Article from Medical Daily by Joshua Tresvalles
Burning out fats to achieve or maintain a healthy weight does not have to be complicated. Unfortunately, this is exactly the case, with many myths and unsound fitness advice floating around the internet causing unnecessary pain and frustration among many of you who want or are planning to shed unwanted pounds.
Now is the time to debunk these lies. Listed here are 3 fitness lies that prevent you from losing weight this season, courtesy of Men’s Health:
1. You Can’t Add Muscle And Lose Weight
According to the International Journal of Obesity, your muscles contribute to a whopping 20 percent of your metabolic rate, while your fat mass uses 3 percent of your energy. All this means is that staying lean involves adding muscle through strength building exercises.
Metabolic rate determines how well you burn off fats and utilize protein, all of which can lead to either weight loss, retention or gain as well as added muscle.
Some strength-building exercises for gaining muscle include weightlifting and exercises that use your body weight as natural resistance such as push-ups, crunches and leg squats.
2. Swapping “Bad” Fats For “Good” Ones
“Most foods contain a mixture of both types (of fats),” Steve Grant, nutrition consultant, said. “It’s not one way or the other.” The “bad” saturated fat present in rib-eye steak contains about the same number of calories as healthier salmon. In addition, feta cheese is weighed lighter than nuts.
According to Harvard University’s The Nutrition Source, saturated fats negatively impact health when consumed in excess, though not as much as trans fats, which are found mainly in processed foods. Foods that contain large amounts of saturated fats include red meat, butter, cheese and ice cream. Saturated fat is also present in some plant-based fats such as coconut oil and palm oil.
On the other hand, “good” unsaturated fats — monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats — lower your risk of diseases. Foods that are high in unsaturated fats include nuts, seeds, fish and vegetable oils such as olive, canola and sunflower oils.
3. Carbs Are Bad For You
There is no need for you to follow a minimal to no-carb diet for weight loss. Instead, just aim for one gram of carbs per pound of bodyweight in the hour after training. It is the optimal formula for storing those grams as muscle, and not as fat.
Carbohydrates all break down into blood sugar or glucose that fuels your body. However, while simple carbs such as those found in regular pasta and white bread tend to release glucose faster (which have a side effect of causing a spike in insulin levels — not a good thing if you are suffering from diabetes), complex carbs such as those in leafy greens, sweet potatoes and brown rice break down slowly.
For instant physical energy daily, simple carbs should do the trick. If you want to lose a lot of pounds or maintain your weight, it is good to consume more high-fiber carb sources.
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