Weightloss myths!!!!

dartany

Please post weight loss myths and bust them here. We can all use the help. No one wants to jump on a bandwagon that has already crashed.

dartany

When you exercise you are turning fat into muscle. Ummm soo wrong. A fat cell is always a fat cell. A muscle cell is always a muscle cell. When you lose weight you are simply reducing the amount of fat stored in the fat cell and thusly it becomes smaller.

rileysowner

MYTH: You can spot reduce.

TRUTH: It is impossible to spot reduce pure and simple. You need to get rid of fat from your whole body.

Rubie81

Oh I like this. I have nothing to add just want to save it for some good reading later.

JenniferH81

How about the one always starting arguments here: muscle weighs more than fat.

sarahs440

The less you eat, the more you lose.

Angela4Health

Interesting.

get_it_gone2012

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get_it_gone2012

Oh, and that MFP's calculations for you are the "be all end all". Not necessarily... everyone's different.

jltodd99

When you exercise you are turning fat into muscle. Ummm soo wrong. A fat cell is always a fat cell. A muscle cell is always a muscle cell. When you lose weight you are simply reducing the amount of fat stored in the fat cell and thusly it becomes smaller.

Does this mean the muscle cell gets bigger when you start using it?

kdao

How about the one always starting arguments here: muscle weighs more than fat.

:happy: yes.

deeharley

How about the one always starting arguments here: muscle weighs more than fat.

My kids and I just discussed this one today.

rileysowner

When you exercise you are turning fat into muscle. Ummm soo wrong. A fat cell is always a fat cell. A muscle cell is always a muscle cell. When you lose weight you are simply reducing the amount of fat stored in the fat cell and thusly it becomes smaller.

Does this mean the muscle cell gets bigger when you start using it?

Yes.

Angela4Health

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elvb

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vaavamom1

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rileysowner

MYTH: The fat burning zone is where you should work out.

TRUTH: http://www.active.com/triathlon/Articles/The-Myth-of-the-Fat-burning-Zone.htm

millerll

"You're building muscle."

Not likely. It's VERY difficult to build muscle mass while in a calorie deficit. This is one of the reasons bodybuilders have a "bulking" phase where they eat tons of calories, lift like crazy, and get all puffy. Then they do a "cutting" phase where they cut the fat while trying to minimize muscle loss.

Even serious lifters have trouble gaining more than a few pounds of muscle mass a year.

However, it is true that your muscles can retain water right after you lift hard, a by-prodouct of the muscle fiber tear-down process, I believe. This can lead to temporary (small) weight gain.

ropedancer

Myth: If women life any weights, they'll bulk up like the Hulk

Truth: Women simply don't have the ability to naturally hulk out

ChristineMiller2

marking for later

jwstew007

MYTH: The body completely shuts off one fuel source when it turns on the other.

TRUTH:What has often been misunderstood by both exercisers and exercise instructors alike is that the body relies on both fat and carbs for energy all the time, albeit in different ratios. In fact, as you sit here reading, you may be burning about 50-60 percent fat and 50-40 percent carbohydrates

Full Article: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/busting-the-great-myths-of-fat-burning

3LittleMonkeys

"You're building muscle."

Not likely. It's VERY difficult to build muscle mass while in a calorie deficit. This is one of the reasons bodybuilders have a "bulking" phase where they eat tons of calories, lift like crazy, and get all puffy. Then they do a "cutting" phase where they cut the fat while trying to minimize muscle loss.

Even serious lifters have trouble gaining more than a few pounds of muscle mass a year.

However, it is true that your muscles can retain water right after you lift hard, a by-prodouct of the muscle fiber tear-down process, I believe. This can lead to temporary (small) weight gain.

The gain the next day after a workout. I have been wanting to ask this question! I notice a slight gain the next day. But then it goes away. Thank you for the answer.

nseuell

Myth: as long as you exercise regularly, you can eat pretty much everything in moderation.

Truth: you need to feed your body with nutritionally dense foods. Diet is 80 % of fitness, exercise only 20%. Do not discount it's benefits, but use diet and exercise in conjunction with each other!

corpus_validum

Myth: If women life any weights, they'll bulk up like the Hulk

Truth: Women simply don't have the ability to naturally hulk out

It's quite remarkable the number of women that believe that. It's hard enough for guys to add muscle mass unless they're on roids or its their first few weeks. Women don't have the testosterone levels either to acquire much muscle mass unless drugs are used.

How many women do you know have "bulk" or serious muscles? Maybe 1 in 10,000, if that.
How many women are of a Costco "bulk" size? Probably 1 in 10.
Nail on coffin to that argument
But you all like to use it as an excuse not to do some serious weight lifting, and NOT the 2-5lb dumbbell crap.

