat the entire plate, there is a psychological concept to how you absorb those calories.
By limiting plate space, you trick your mind into feeling satisfied with less portions of food while still enjoying a complete meal.
Intermittent fasting:
“Participate in intermittent fasting, though it may also reduce muscle mass”.
This statement could be controversial because for some, intermittent fasting works great.Reason is you’re eating in a very specific window, meaning that you’re not eating for 16 hours of the day and you’re only eating in a time-restricted eight-hour feeding pattern, you’re gonna eat less calories. That’s just the nature of eating in a smaller window. That being said, some people actually get a disordered relationship with their eating habits when they do this type of fasting, so it’s certainly not for everyone, but it is an option. And we’ve actually seen some favorable health effects outside of just weight loss.
That includes hormonal changes, favorable hormonal changes, increased clarity. Also, there’s a genuine benefit to not having to eat for 16 hours of the day. Kind of gives you an advantage for you to be able to focus, exercise, perhaps do a little mindfulness session, which can go a long way to calming you down and perhaps aiding in your weight loss.
Use of protein powder:
“Replace your normal high calorie protein intake with whey protein powder”
Here, I want to say that “yes” use of whey protein helps you a lot in achieving your weight loss goals. They are just some convenient way to take some extra protein.
Protein supplements are superior to normal high-calorie protein sources in several key ways, particularly for fitness enthusiasts and those with specific dietary goals. They offer a high protein-to-calorie ratio, delivering 20–30g of pure protein per serving with minimal fats and carbs, making them ideal for muscle gain without excess calories. Unlike whole foods, which require digestion over hours, Fast-absorbing proteins like whey are optimal post-workout, rapidly stimulating muscle protein synthesis due to their high leucine content. Supplements are also convenient, portable, and easy to digest, eliminating cooking time and reducing bloating issues associated with some whole foods. For those cutting weight, protein powders provide lean nutrition without unnecessary fats or carbs, helping maintain muscle while in a calorie deficit. While whole foods offer micronutrients and satiety, supplements excel in efficiency, precision, and bioavailability, making them a superior choice for targeted fitness results.
Chew your food:
“Slower eating helps weight loss”
Yeah this statement is true because your brain can take time to signal to your stomach that you’re full, so being patient with how quickly you eat can allow your brain time to cut off before you overeat and savoring each bite helps you to reduce calorie intake . I would change this advice just a little bit. I would say chew thoroughly, because if you slow down your chewing, that might be a little bit awkward. But if you chew thoroughly, you could actually give yourself the time
to signal to your body that you’re fuller, that you’re getting the nourishment that you need, because it’s really about eating to the point where you’re satiated, not to the point where you feel so full that you hate yourself. Let’s be honest, we’ve all been there, but that’s not an ideal place to be if you’re trying to maintain a healthy weight. Spoil food you don’t want or need to eat. If you have leftovers that are calling your name, find a way to ruin the food, such as dousing it in milk or pouring in a ton of salt.
Drink Green Tea:
“Sip green tea, melt fat away”
This tip is for those who want to sustain their weight because green tea reduces appetite and prevents fat storage, making it a helpful addition to a balanced diet. It’s loaded with powerful antioxidants called catechins, which are believed to work synergistically with caffeine to enhance fat burning. I am one of the biggest green tea fans out there. It’s important to know that it has caffeine in it, so ideally not a great drink to drink at the end of the day. But for lunch, for breakfast, green tea is a great option. Not only does it have catechins, it has polyphenols in it, L-theanine, which sort of balances out the boost that you get from the caffeine stimulant, but also gives you that calming effect on your mind. Now, whether or not green tea will actually boost weight loss, it’s not gonna be a magical effect that you see here. In fact, I’ve seen a lot of companies try and do something shady like, our supplements have green tea extract and that’s what helps you burn fat. ~ Don’t go that far. Interval training. Short bursts of intense exercise followed by longer stretches of mild exercise. This is my favorite hit, hit, hit, ~ hit exercise. That’s high intensity interval training.
Light intensity Activity:
“Light intensity activity burns extra calories without exhaustion.”
light intensity activity. One, it promotes weight loss. Two, it promotes muscle building. Three, it also improves heart rate variability. When you start exercising really quickly and you go full on intensity, your heart rate should go up to compensate. But then when you do light intensity exercise, your heart rate should be able to settle back down. As you do this more and more, your heart’s ability to calm down in that period of light intensity will improve. And what we’ve actually seen in scientific research is improved survival in individuals who are having heart attacks.
