Busting some fat loss myths!
- Having a diet high in fat does not make you fat
To a lot of you here at BBG this should be common knowledge by now, but if not… Now you know! It is excess calories (energy) which cause you to store fat. If the body gets more energy than it needs, we store that energy in the form of fat; it’s the way we have evolved to survive!
2. You can’t spot-reduce fat.
This might be painful to hear for some of you but you cannot choose where your body gets its energy from; it is largely down to genetics. Working the abdominals will not make you lose fat from the stomach, and working those triceps will not make you lose fat on those ‘bingo wings’. So if you’ve been blasting your abs in the gym and aren’t seeing the results – try just burning more calories in your sessions and reduce your caloric intake.
3. There aren’t any foods which ‘boost your metabolism’ or help you lose weight
Cayenne pepper, cumin, nettle smoothies, gorilla blood… Whatever the magazines are talking about these days are all there to entice you into buying a copy to get ahead of the game by knowing the next ‘big thing’ for weight loss. Don’t bother looking for the next ‘secret’, because if there was something that worked it wouldn’t be a secret. The only way to permanently increase your metabolism is by gaining muscle, which is why we place a lot of emphasis on resistance exercise here at BBG.
4. Exercise intensity and ‘the fat burning zone’
I’ve noticed the term ‘fat burning zone’ create a lot of confusion among people I’ve spoken to. Even some of the treadmills have ‘fat burner’ settings which set you at a light jog, giving people the false impression that the best way to lose weight is by doing light intensity exercise. The fat burning zone is when your body is using fat for energy rather than carbohydrates – this means DIETARY FAT, not the fat you carry on your body in the form of ADIPOSE TISSUE. Your main priority should be burning calories, how you choose to do that is up to you!
Well there you have it, that was me Busting some fat loss myths!
Sam Austin
Exercise Specialist
Better Body Group, Sevenoaks
