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Fat-Burning Myths Answered

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There are a lot of misconceptions out there about fat burning.  When you have to proper information that is the only way you can actually maximize your fat loss capabilities!  Wrong information just leads you down a very destructive path and inhibits and may even hinder your weight loss efforts.

While ramping up the intensity of your workouts is one way to blast fat and calories, focusing on proper nutrition will help push you past your plateaus and keep your training on track.  This article looks at some nutritional fat burning myths and helps to set you up for success.

Why Burn Fat?

It’s just a fact that the more in shape and less weight you are carrying around, the better you will perform in your chosen workout routine.  Whether you are running, lifting weights, completing circuits, or even walking you will most definitely have an easier time if you drop the weight.  Dropping fat with also help show your defined muscles that are lying under all that fat!

Let’s look at some of the top fat-burning myths and set the record straight.

1. Skipping a meal or two isn’t a big deal.

Just like having a proper fitness routine is important so is a proper regular eating plan.  This keeps your metabolism going strong.  It is a good idea to plan your meals around your workout schedule whenever possible.  When you are able to adjust the timing of your meals, this will use your food optimally for energy and recovery.

It is important to remember that it is not just what you ate the day of your workout or even the snack you just had before your workout but the food you ate the day before that also affects your workouts.  If you skip a meal it could mean losing important essentials for your body to run at its optimal levels.

You may be missing out on carbs that are needed for a future workout.  Don’t skip meals thinking that is a good way to lose weight quickly.  Reducing calories by skipping meals will eventually cause your body to start storing fat because it is not being properly fed!  It is a poor decision that can lead to injury and do harm to your body.  Eat smart to train smart!

2. Avoiding fats is the best way to a lean body.

People who avoid fat will miss out on important antioxidants.  What do antioxidants do to your body?  They offer protection by neutralizing the oxidation process that happens within the body when it has been working out.  Some antioxidants include vitamin C and E.  It is not recommended to use just vitamins alone to supplement these antioxidants.  Fats are needed in order to build lean muscle.  Fats help control hormones.  Fats with omega-3s also help with muscle inflammation and soreness.

Don’t get yourself on some crazy low fat, often still full calorie diet.  These are often also flavored by artificial sweeteners that are harmful to you.  Low-fat fad diets provide zero substance and have nothing to offer you or your body!  Types of fats to consume and go for include monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Fats are used as a source of heat and energy, as padding and insulation for the organs and nerves, as a regulator for the fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K); and as a source of the essential fatty acids.  This is a vital part of your diet and should not be compromised.

3.  A few drinks do not affect my fat loss.

While there is a lot of information out there that states the benefits of moderate alcohol intake at a recommended maximum of 2 drinks per day, it is best to rethink this!  Alcohol significantly affects your training in a number of ways.  First, it will certainly sabotage your weight-loss plan.

Alcohol is empty calories that provide nothing for you nutritionally and definitely are not a fat-burning food or activity!  Even if weight is not an issue, alcohol puts your metabolism on hold which means carbohydrates will digest more slowly.  This makes it difficult to maintain your glycogen stores.  The consumption of alcohol can increase your workout routine recovery time.  You want your body to be the most effective and efficient machine for fat burning so anything that slows it down should be avoided.

Alcohol also decreases your immunity.  There is no time to get sick when you are on a routine and it’s going well!  Alcohol has a poor effect on sleep as well.  You may not be getting the proper sleep you need which in turn affects your body’s ability to burn fat.

Don’t be one of those people that train hard during the week then make the weekends free for all for alcohol (and food).  The weekend is about a third of your week so it can most definitely put a dent into all your hard work and progress which is a huge upset when you aren’t seeing the results that you wanted.  You can have alcohol must you have to be mindful of the results and also of the calorie count because unlike water, it is not zero calories!

Take these myths and lay them to rest now!  Here is a great article that discusses more female fitness myths that are out there and it provides that correct information to get started quickly on a workout routine and meal plan that is based on facts and science regarding female weight training.

Your body is like a car.  It needs maintenance, it needs to be driven and it needs to be cared for in order to last.  Make sure to get the best and most up to date information in order to make decisions for yourself that propel you forward to your goals not harms them.