8 Most Common Fat And Weight Loss Myths

Today in North America, people are bombarded daily with mixed messages about fat and weight loss. All of this information, much of which is contradictory, has confused the general public about fat and weight loss more than ever before. In this article, I will set the record straight about some of the common fat and weight loss myths. Hopefully, after reading this you will be able to separate fact from fiction when it comes to fat and weight loss. The facts might not always be what you want to hear, but at least you will know the truth, and the truth is very powerful.

Fat and Weight Loss Myth 1: If I exercise I can eat whatever I like and still be lean.

Keep dreaming! How we all wish this could be true. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Our individual metabolism regulates how many calories we burn during rest and physical activity. If you consume more calories than your body needs, the excess calories will be stored as fat. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule. There are some individuals that have a metabolic rate so high that they can eat whatever and how much they want and still stay lean. However, most of us are not so lucky and have to eat the right type of foods in the right portions and combinations to maintain a very lean body.

Fat and Weight Loss Myth 2: If I stop strength training, my muscles will turn into fat.

This myth is absolutely ridiculous! What needs to be understood is the fact that muscle and fat are two completely different types of tissue. When it comes to muscle, you have got to use it or you lose it. It is that simple. A lot of people believe that muscle turns into fat whenever they stop strength training. However, the opposite is true. What is really happening is the body's metabolism is slowing down. Remember, the more lean muscle you have on your body, the faster your metabolism will be. Therefore, when you stop weight training, you start losing your lean muscle mass which causes your metabolism to slow down. As a result, this causes you to gain body fat.

Fat and Weight Loss Myth 4: If I have a lot of fat on my body, and I start strength training, my body fat will turn into muscle mass.

No, that would be impossible. Remember what I have said before...muscle and fat are two completely different types of tissue. When you start lifting weight and gaining lean muscle mass, your metabolism will speed up and your body will burn off the fat. However, it will never convert it into muscle.

Fat and Weight Loss Myth 5: The less food I eat the better my fat and weight loss results will be.

While eating fewer calories can help you lose weight, you should also know that this can be counterproductive if you reduce your calories too much. The human metabolism is designed to slow down when food supplies become scarce. Also, if your daily caloric intake drops below 1,200, your body will start to trigger fat storing enzymes because your body react as though a famine is happening and its survival mechanisms will kick in full force causing your body to hold on to fat instead of burning it for fuel. You do not want this to happen. The best way to lose weight and fat is to consume properly balanced and proportioned meals that keep your hormones and metabolism at an optimum.

Fat and Weight Loss Myth 6: Putting on fat is a natural part of aging and there is not much that I can do about it.

You can keep your body lean and healthy at any age with the right exercise and nutrition program. Humans are born with fat cells in their body, but they are not born to be fat. What usually causes most individuals to put on fat is poor nutritional and exercise choices. Many individuals in North America today are consuming foods with too much sugar and processed white flour, which has made them insulin resistant. This is why they put on fat so easily and have a very hard time losing it. Let's take a healthy 21 year-old male with 10 percent body fat. Now let's fast forward 20 years into to the future, where this male now is 41 years of age and has a 30 percent body fat, triple of what it use to be. This is not because he is aging, but it is mostly because the demands of his career and family have probably caused him to gradually exercise less and make poor food choices like eating fast food couple times per week. Maybe he is even so busy that he skips breakfast most mornings, so his metabolism is not functioning properly during the day. Due to the great responsibilities of his career and family, he is probably more stressed out and is not getting the required seven to nine hours of sleep every night, which is lowering his body's production HGH (Human Growth Hormone). Plus stress that is left unmanaged may also cause hormonal problems which can make you put on fat. So as you can see again, age alone does not cause a great increase in body fat, but it is mostly lifestyle choices that cause this to happen. You actually have a lot more control over your body's aging process then you realize. You just have to know what to do.

Fat and Weight Loss Myth 7: I only have about 20 minutes a day to spare for exercise. So this not enough to see significant fat and weight loss results.

I think this is a myth that was started by people who were spending 2 hours a day at the gym but got angry and frustrated because they did not see any significant results. My workout philosophy has always been to go for quality and not quantity. So 20 minutes is definitely enough time to see significant results, you just have to be smart about it and follow good workout programs and techniques.

Fat and Weight Loss Myth 8: Doing Pilates will make you grow a whole inch taller.

I know this is more of an exercise myth then a fat and weight loss myth, but I get asked this question so many times, I decided to throw it in here just for fun. (Laugh) I think this myth was started by some of the late night infomercials for Pilates workout machines.

Pilates is a very good way to strengthen and condition the core muscles. The core muscles have a very significant affect on your posture and how you carry yourself. A lot of people are walking around with defective postures and don't even realize it. Usually what happens as you condition the core muscles your poster goes into proper alignment naturally without you even having to think about it. You may notice that you look about an inch taller when you measure yourself. You may believe that you are almost a whole inch taller, and think that you have grown. However, that is not the case. If you have reached or surpassed the stage in your life when you have stopped growing, then your body has not actually grown anymore, it is just your posture and the way you carry yourself is different, and due to your newly well conditioned core muscles you are likely standing up much more straighter then you were before.

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