The Myth Breakdown
1. Fact or Myth: Eating less carbohydrates burns more fat.
Myth!
In order to lose fat you must lose weight and to lose weight you must eat fewer calories than you are expending. Cutting just carbohydrates is not the solution. Carbohydrates are needed so you can function properly and be able to sustain your exercise plan. Plus carbohydrates actually help you burn fat as you lose weight by transporting fat cells to be metabolized. So if you are lacking “carbs” you may stop burning fat cells. Carbohydrates, such as whole grains, are rich in B vitamins which are key elements in helping your metabolism work, thus a diet low in whole grains negatively affects your metabolism. In addition, glucose in the blood (a simple carbohydrate) and glucose in muscle in the form of glycogen (a complex carbohydrate), are the primary sources of energy when you exercise. Therefore, if carbohydrates are either missing from your diet or are being eaten in insufficient amounts, your body will be forced to attain the glucose needed for energy from protein. Your body gets energy from protein by breaking down your muscles, which causes decreased muscle mass and can be very detrimental for the functioning of your body. Plus muscle drives your resting metabolic rate, so having a higher muscle mass helps burn more fat, even while you are at rest.
2. Fact or Myth: If you begin an exercise program, you will lose fat.
Myth!
Many people start an exercise program with the dream of losing weight. Exercise should not be used as the only method for losing weight. You must really look closely at your diet. For weight loss eighty percent of the game is your nutrition. You can exercise all you want but you will not see the scale move down unless you eat fewer calories. Many people have signed-up for marathons, boot camps, spinning classes and gyms with the hope of losing weight, but instead ended up gaining weight. Exercise is a great addition to a weight loss plan and will help you maintain muscle and burn calories, but eating the right diet is key.
3. Fact or Myth: Sit-ups will enable you to lose fat around the stomach and hips.
Myth!
Spot training does not burn fat from specific areas. What you are doing is building muscle in certain places, but fat loss happens gradually throughout your whole body and people lose fat in different locations: fat storage is very individualized. When overall body fat decreases the muscles you have worked on will become visible.
4. Fact or Myth: More exercise equals more weight loss: No pain, no gain!
Myth!
You have to be careful about involving yourself in an extreme exercise plan because this can actually be a huge barrier in your weight loss. It is counter intuitive, but if you create too much of a deficit with exercise your weight loss could stop, leaving you frustrated and ready to quit. Exercising more means your body needs more fuel so if you are not fueling properly your metabolism may shut down. So follow the plan that your RD has provided and stop thinking “the more the better.” If you have found your proper deficit and you are losing weight, then continue with your plan because increasing exercise does not always mean weight loss will happen faster.
5. Fact or Myth: The more cardio, the more fat loss.
Myth!
You need a combination of cardiovascular exercises and strength training. Cardiovascular exercises can help you become more cardio fit and create a deficit of calories faster than muscle training, but strength training helps by maintaining muscle mass, which is imperative for a strong metabolism.
6. Fact or Myth: Empty stomach workouts burn more fat.
Myth!
This is an old and very incorrect myth. Eating before you exercise will help improve performance, therefore attaining better results from your exercise plan. Exercising on an empty stomach will only leave you feeling tired and sluggish for the rest of the day. Remember our car analogy: your car will not run without gas as your body will not run properly without food.
7. Fact or Myth: For weight loss you should engage in low-intensity, fat-burning exercises.
Myth!
When losing weight what is most important is the total amounts of calories you burn, not the type of calories you burn. During high-intensity exercise you burn more calories than low-intensity exercise thereby creating a higher calorie deficit thus promoting weight loss. Exercising in the low heart-rate zone may end in frustration as reduction in weight and body fat will not be as evident. When you engage in high-intensity exercises, results are much faster. However, if training for a marathon or Iron Man, exercising at a lower intensity is better as you need to retain your glycogen storage in order to sustain long periods of exercise.
8. Fact or Myth: Muscle weighs more than fat.
Myth!
This is one of the most widely used phrases in the fitness world and it is incorrect. One pound of fat and one pound of muscle both weigh one pound. One pound of feathers and one pound of rocks both weigh one pound. That being said, muscle is denser than fat and takes up less space. One pound of muscle also burns more calories than one pound of fat. Estimates indicate that one pound of muscle burns roughly fifty calories per day, while one pound of fat burns approximately two calories per day. Thus, while fat and muscle weigh the same, adding extra muscle through exercise can be a powerful tool when it comes weight loss and maintenance.
9. Fact or Myth: You can build muscle while losing weight.
Myth!
Your metabolism has two basic modes: anabolic which means building-up or adding and catabolic which means breaking-down or eliminating. Losing fat occurs in catabolic mode (which includes maintaining a calorie deficit), while adding muscle requires that you be in anabolic mode (which includes maintaining a small calorie surplus). Eating Free usually recommends that you start by aiming to lose fat while preserving existing muscle by consuming proper amounts of protein and strength training as recommended. Then when fat goals are reached, switch the aim to muscle gain (and weight) while minimizing fat regain.