Besides, which one's more physically appealing in general to guys? A fit "hulky" woman or an obese "bulky" woman?
Answer depends if you're a scrawny dude or not
Nail HAMMERED into coffin!!!

corpus_validum

Here's another...

MYTH: Big Caloric Deficits and Lots of Cardio Activity will lead to Rapid Fat Loss

TRUTH: For some...yes, but for most, Big Caloric Deficits and Lots of Activity Can Hurt Fat Loss

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

lowpost42

How about the one always starting arguments here: muscle weighs more than fat.

It's like the old axiom: Which weighs more; a pound of feathers or a pound of bricks?

Now, for identical volumes, muscle weighs more (has greater density).


Myth: doing cardio while wearing garbage bags makes you lose more weight.
Truth: it's a false loss - you're simply dehydrating. When you rehydrate, the weight comes back.

fouchou09

How about the one always starting arguments here: muscle weighs more than fat.

It's like the old axiom: Which weighs more; a pound of feathers or a pound of bricks?

Now, for identical volumes, muscle weighs more (has greater density).


Myth: doing cardio while wearing garbage bags makes you lose more weight.
Truth: it's a false loss - you're simply dehydrating. When you rehydrate, the weight comes back.

LOL, I had a trainer (a long time ago and obviously not a great trainer to begin with) who suggested a wear saran wrap around my waist and thighs while I was working out. I never bothered to try. I didn't understand how it would actually help and the thought of it all wrinkled up against my skin gave me the creeps.

bizco

Myth: Aerobics is better for shaping up than weight lifting.
Fact: to transform your physique, you must train with weights.

Myth: If you exercise, it doesn't matter what you eat.
Fact: If you exercise, it matters even more what you eat.

Myth: If women lift weights, they'll get bulky.
Fact: Resistance exercise helps women create lean, toned bodies.

Myth: Weight training is only for young people.
Fact: People of all ages should be weight training.

Myth: The longer you exercise, the better.
Fact: Too much exercise prevents results.

Myth: Muscles grow while you're working out.
Fact: Muscles grow while you're resting and recuperating.

Myth: To lose fat, and improve your body, don't eat.
Fact: To build a lean, healthy body, you have to eat.

Myth: High-carbohydrate, low-fat diets work best.
Fact: People are becoming fat from a "carb overdose."

dartany

Eating late at night causes weight gain. Nope its not what time of day you eat but what you eat that causes you to gain weight. However it could cause heatburn and indigestion.

pkpzp228

"You're building muscle."

Not likely. It's VERY difficult to build muscle mass while in a calorie deficit. This is one of the reasons bodybuilders have a "bulking" phase where they eat tons of calories, lift like crazy, and get all puffy. Then they do a "cutting" phase where they cut the fat while trying to minimize muscle loss.

Even serious lifters have trouble gaining more than a few pounds of muscle mass a year.

However, it is true that your muscles can retain water right after you lift hard, a by-prodouct of the muscle fiber tear-down process, I believe. This can lead to temporary (small) weight gain.

Expounding on this one slightly and I'll probably get a few arguments against it but this is a common missconception.


Myth: lifting heavy weight at lower reps = more mass, lifting light weight at higher rep = more tone.

For starters the easy one, tone comes from reducing fat (and dehydration in many cases) bigger, stronger muscles means more kcals burned, more tone.

As for bulk, low rep/high weight to fatigue == high rep/low weight, i,e working a muscle to fatigue is working to fatigue regardless of the strategy. The difference you're going to get with these two strategies is not bulk vs tone, it's strength vs endurance.

Take a look at real word examples, if a dancer lifts say 15 lbs for 20 reps, then a body builder must be lifting a mac truck like two or three times right? Wrong, Body builder's usually do (relatively) low weight high rep workouts just prior to competition (when size matters) because they want a pump. On the other hand look at those who lift the largest amount of weight, olympic lifters, strongman competition, etc. those guys aren't huge like body builders, they're huge like line backers... strength not size.

rileysowner

MYTH: As long as you eat "healthy" you will lose weight.

TRUTH: This is a half truth, eating "healthy" is important, but you can still over eat "healthy" food. If you don't keep calories consumed under calories burned you will not lose weight.

I lived this, BTW, after losing 20 pounds when I had a stroke while eating "healthy food" in the hospital and shortly before when I had already decided to change my life style, I keep eating "healthy" after getting out of the hospital. I lost nothing else for 3 months, then I started watching my calories and making sure I had a caloric deficit and started losing weight.