You know you can’t believe everything you read, and it seems a regular thing for weight loss fads and trends to enter the media. How do you sort the fact from the fiction? Let’s set the record straight about some of the worst weight loss tips we’ve ever heard.
You can burn more calories on an empty stomach
Why that’s bull: Working out with or without food in your stomach doesn’t affect calorie burn. But skipping meals before a good workout could result in muscle loss.
Eat as few calories as possible
Why that’s bull: Cutting calories too low sends your body into starvation mode, which alternatively, slows down your metabolism.
Chew mint gum to eat less
Why that’s bull: The lingering taste of mint can actually reduce the palatability of healthy food. In other words, when you loose the gum and go for a snack, sweet treats are likely to look –and taste- much more appealing than a piece of fruit or a vegetable.
No pain, no gain
Why that’s bull: If you’re not an elite athlete and you’re exercising for the health benefits, including better heart health, improved mood, weight regulation, increased energy, or getting more sleep, there is no need for pain. Plus, a painful workout is one you are less likely to repeat.
The best time to workout is morning or night
Why that’s bull: When it comes to fat loss, there’s not much of a benefit either way. What happens over a 24-hour period is what truly matters. The best time to work out is whenever you most feel like exercising and/or can fit it into your schedule.
Running, spinning, or any other exercise is best
Why that’s bull: No single kind of exercise is best for weight loss and experts say that mixing up your exercise routine will generate the best long-term results.
We all receive bad fitness advice, often from well-meaning people: parents, coaches, friends, etc. Some of that bad advice sticks, but it shouldn’t. If you’ve been eating and working out based on advice you received so long ago you can’t remember where it came from, question it. When it comes to working out, pay attention to the new studies because the science behind working out is changing rapidly as we continue to learn more and more about the human body.
One last thing to remember is that no single diet or exercise regimen alone will help you lose weight, as both are needed for ideal results.
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