Confused by all those tips from all corners? Here are 5 weight-loss myths that you need straightened out in order to drop the weight on those scales, to lose body fat and to get the results you want.
#1 Just skip meals
Weight-loss = Calories in < calories out
It is true that a calorie deficit is the formula for losing weight i.e. the calories you consume need to be less than the calories you burn. However, going hungry by skipping meals may in fact be detrimental as your body will lose out on nutrients and may even store fat more readily because of the fast.
When you skip meals, your energy levels will drop, you will feel lethargic and you may have difficulty concentrating. As a result, you may then start to binge-eat to lift your mood or satisfy your cravings (and, significantly, you will be more likely to reach for quick, ready to go snacks which are higher in fat and sugar).
#2 Just burn it off with exercise
Exercise alone is not the answer to you losing weight. For example, a standard 240 calorie chocolate bar might require a 22 minute jog (at 8km/h) to burn off. Have a couple of bars every day, and your exercise to-do-list will start to balloon.
Plus, you may find it hard to kick the habit of eating anything you want (especially high fat/sugar foods) when you stop exercising. Focus instead on cultivating a lifestyle based on balanced and clean nutrition. Losing weight takes both exercise and good nutrition.
#3 Cut carbs, they make you fat
Whilst a low carb diet can help you lose body fat, don’t ban all carbs. Cut out refined carbs like refined grains (white rice) and sugar, but keep whole foods that are high in nutrients and fiber (brown rice). Next, watch what you add to your carbs to make them tasty – is it a healthy tomato base or a high fat cream sauce?
Learn more about good nutrition and clean eating here
#4 Train (very) hard: No pain, no gain!
Whilst getting out your comfort zone helps you get incremental results, it is a misconception that the best exercise induces pain and tears. Training excessively hard is different to pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. Exercise should be challenging, but should also be fun and enjoyable and invigorating (think of those endorphins)! Do something that becomes part of your daily active life and that you can keep up over the long term.
So where do you start? Always take into consideration your base level of fitness and body type. If you are new to exercise, moving out of a sedentary lifestyle (where you’re mostly sitting down) to increased low-intensity movement on a daily basis will be a good start. Gradually broaden the range/type of movement, intensity and duration of exercise and always train safely to avoid injury. Look for a program that will help you get the results you want without killing yourself along the way!
#5 Thin people are healthy
The term ‘skinny fat’ applies to people who look slim but are harboring unhealthy levels of fat. Not all skinny-looking people are risk-free from obesity related disease. While fat under the skin gives a cosmetic indication of obesity, where fat is located is key – fat around the belly indicates fat around the organs (visceral fat) which is associated with disease.
Many women fear exercise and head for crash diets as they fear ‘bulking up’. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, having more lean muscle helps you burn more calories as muscle has a higher metabolism than fat. Having more muscle helps you burn more calories, even when you’re sitting down! So, do not fear strength training. As it is, women are not naturally programmed to bulk up like bodybuilders – female bodybuilders build muscle mass via special diets and intense workout regimens.
The health benefits of exercise extend beyond fat loss. Strength training not only helps you burn calories, it has a host of other benefits as well including reducing the risk of osteoporosis and building a strong body to withstand injury from falls (particularly important for sports and as you age).
More great tips on getting slim and toned in our article “How to get toned”
So there you have it, not just 5 myths busted, but a glimpse into how body fat reduction requires all-encompassing changes. Cutting bad calories is part of the plan, so is getting up and moving right. Change can be hard, but keep the end in mind. You will come out of that change healthier, fitter and happier.
