Wednesday, February 25, 2009

3 Weight Loss Myths That Can Put Your Life in Jeopardy

By Frances Norah Smith

If you read health magazines regularly, you are sure to come across a lot of tips regarding to weight loss. Some of these tips actually work, and others don't. The ones that generally don't work are those that suggest fad diets, weight loss supplements and pills. The tips that actually work for everybody are always simple: that of diet and exercise. However, the weight loss industry is ridden with myths and misleading information, and people often tend to twist the truths, either because of their own advantage or out of plain ignorance. In this article I will discuss three such weight loss myths.

1. Myth#1: Spot reduction of fat is possible: Not at all true, and I am sure that any weight loss expert will unanimously agree to this. You cannot force your body to spot reduce your fat under any circumstances, no matter what type of workouts you do.

If you do only crunches and leg lifts frequently in the hope of reducing belly fat, you will notice that instead of reducing your belly fat, you will reduce the muscle mass that resides beneath the abdomen. For this reason, your focus should not be on crunches and leg lifts alone; you should also follow a healthy diet that would speed up your metabolic rate and help you burn fat fast!

2. Myth#2: You will lose body fat if you cut down extremely on your calorie intake: This myth has influenced many to go on a starvation diet hoping to lose their excess fat quick. Not many are aware about the consequences of such diets. These types of diets damage the body instead of helping them. The body goes into starvation mode when it senses that there is a very low or no calorie intake. This takes place usually when you are fasting or starving. The body slows down your metabolism rate when it goes into starvation mode. This results in the loss of muscles instead of fat in order to produce energy. The bigger downside to cutting down drastically on calorie intake is that you will gain extra weight once you return to your normal diet.

3. Myth#3: Doing cardio exercises alone can assist in weight loss: Cardio exercises can definitely assist in weight loss however it is not the only form of exercise that is able to help you lose weight. Different form of exercises like aerobics can also have the same weight loss effects. Other exercise like weight lifting on the other hand, is a much better exercise compared to both cardio and aerobics. It assists in weight loss and also helps you gain muscles at the same time.

I sincerely hope that this article has successfully brought the real weight loss truths before you! - 16650

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