Myths vs Facts

xxcatyxx555

There are a whole bunch of rumors going around that i cant distinguished fact from fiction help me out?

Is it true that after 30 minutes of cardio you dont burn anymore fat?

low protein is why im not losing weight?

honestly im so confused and dont know what im doing at all and have had little to no help from my friends on here. can someone just give me a plan of action, im really lost:(

joejccva71

You've been on my friends list quite a long time now. There was a reason we became friends. You can always ask for help.

Answer these questions:

1. Are you sure you know what you're burning in a 24 hour period? (TDEE)
2. Are you staying true to your calorie tracking? If you ate something sweet and unhealthy, track it. Do not steer away from the tracking. It works.
3. Are you eating too much of a calorie deficit to the point of stalling in your progress?
4. Are you working out in the gym too much?

Low protein isn't why you aren't losing weight. It could be why you don't have good body composition though by retaining muscle mass. And no it's not true that after 30 mins of cardio you don't burn anymore fat. Fat is burned by eating a calorie deficit. Muscle is also burned by eating a calorie deficit, but to minimize it we consume enough protein and lift weights.

What exactly has stalled your progress?

rileysowner

What Joe posted is correct. Just as an encouragement I have an MFP friend who did not lose any weight for something like 6 weeks, but in that time lost plenty in her measurements. Thankfully she was not stuck on the number on the scale, and realized if the measurements are going down you are losing fat.

ninerbuff

There are a good number of people here that I know relay good correct information. Seek them out and ask them if you have a question. We usually rely on clinical studies and not all the anecdotal pseudoscience that some tout here as gospel.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

xxcatyxx555

You've been on my friends list quite a long time now. There was a reason we became friends. You can always ask for help.

Answer these questions:

1. Are you sure you know what you're burning in a 24 hour period? (TDEE)
2. Are you staying true to your calorie tracking? If you ate something sweet and unhealthy, track it. Do not steer away from the tracking. It works.
3. Are you eating too much of a calorie deficit to the point of stalling in your progress?
4. Are you working out in the gym too much?

Low protein isn't why you aren't losing weight. It could be why you don't have good body composition though by retaining muscle mass. And no it's not true that after 30 mins of cardio you don't burn anymore fat. Fat is burned by eating a calorie deficit. Muscle is also burned by eating a calorie deficit, but to minimize it we consume enough protein and lift weights.

What exactly has stalled your progress?

if i eat it, i track it. im psycho when it comes to that, and i always have at least 1200 to 1900 calories day, i eat if im hungry, and not as much if im not. and idk i usually burn (if MFP is correct) 700-1300 calories on days when i work out

i really have no clue, i mean like i work out 5 periods of my 9 period school day and then i go home and sometimes work out more, #clueless

IvoryParchment

If you exercise, you need calories. They have to come from somewhere. Your body does have a general schedule of priorities: The sugar already in your blood and entering from your digestive tract will be used immediately. Then comes glycogen stored in your liver (a starch your body builds from the carbs you eat). Burning fat is complicated and tends to occur after you've tapped the other sources. But they're all going on at the same time. Your body is constantly building and breaking down.

Men tend to use glycogen more, and women can live on fat better. Long distance swimming records are often held by women, who can go long periods without consuming calories and often function pretty well with low blood sugars. But everyone is individual. If you exercise hard and get so tired you have to rest, you burned sugar and glycogen. If you keep a slow pace and keep going a few hours, you're probably tapping fat, as the other sources will get used up.

In the end it's whether you burn more calories than you consume, but if you're burning fat, your greater endurance will allow you to burn more calories in total.

BrianSharpe

Best suggestion I can make is always think critically. Does the idea make sense? What are the sources? (When it comes to "they say" who are "they") Is the person making the statement objective (eg Product X seller extolling the virtues product line)?

Usually if something sounds to good to be true it is. Check sources make sure their credible and objective - there are lots of health related web sites offering good solid information and lots that are utter crap.

And no, you don't stop burning fat after 30 minutes of cardio.