As you go about your fat loss workout and diet program, one thing you must be certain of is that you’re well aware of some of the most common weight loss myths that circulate around. If you’re not careful, these myths could completely throw you right off course as you strive to reach your goals, causing you to quickly become frustrated and possibly even deciding to throw in the towel
By arming yourself with the information you need to know about these myths though, you can feel confident that you’re headed on the right track towards success.
Let’s take a quick look at the biggest ones to keep in mind.
If Some Exercise Is Good, More Is Better
The very first myth that you must make yourself aware of is the myth that if some exercise is good, more must be better. While it’s true that you definitely do want to focus on being more active as you go about your weight loss workout program, you must also remember that the body can only handle so much.
If you start going into the gym each and every day for hours at a time, not only are you going to increase your risk of injury but eventually you’re just not going to be recovering from workout to workout.
As this occurs, overtraining will set in and you’ll either wind up injured or will become so exhausted that you really have no choice but to take at least a week or two off your program entirely.
Instead, be smart with exercise. Plan appropriate, higher intensity exercise sessions that are great for burning fat but then also give your body the time to rest and recovery that it needs.
The Fewer Calories You Consume, The Faster Your Weight Loss Will Be
A second major weight loss myth that you need to know is the myth of the ultra low calorie diet. You know that how many calories you consume versus how many calories you burn off over the course of the day is one of the primary determinants of whether you see fat loss.
But, some people choose to take this notion just a little bit too far. While a reduced calorie diet is necessary for fat loss to ensue, if you bring these calories too low the body’s defensive mechanisms will kick in and you’re going to notice a dramatically reduced metabolic rate.
Before you know it you’ll be burning half as many calories at rest as you were before so that low calorie diet isn’t going to be doing much good.
Use a moderate calorie deficit. Not only will you feel better while on the diet and be able to stick with it long-term, but weight loss results will be better as well.
Eating At Night Will Automatically Cause Fat Gain
Do you believe that any food you eat at night will automatically get converted to body fat?
If so, you might want to think again. The only time that eating at night will cause weight gain is if the calories that you consume during the evening hours put you over your total target calorie intake for that day.
If you maintain proper calorie balance though, choosing a healthy evening snack that contains protein and some healthy fats, then you should have no problem including this in your diet without suffering weight gain because of it.
The biggest problem with evening eating is that most people turn to highly processed, high-carb options and those will then cause them to consume hundreds of calories in that very short time span.
Choose smart and you can enjoy a small snack before bed.
Dairy Products Should Be Reduced Or Eliminated On A Fat Loss Diet Plan
Another common myth that’s often believed in the fat loss circle is that dairy products should be reduced or eliminated. Many people think that these contain far too many calories and are too high in fat to be included in their plan, but again, this isn’t necessarily the case.
If you choose wisely and opt for lower calorie, low fat varieties of dairy, these are perfect sources of protein and calcium to include in your meal plan.
What’s more is that those who routinely consume more dairy on a regular basis tend to show greater overall fat loss from the stomach region, so if that happens to be a problem area for you, you won’t want to skip over this.
Cardio In The ‘Fat Burning Zone’ Is Ideal For Maximum Fat Loss
Finally, the last weight loss myth to know is that good old ‘fat burning zone’ cardio myth. Many people will perform hours on the treadmill at moderate intensities because they’ve heard that this is the form of exercise that gets the body burning off fat as fast as possible.
While it is true that at this intensity you will be using mostly fat as a fuel source, what you have to remember is that it’s still going to be your total daily calorie balance that determines weigh gain or loss.
Since you will burn more calories minute for minute when doing higher intensity activities, these will actually be a far superior option over that moderate intensity workout.
What’s more is that those who are doing higher intensity workouts tend to burn more calories for hours after the workout is finished, so the benefits don’t stop as soon as you leave the gym.
So there you have all the main weight loss myths that you should know about. Pay attention and if any of these creep into your workout or diet program, be sure that you make appropriate changes to get yourself right back on track.
