Have you ever been subjected to these 3 common Indian fat loss myths?
Another week and some more Indian weight loss myths to dispel! I am quite confident I could do three a week for the whole year, but lets see how long this lasts!
Men should eat 2500 calories (according to the NHS)! This is a recommendation widely accepted for the average man to maintain a healthy weight. This is NOT a specific recommendation to you and needs to be reviewed based on a number of factors!
Here are just a few reasons this generalised calorie target will not work for you:
- Body shape
- Muscle mass
- Height
- Training status
- Activity levels
- Metabolic health
- Lifestyle
Training abs will help you reduce body fat around your midsection! This is termed spot reduction, whereby you train a muscle or an area to increase the amount of fat loss. You may see people in the gym doing countless amounts of crunches and side bends to drop their love handles!
Unfortunately the ability to spot reduce body fat has been disproven many times. The best course of action is to create a calorie deficit through nutritional intake (click here to find out how), activity, non exercise activity thermogenesis and consistency!
You may have heard that cumin seeds in water on an empty stomach is meant to be the next greatest thing in fat loss! In fact the claims do not stop there, Times of India released an article (see the article here) completely devoid of facts, context or scientific backing, claiming that jeera seeds can not only torch body fat, but also boost metabolism, lower cholesterol and eliminating toxins from the body!
As you can tell, I am completely unimpressed with these claims. Dropping body fat requires a great deal of behavioural change, maintaining a calorie deficit and if you want to look good when you are lean, then a fair amount of training as well! Jeera seeds in water, as an isolated change to your routine is not going to have a significant impact on your goal unless you combine it with exercise, a measured approach to your nutritional intake and a modification in behaviours!
