Common Myths About Weight Loss

Some of the many myths surrounding weight loss can actually endanger your health if you are among those who are naive enough to try anything to shed excess pounds. Such vulnerability is what a lot of people out there are banking on just to make money for themselves. Some of the weight loss myths, on the other hand, may have been created out of misinterpretation of facts or simple ignorance. You must always be careful not to put yourself at risk of injury or health complications, whatever the root cause. By arming yourself with the proper knowledge on fitness you can make sure you do not fall for such misinformation. The topics of fasting, fat avoidance and exercise overload are among the most common weight loss myths.

The myth that says fasting is the most effective way to lose weight is not to be believed. With long term fasting you may lose pounds but you could also get into a medical crisis. You become anorexic when you stop eating and this could be fatal. There will be serious health repercussions if you deprive your body of the sustenance it needs to function normally and survive. Intermittent fasting, or fasting on and off for certain periods, is also contrary to your weight loss goals. When your body is put in a starvation mode even temporarily it automatically lowers your metabolism and protects your stored fat. Your body then tries to function on as little food as possible and stores most of your intake as fat. The result is that you either reach a plateau in weight loss or even start to gain some weight back even if you eat less and less.

Another myth you should not believe is that you have to stop eating fat in order to lose weight. Not all fat is the same. While all unhealthy fats like saturated fat are best removed from your life, you actually need healthy fats like Omega 3 fats and unsaturated fats for muscle repair and muscle building. If you deplete your muscles you also lower your body's fat burning capacity further.

Do not believe the myth that you need to spend a lot of time exercising in order to lose weight. There is actually a ceiling to the amount and duration of cardio and strength training workouts you need. Doing cardio workouts longer than necessary will not necessarily burn more fat but could start burning muscles instead. Doing more strength training workouts than you should could result in injury.

To protect yourself from weight loss myths such as these it is best to get professional advice on nutrition and exercise. Make sure you get your information only from reliable sources. Your health and fitness is too important to be put at risk due to false beliefs.

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