And you don’t have to sit and starve yourself. Lift weights instead of just doing cardio. Not only does this cause you to lose fat, but you also build muscle to replace it. Over simplified advice, but overall decent concept. I’ll explain. When I recommend an exercise routine for my patients, I rarely say just Cardio or just weight training. It’s usually a combination of the both. Reason being is they have different benefits and those benefits really paint a complete picture of good or optimal health.
For example, going for a run, really good for your heart, helps heart rate variability, especially if you’re doing high intensity interval training. But when you’re lifting weights, you’re not only burning fat and using calories while you’re exercising, you’re also doing that when you recover later that day, the following day, because it takes energy to rebuild that muscle and to rebuild it or bigger if you’re lifting heavy enough and consistently enough.
Snack often:
“Snack your way to a faster metabolism”
Eating small, balanced snacks throughout the day can keep your metabolism active by preventing energy crashes and stabilizing blood sugar. Protein-rich snacks (like Greek yogurt or nuts) boost the thermic effect of food, meaning your body burns more calories digesting them. Fiber-packed options (like veggies or berries) keep you full and support gut health, which is linked to metabolism. By avoiding long gaps between meals, you prevent metabolic slowdown and curb overeating later. Smart snacking = steady energy + better fat burning!
This will prevent metabolic slowdown where your metabolism stops if there is nothing there to digest. While snacking, your metabolism is forced to stay engaged. This one has been pretty much debunked by modern science. While for some individuals, as long as they monitor their caloric intake and they’re not eating poor quality foods, grazing, snacking like that could be a potential option, but it is not a mandatory way for success.
There’s plenty of people that can eat two meals a day, three meals a day, and do just as good a job as those who eat smaller, frequent meals throughout the day. This is an individual decision based on your goals, your lifestyle, and really what your preferences are.
Drinking Water:
“Drinking water 30 minutes before a meal will help your body burn calories faster and therefore lose weight.”
Losing weight isn’t as simple as drinking some water, but water is a really important nutrient for your body, and there’s several benefits to staying well hydrated.
When you drink water, you stretch out your stomach, therefore you’re less likely to consume a really large meal. Second, there’s a water- induced thermogenesis process that has some evidence and truth behind it where by drinking 70 degree water, you actually have to heat it up to your normal body temperature and that burns some calories. Not a huge deal, but definitely worth noting. It helps remove waste of your body, so it decreases bloating and it gets that ~ whole system going. It also keeps you hydrated and performing well during your exercises.When you have a good exercise session, you’re more likely to burn more calories.
Meal Prepping:
“Cook Once, Lose Weight All Week”
Begin meal prepping. Plan out all of your meals for the week and spend a few hours cooking them, storing them in resealable containers ahead of time.
This will allow you to eat a prepped meal instead of ordering takeout when you’re too tired to cook something fresh. I love this piece of advice. When you have that layer of control, you’re gonna make better decisions.
Second, when you’re tired and you’re coming home and you don’t have the energy to make something, you’re probably gonna order out. And when you’re ordering out, you’re gonna say, well, since I’m ordering out, I wanna enjoy it. And you’re gonna get something that’s less than ideal. So yes, plan your meals out ahead of time. You’ll save money, eat healthier, and potentially even learn a new skill, which I need to do. While exercise can certainly aid in weight loss, diet accounts for the vast majority of the equation behind losing weight.
Workout Routine:
It’s quite possible to lose weight without adjusting your workout routine at all. I always want my patients to exercise. And it’s not solely because I know they’re gonna expend more energy, therefore lose some weight. It is because it is healthy in all aspects of life. It’s gonna help somewhat with weight loss, your mood, your aches and pains, your confidence level, which will play a role in your anxiety or depressive symptoms.
That being said, if you really are interested in lowering your weight to a healthy level,
to a weight that’s ideal for your height and your lifestyle, diet is the number one thing you should focus on. That being said, sleep, ~ exercise, your mental health, ~ all of those things need to be taken into account. Calories in and calories out could make sense from a scientific perspective. It’s not really great from a practical perspective, at least not for everybody.
