I’m here to warn you about 5 fat loss myths that most people fall for. This might come across as a soapbox rant, and for that, I apologize but trust me when I say that this is a message that needs to spread.
Your fat loss depends on it.
Don’t waste your time on these:
This is a Myth: Diet pills will help you lose fat.
To take a pill can be so tempting! The commercials make compelling claims about the power of diet pills, but don’t fall for it. The ‘magic pill’ has yet to be discovered (it has been discovered – exercise. It’s just not in pill form…). Diet pills are more likely to damage your health and burn your pocketbook than to slim you down.
Don’t pop a pill—instead, regardless your age, burn calories with exercise.
This is a Myth: You should starve yourself to lose fat.
Attempting to lose weight by starving yourself is not only ineffective, but it’s also dangerous. It may seem that severe calorie restriction would deliver the quickest weight loss, but your body is complex and by doing so you’ll disrupt your metabolism and slow your results.
Don’t starve yourself—instead eat healthy small meals throughout the day.
This is a Myth: Lots of crunches will flatten your stomach.
We all want our midsection to be more toned so our clothes fit better, but excessive crunches aren’t the answer, and can even cause harm to aging backs. In order to achieve a leaner midsection, you’ll have to focus on burning off the layer of fat that is covering up your muscle.
Don’t obsess about crunches—instead, focus on fat burning.
This is a Myth: Eat packaged diet foods for speedy results.
It is amazing to see the kinds of foods that are packaged as ‘diet’ or ‘weight loss’ aids. More often than not these products are packed with refined sugar and other artificial ingredients that your body doesn’t need.
Don’t eat packaged diet foods—instead, stick with nutritious whole foods.
This is a Myth: You have to avoid carbs to lose fat.
Carbohydrates have been given a bad rap, which is unfortunate because you can (and should) eat carbs while losing weight. The key is to stick with whole grains, oatmeal, and brown rice while avoiding processed and refined flours and sugars.
Don’t swear off all carbohydrates—instead, stick with wholesome carbs.
Now that you know what not to do in order to look and feel better this summer, it’s time to go over your vacation ready game plan.
Here’s what you need to know in 3 simple steps:
DO THIS FIRST: Cut out the junk.
The best way to do this is to start by purging your kitchen. Get rid of sugary, processed and fat-filled foods. Once the junk has been cleared out don’t buy any more of it. Remember that your vacation ready body depends on what you eat – don’t eat junk!
DO THIS SECOND: Focus on whole foods.
Replace the junk food in your life with plenty of the following: cooked and raw vegetables, fresh fruits, whole grains, moderate amounts of seeds and nuts, lean meats and low-fat dairy. Clean eating really is that simple.
DO THIS THIRD: Come train with us.
This is the most obvious step. You’re ready to get into great shape and as Functional Aging Specialists, we are in a unique position to make that happen for you.
Everywhere you turn there’s another headline about how to lose weight and shave off fat. Many of these eye-catching headlines are myths, plain and simple. If you’re not careful, they can suck you in and spit you out, without helping you lose any weight at all.