"Eat as much as you want and still lose weight!"
"Try the thigh buster and lose inches fast!"
And so on, and so on, and so on. With so many products and weight-loss theories out there, it's easy to get confused.
Recent prominent news stories have encouraged the circulation of significant misunderstandings among members of the public, sometimes further encouraged by inaccurate statements in the media. Some patients may be confused or misled about important dietary issues based on the following inaccurate notions:
Myth: Specific exercises will cause spot reduction.
Fact: It is impossible to spot reduce. Study after study has shown that regardless of how many “butt” exercises you perform, you cannot control/affect fat loss in specific areas. The rate and location of fat loss is determined by a number of factors, including age, sex, genetics, training program, and more. The best way to lose body fat is to incorporate full-body strength training exercises, cardio training, and a healthy diet.
Myth: People who are thinner are healthier.
Fact: People who are fit are healthier. In fact, a recent study found that it is healthier to be larger and fit than to be thin and unfit.
Myth: 20 Minute Walk Will Change Your Body Shape.
Fact: One common misconception is that walking or running 20 minutes a day 5 to 6 days a week is all you need to do to “be in shape.” This is definitely true if you want to lead a longer, healthier life. Your heart, lungs, muscles, and joints will more healthy. You, however will NOT lose large amounts of weight, tone muscles, and make them look “better.” This is unfortunately not the case, it takes much more work to change your body shape. In order to change your body shape, a much more intensive plan will have to be instituted. This plan should incorporate dietary changes, weight lifting, and more intense cardiovascular training. All of these activities will be needed to make substantive changes in body composition.
Myth: Lifting weights is not good to do if you want to lose weight, because it will make you “bulk up.”
Fact: Lifting weights or doing strengthening activities like push-ups and crunches on a regular basis can actually help you maintain or lose weight. These activities can help you build muscle, and muscle burns more calories than body fat. So if you have more muscle, you burn more calories—even sitting still. Doing strengthening activities 2 or 3 days a week will not “bulk you up.” Only intense strength training, combined with a certain genetic background, can build very large muscles.
Myth: More hours spent in the gym leads to better results.
Fact: If you think making the gym your second home is a great way to get results, think again. Overtraining is a surefire way to stop any muscle growth -- instead of your body rebuilding its muscle tissues, it'll continue to break it down. This means you'll actually start to lose muscle. You need to train smarter, not harder. When you are in the gym, give 110%. Push your muscles, then give them the rest they need to grow bigger and stronger. If your workouts are taking much longer than an hour, chances are you are either wasting too much time between sets, or you're not training in the most effective manner.
Myth: Carbohydrates are bad.
Fact: High-protein, low-carbohydrate diets cannot support optimal health for long. First of all the quality of the diet suffers when carbohydrates are restricted. Without fruits, vegetables, and whole grains there is a lack of fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals – all dietary factors protective against disease. Low carbohydrate diets include extreme amounts of saturated fat that usually accompany high-protein foods. Excluding carbohydrates can lead to nausea, fatigue, constipation, low blood pressure, and fetal harm or stillbirth babies in a pregnant woman.
Myth: Physically active people who eat a balanced diet need vitamin supplements.
Fact: Vitamins are nutrients that we need in our diets in very small amounts. They help regulate chemical reactions in our bodies. Vitamins are not a direct source of energy, but they help our bodies obtain energy from foods we eat. Vitamins are widely distributed in foods, but no one food contains all the vitamins we need. Eating foods from all of the food groups ensures that we will have an adequate supply of all nutrients in our diets, including vitamins, needed for fitness and health.
Myth: Dairy products are fattening and unhealthy.
Fact: Low-fat and fat-free milk, yogurt, and cheese are just as nutritious as whole milk dairy products, but they are lower in fat and calories. Dairy products have many nutrients your body needs. They offer protein to build muscles and help organs work properly, and calcium to strengthen bones. Most milks and some yogurts are fortified with vitamin D to help your body use calcium.
Myth: There’s a magic bullet out there.
Fact: Some dieters peg their hopes on pills and capsules that promise to "burn," "block," "flush," or otherwise eliminate fat from the system. But science has yet to come up with a low-risk "magic bullet" for weight loss. Some pills may help control the appetite, but they can have serious side effects. Many of them are highly addictive and can have an adverse impact on the heart and central nervous system.
Myth: Natural or herbal weight loss products are safe and effective.
Fact: A weight loss product that claims to be "natural" or "herbal" is not necessarily safe. These products are not usually scientifically tested to prove that they are safe or that they work. For example, herbal products containing ephedra have caused serious health problems and even death. Newer products that claim to be ephedra-free are not necessarily danger-free, because they may contain ingredients similar to ephedra.