The Myths Surrounding Fat Loss

In the billion dollar diet industry, where fad diets and promises of huge losses in weight in a short amount of time thrive, myths and other misinformation are abound.  These myths spread from gym to gym and from dieter to dieter faster than the recent flu outbreak.  So, I thought I would tackle a few of these fat loss myths in order to put them to rest.

Myth – You can spot reduce fat

This is one myth that people have a hard time with and is also the target of a lot of exercise products.  If you’ve got a little extra fat hanging over your jeans you won’t be able to burn just that fat off by doing ab work, for example.  You need to concentrate on burning your overall body fat and in time the fat hanging over the jeans will disappear.

Myth – Exercise burns fat for 24 hrs

Many people believe that since they just got done with a tough workout, that they can go eat whatever they want because there body is now burning fat for the next 24 or so hours.  Unfortunately, this isn’t necessarily the case.  It doesn’t matter whether you exercise or not, if at the end of the day you take in more calories than you burn then most likely you’re not going to lose fat.

Myth – Everybody can lose 30 lbs. of fat this week by following the insert fad diet here!

Claims of ridiculous amounts of weight loss in a short amount of time should always be questioned.  Though it is possible for some to lose weight quickly, it’s not possible for everybody and it isn’t always the healthiest option.  Losing body fat takes time, but you can speed up the process by following some proven fat loss strategies including a healthy diet and exercise.