Have you ever been misled by a fat loss myth?
Our elders and peers provide an incredible insight into health and lifestyle that are amazingly applicable to our lives today. However, there are also a lot of embellishments and half truths I feel should be exposed!
Let me shed a little light on to these three myths and provide you with some valuable take home points to help you shed body fat!
Myth Number 1- Quitting on Roti
Cut out your carbs from roti and rice to lose body fat! This is the most common trend in the clients I have worked with. In an attempt to lose weight, they have ditched an entire food group, only to find they are tired, lacking in energy and struggling to recover from the exercise they have performed.
The mechanism in which body fat initially reduces is through reduced overall calorie restriction and a reduction in water weight caused by lower glycogen stores (the body stores carbs as glycogen which binds to water in the muscles and liver).
While this is great for the short term and it can be very motivating to see the numbers drop on the scale quickly, unfortunately this is not a long-term strategy for most. After a week on a very low carb diet, you may feel like you hit a wall. Energy levels suddenly diminish, and the rapid weight loss begins to slow down. Training sessions become more difficult to perform in, endurance reduces, and recovery is impaired.
My recommendations:
- Adopt a long-term approach that does not single out food groups as negative
- Choose to consume most of your carbohydrates pre and post workout
- Eat carbohydrates that you digest well, the ones that don’t leave you feeling bloated, lethargic and with digestive distress
- Develop a nutritional strategy that puts you into a manageable calorie deficit
Myth 2 Sweat Isn’t an Indicator of Fat Loss
Sweating more is an easy way to lose more fat. In an attempt to lose those extra lbs you may resort to wearing extra layers, bin bags under your clothes and waist trainers!
While the logic is sound, you will drop more water weight and ultimately when you check the scale weight it will reduce, the mechanism is flawed in terms of actual body fat loss! It is also heavily flawed, if you want to actually improve your lean body mass and make the most of the opportunity training provides!
Sweating is a sign that the body is doing a great job of maintaining body temperature. When your body exceeds a certain temperature (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit), your brain activates the sweat glands in your skin. This leads to the loss of water, salts, sugar and waste products. Therefore the amount you sweat will have little significance on your actual fat loss, as fat is not required to be metabolised in this process.
My Recommendations:
- Focus your sessions on the three M’s for muscle gain (muscle damage, metabolic stress and mechanical tension)
- Hydrate throughout sessions
- You will actually benefit from replacing electrolytes when you train to improve muscle contractions and avoid cramping
Myth 3 Haldi is a fat burner!
Tumeric is everywhere at the moment. From being mixed with milk and honey for increased fat burn before bed to your favourite Starbucks beverages!
Unfortunately the mechanisms for steady fat loss are not as simple as popping a few grams of turmeric into your daily diet. With also get lean quick schemes and magic wands, the fad seems to be short lived. However, on a positive note, turmeric does contain some pretty awesome compounds that can improve your health!
Curcumin is a compound found in turmeric. It is a highly effective antioxidant and anti-inflammatory supplement when paired with black pepper. A recommended dose between 100-500mg will be effective, although much higher dosages have been prescribed with few side effects!
My Recommendations
- I use this supplement in my arsenal to repair and recover muscle through reduced inflammation caused by muscle damage after training.
- Take 200mg per day to help alleviate joint pain
- Take curcumin without black pepper if you want to use it as a colon anti inflammatory (or use turmeric directly to aid in digestion)
- Focus on improving lean tissue if your goal is to burn fat, after training a muscle, the rate of protein synthesis and breakdown is increased for hours after, which creates an energy demand!
Avoid the common fat loss myths and start to develop a routine that will be effective and efficient for you! With the wedding season closing in, it may be time for you to start making positive changes today! Feel free to email me for information on online coaching, have a look at a sample of my clients results here.
