The Greatest Weight Loss Myths

The Internet is full of false information and wild claims, and this could not be more true for advice on weight loss. So many websites are focused on selling a product that they forget about advertising standards and even morals when they write their sales pitches. What results is often misinformation and this is unfortunately picked up by readers and the media.

So here we share what we believe are the biggest weight loss myths that are circulating the Internet.

1. You Do Not Need To Diet If You Do A Lot Of Exercise

This is one of the worse myths. Some people believe that if you exercise enough you do not need to adjust your diet. The reason why people appear to lose weight with just exercising is usually because these particular people have naturally changed their eating habits without really thinking about it. Exercise itself can curb appetite, but it does not always. Research shows that exercise is not actually that effective for weight loss, diet is key. Counting calories really does work.

2. Puppy Fat is Healthy and Harmless

The health of children is often in the news these days. This is a classic myth. Many parents believe that it is normal for toddlers to be overweight, and that they will easily lose the weight as they grow up. However, studies have shown that most children that are overweight or obese by the age of 5 remain overweight into adult life.

3. Weight Training Causes Women to Bulk Up

Weight training is one of the best ways for you to lose weight. By building muscle you turn your body into a fat burning machine. Women are often put off the idea of weight training, thinking that they will bulk up and look manly. This is simply not true. If anything some extra muscle will add more shape to a woman and make her look more feminine. Don’t believe us? Take a look at our weight training for women articles.

4. You Lose Weight in Problem Areas By Exercising Those Areas

This is known as spot reduction, and it is not possible. Where we put on weight, and where we lose weight, is determined by our genetics. Build muscle on your abs does not burn stomach fat. To lose fat you need to lose overall body fat, and that requires full body workouts with both weight training and cardio.

5. Weight Loss Supplements Will Cause Your Fat to Melt Away

There are so many products on the market to help weight loss. They really fall into to main groups: products to speed up fat burning (metabolism) and products to block fat from passing from the digestive system into the body. Acai is one of those products that claim to increase metabolism. It does not work, at least it works no better than eating other berries instead of the usual diet you grew on.