Weight loss myths

Every regime has its supply of useless folk lore and

half-truths that get passed on down the line from

person to person. But I'd put weight loss up against

any of them for what has to be the most time wasting and

even the most dangerous myths out there.

There is a ton of free advice seen in the media these days

and if it is taken seriously, can really set you back on your

weight loss endeavours. This can lead to the kind of frustration

that makes people think they are "destined to remain fat for life”.

This in not true, Have a look at the Weight loss myths below and

draw your own conclusions.

Exercise on an empty stomach and burn more fat.

Effective weight loss is the total amount of calories

burned during the day, not how or why they were burned.

It doesn't matter if it is night or morning, so exercise

early in the day has no advantage to exercise later in

the day.

Studies show that increased metabolism induced by anaerobic

exercise is actually less after a large meal. Which probably

means that more energy is being used for digestion than

what is being used to repair muscle.

More exercise is better.

Every exercise session is beneficial to each individual,

however more is not always better. It depends on what is

trying to be achieved. There is a level and frequency

required to achieve results.

After this level is reached, additional exercise can

have the opposite effect, not allowing the body to

recuperate and adapt to the stress induced by the

exercise, which can be detrimental to your results.

After stopping exercise muscle will turn to fat.

This in not possible, Muscle and fat are two different

types of tissues in the body and you cannot convert one into the

other. This is like trying to turn water into milk.

If you stop training, the muscles will shrink

in size - and do not disappear. The more calories

taken in that are not burned off will be deposited as fat.

If you’re not sweating, you’re not working hard enough.

Sweating is the body's way of cooling itself down.

Many factors contribute to body temperature, including

room temperature, types of exercise done, body-fat levels,

clothing, and exercise intensity. The intensity for

exercise can't be judged by the amount you sweat.

A well-trained person will often sweat a lot because

their body can more efficiently regulate heat.

Taking sugar before exercise to raise energy levels.

Ingestion of sugar will lead to a rapid rise in blood

sugar levels. This rapid rise stimulates a release of

insulin, which quickly removes the excess sugar from

the blood system, often causing your blood sugar levels

to drop, sometimes below the level that it started at,

leading to faster exhaustion.

Gaining weight is just a part of getting older.

Getting older is not an excuse for gaining weight!

As we age and begin a more sedentary lifestyle we

start to lose muscle mass.

The efficiency of your metabolism is directly linked

to how much muscle you have on your body. The most

efficient way of maintaining your body's muscle mass

and keeping your metabolism from dropping, is by

doing a high intensity strength training workout once a week.

X is the best form of exercise.

Claims like this are usually based on marketing strategy

and personal bias. Even when claims are based on factual

information, they have little practical value to the

average exerciser. The most important thing is to choose

an activity that you like, and perform it properly and

consistently.

If it’s fat free I can have as much as I want.

Unfortunately fat free doesn't mean calorie free.

The word fat free is misleading because if you

overeat on anything, even fat free foods and you

don't burn off those calories, your body will

store the excess as fat.

Don't drink water when you exercise or you will get cramps.

By drinking litres of icy cold water in one go while

exercising you will probably suffer from cramps.

This is why it is important to drink water

continuously before, during and after exercising

to replace the fluid you've lost and avoid any discomfort.

By not having a personal trainer I wont make gains.

Hiring a personal trainer is one way you can use to

reach your goals, but you are an adult capable of

making decisions and setting your own goals once

you have the knowledge of how to go about it.

Following a good exercise program and eating

plan does not require someone standing over

you and telling you how to do it.

By exercising my abs I will lose my pot belly.

Exercising your abdominals will help to tone and

firm the abdominal region, but it will not reduce

fat deposits that are responsible for a pot belly.

Fat reduction comes from burning more calories

than you take in. Fat is reduced uniformly throughout

the body there is no such thing as spot reduction.