Weight Loss Myths
If you’re tired of all those weight loss myths, magic diets and ridiculous “get thin quickly” schemes you find on the internet? Many of my clients at Rising Fitness in Houston, TX were and came to get sound advice that really worked. We use science-backed training and an individual approach. No two people are alike and that should be reflected in their weight loss program. Some gyms and trainers do a one size fits all approach, which doesn’t work for everyone.
Just counting carbs and calories isn’t enough.
A calorie is a standardized measure of energy provided by a specific food. Any energy your body doesn’t burn is converted to fat for later use. When you count calories, you attempt to keep the calorie intake lower than the number of calories you burn. That doesn’t mean all calories are equal. There’s a lot of difference between eating 400 calories of a quality protein food and 400 calories from a simple carb. Protein goes through a different digestive process that causes you to feel fuller longer, while boosting your metabolism and aiding in the weight loss function. Calories from carbs like fruits and vegetables come with nutrients that help weight loss, while carbs from donuts with the same number of calories don’t. What you eat is more important than how many calories or carbs you eat.
Don’t weigh yourself daily or expect the same weight loss every week.
Weighing yourself every day, even if it’s at the same time, can be quite discouraging. If you expect to lose weight at a level rate, you’ll be discouraged quickly. A lot of things can affect how much weight you lose. Water weight affects weight loss and the amount of muscle you gained affects it, too. Judge your efforts over several weeks. If you’re doing everything right, you’ll be successful.
You need more than exercise to lose weight.
While working out is part of getting healthier and losing weight, what you eat makes a huge difference. In fact, there’s a saying that a great body starts in the kitchen. Weight loss is all about calories in vs calories burned and having all the nutrients to keep you torching calories. When you eat healthy and time your snacks to complement your workout, you’ll get more from your workout and lose weight faster. You need both a health diet and a program of exercise, which is why we focus on both.
- One of the most prevalent myths is that you have to starve yourself to lose weight. The opposite is actually true. A super low calorie diet can actually lower your metabolism and make weight loss harder.
- Some people focus on aerobic exercise for weight loss and skip other types of workouts. Aerobic training may burn calories, but they’re from both fat and muscle tissue. When you lose muscle tissue, your metabolism slows. Use all types of training, particularly strength training, for weight loss.
- Instead of choosing special “diet foods” at the grocery, opt for more whole foods that have less processing is best. Even diet drinks can be a trap. Recent studies show diet soft drinks can actually cause you to put on belly fat.
- Don’t fall for those television commercials that tell you that weight loss comes without effort by just taking a pill. Many of those “magic pills” come with a recommended low calorie diet and that’s really why you lose weight. The pills only make your wallet thinner.
For more information, contact us today at Rising Fitness Gym
