Title: 
Weight Loss Myths

Word Count:
850

Summary:
Every regime has its supply of useless folk lore and 
half-truths that get passed on down the line from 
person to person. But I'd put weight loss up against 
any of them for what has to be the most time wasting and 
even the most dangerous myths out there.


Keywords:
weight gain, bodybuilding, workout programs


Article Body:
Every regime has its supply of useless folk lore and 
half-truths that get passed on down the line from 
person to person. But I'd put weight loss up against 
any of them for what has to be the most time wasting and 
even the most dangerous myths out there. 

There is a ton of free advice seen in the media these days
and if it is taken seriously, can really set you back on your 
weight loss endeavours. This can lead to the kind of frustration 
that makes people think they are "destined to remain fat for life”. 

This in not true, Have a look at the Weight loss myths below and 
draw your own conclusions.


Exercise on an empty stomach and burn more fat.

Effective weight loss is the total amount of calories 
burned during the day, not how or why they were burned.  
It doesn't matter if it is night or morning, so exercise 
early in the day has no advantage to exercise later in 
the day. 

Studies show that increased metabolism induced by anaerobic 
exercise is actually less after a large meal. Which probably 
means that more energy is being used for digestion than 
what is being used to repair muscle.


More exercise is better.

Every exercise session is beneficial to each individual, 
however more is not always better. It depends on what is 
trying to be achieved. There is a level and frequency 
required to achieve results. 

After this level is reached, additional exercise can 
have the opposite effect, not allowing the body to 
recuperate and adapt to the stress induced by the 
exercise, which can be detrimental to your results.


After stopping exercise muscle will turn to fat.

This in not possible, Muscle and fat are two different 
types of tissues in the body and you cannot convert one into the 
other. This is like trying to turn water into milk. 
If you stop training, the muscles will shrink 
in size - and do not disappear. The more calories 
taken in that are not burned off will be deposited as fat.


If you’re not sweating, you’re not working hard enough.

Sweating is the body's way of cooling itself down. 
Many factors contribute to body temperature, including 
room temperature, types of exercise done, body-fat levels, 
clothing, and exercise intensity. The intensity for 
exercise can't be judged by the amount you sweat. 

A well-trained person will often sweat a lot because 
their body can more efficiently regulate heat.


Taking sugar before exercise to raise energy levels.

Ingestion of sugar will lead to a rapid rise in blood 
sugar levels. This rapid rise stimulates a release of 
insulin, which quickly removes the excess sugar from 
the blood system, often causing your blood sugar levels 
to drop, sometimes below the level that it started at, 
leading to faster exhaustion.


Gaining weight is just a part of getting older.

Getting older is not an excuse for gaining weight! 
As we age and begin a more sedentary lifestyle we 
start to lose muscle mass. 

The efficiency of your metabolism is directly linked 
to how much muscle you have on your body. The most 
efficient way of maintaining your body's muscle mass 
and keeping your metabolism from dropping, is by 
doing a high intensity strength training workout once a week.


X is the best form of exercise.

Claims like this are usually based on marketing strategy 
and personal bias. Even when claims are based on factual 
information, they have little practical value to the 
average exerciser. The most important thing is to choose 
an activity that you like, and perform it properly and 
consistently.



If it’s fat free I can have as much as I want.

Unfortunately fat free doesn't mean calorie free. 
The word fat free is misleading because if you 
overeat on anything, even fat free foods and you 
don't burn off those calories, your body will 
store the excess as fat.


Don't drink water when you exercise or you will get cramps.

By drinking litres of icy cold water in one go while 
exercising you will probably suffer from cramps.  
This is why it is important to drink water 
continuously before, during and after exercising 
to replace the fluid you've lost and avoid any discomfort.


By not having a personal trainer I wont make gains.

Hiring a personal trainer is one way you can use to 
reach your goals, but you are an adult capable of 
making decisions and setting your own goals once 
you have the knowledge of how to go about it. 
Following a good exercise program and eating 
plan does not require someone standing over 
you and telling you how to do it. 


By exercising my abs I will lose my pot belly.

Exercising your abdominals will help to tone and 
firm the abdominal region, but it will not reduce 
fat deposits that are responsible for a pot belly. 
Fat reduction comes from burning more calories 
than you take in. Fat is reduced uniformly throughout 
the body there is no such thing as spot reduction.


