Popular Myths Regarding Fat Loss and Exercise

With so many people today who are either overweight or obese, there are a lot of fad diet plans and myths circulating concerning fat loss. This article will discuss a few of the more prominent myths and explain why they simply are not true. Additionally, a few tips will be covered to put you on the right track.

First there is the myth of spot reduction. This is often portrayed by the media in infomercials and other diet and exercises programs. Spot reduction is the belief that if you wish to lose weight from your stomach for example, you would do exercises that target the stomach such as sit ups and crunches. Unfortunately this is not how it works. Doing these exercises will only tone and strengthen your abdominal muscles. The areas of your body where you will first see fat loss are determined by genetics, hormones, and age. The good news is that most people do lose weight from their stomachs first if this is a goal of yours.

Another myth is that higher repetitions lead to increased fat loss. Research has found that moderate repetitions, in the range of 8 to 12 are more effective than higher repetitions of 20 to 25. It has been found that doing fewer repetitions with heavier weights will stimulate the metabolism faster and lead to increased weight loss.

Many people believe that by adopting crash diets they can lose weight more efficiently. There have been no studies that suggest starving yourself will enhance fat-burning in any way. The truth of the matter is that if anything this will deprive you of calories which can actually increase the amount of fat on your body, and can lead to the degradation of muscles as well. Instead, try to eat smaller portions of clean foods such as chicken, rice, turkey, and vegetables.

Instead of following the misguided myths presented above, it is important that you take a balanced, sensible approach to fat loss. By eating several small meals throughout the day, for example, you can actually boost your metabolism. Try to eat meals that are low in fat, moderate in carbohydrates, and high in protein. Also, make sure that you engage in low intensity aerobic training about 3 to 4 times per week. Brisk walking is a great place to start as it will directly burn body-fat and stimulate the metabolism.

In order to help track your progress, set several, small short term goals for yourself. Whenever you buy groceries, set a training schedule, and conduct your life you should keep these goals in mind. Short term goals are important as someone who is a hundred pounds overweight obviously won't be able to lose it in a week or so. Instead, start with 5 or 10 pounds and see how you make out.

These days there is so much temptation when it comes to the wrong foods that it is very difficult for people to stick with the goals they set. If this sounds like you, you may be interested in downloading the hypnosis MP3s on http://www.losebellyfatdiet.com. These recordings offer hypnotic suggestions that can help you to experience fewer cravings for unhealthy foods and condition your mind to accept your new, healthy eating habits.