FIVE Nutritional Myths Busted

Fat Loss Myth #1: Weight Loss Powders and Pills Can Permanently Shed Body Fat
The fat loss industry is worth trillions (that’s 12 zeros!) of dollars. The corporate world is creaming it from people’s obsession with a quick fix for fat loss. One of the ways that large corporations get rich at your expense is by marketing miracle fat loss pills, powders and shakes that promise remarkable results. 

The truth is that no pill, powder or shake will EVER get you lean. It doesn’t matter which ‘breakthrough’ herbal fat loss has been added to a product, its effect will be negligible at best. Some herbs do have a legitimate thermogenic effect, with the potential to increase fat burning by 30-50 calories over the course of a day. But it takes 3,500 calories to burn off 0.5kgs of fat. At that rate, it would take more than 6 months just to lose a kilo of fat. And it would cost hundreds of dollars!

Supplements are not a replacement for real, whole food. In addition, many of the ingredients that are packed into these miracle fat loss compounds are downright dangerous. All you have to do is to take a look at the fine print at the bottom of the glossy ads that sell these products. You’ll find a long list of disclaimers and warnings.

Fat Loss Bottom Line: Don’t waste your money on fat loss supplements.


Fat Loss Myth #2: You Can Out-Train a Bad Diet
Have you ever been tempted by a delicious blueberry muffin while out shopping? Did you rationalise that you’re going to the gym later, so you’ll burn those extra calories off (you probably also reasoned that it contained blueberries, so must be healthy). 

It’s human nature to rationalise our situation in order to get what we want in the moment. We all do it all the time. However, when it comes to food and exercise, it just doesn’t work. That blueberry muffin is going to add about 385 calories to your body. To burn it off, you’d have to be working out for about 43 minutes. That’s just to get you back to a zero calorie balance for your session. If you’re working out properly your workout should only take around 45 minutes. So, that means that your blueberry muffin indulgence has just negated the total effect of your workout for that day - was it really worth it?

Fat Loss Bottom Line: Don’t fool yourself - you cannot out-train a bad diet


Fat Loss Myth #3: All Calories Are Equal
This one seems rather obvious, but there are a lot of people who are totally obsessed with counting calories, to the exception of all else. So long as their total daily calories are within a certain number, they feel that they are on track with their fat loss goals. But think of how silly that really is . . .

Imagine two armies marching to battle. There are two hundred soldiers in each army. The army on the left is comprised of grown men, fully trained for combat. But the army on the right is made up of 4-year old children!

There’s the same number of people in each army - but the effectiveness of those armies is going to be completely different.

Same thing with calories. Food is made up of three macronutrients...

• Carbohydrates

• Fat

• Protein

Fat loss, muscle gain or weight maintenance comes down to what ratio of each of those macronutrients you put into your body. In order to lose fat, you need to reduce your consumption of carbs, while increasing your intake of proteins and fats. Of course, you will also need to gradually reduce your overall caloric intake, but that is secondary to your macro choices.

Fat Loss Bottom Line: Macros matter; increase proteins and fats, decrease carbs


Fat Loss Myth #4: Eating Late At Night Will Make You Gain Weight
This is a very common belief, but one that, as it turns out, has no scientific basis. The experts all agree - it doesn’t matter what time you eat your food. It is, rather, the total make-up of the food you eat (including macros and total calories) over the course of the day that will determine if you lose, gain or maintain weight. This is what is known as the calorie-in-calorie-out theory. 

There was a study done in the mid-1980’s where mice that were fed more at night had double the weight gain compared to those that had their last meal earlier in the day. However, those results have never been corroborated in humans and there was no explanation to the weight gain.

We do need to be smart about nighttime eating. That’s not because there is some metabolic disadvantage to eating in the evening, but, rather, because we are prone to overeating at night. When we are sitting in front of the TV screen it is very eating to pack away the calories. And it’s usually not healthy calories. 

Fat Loss Bottom Line: Eating at night won’t make you gain weight, but eating too much at night will.


Fat Loss Myth #5: Adding Fruits And Vegetables To Your Diet Will Make You Lose Weight
This one is a lot like the belief that you can out-train a bad diet. A lot of people seem to think that you can have the burger and fries, so long as you finish it off with a banana or a salad. This is pure and simple wishful thinking. 

Equally insane is to take a beautiful, healthy vegetable, such as a carrot stick and then smother it with a dip. That will not negate the negative health effects of the dip! Of course, some dips, such as hummus, are better than others. However, they should still be enjoyed as an occasional indulgence.

Fat Loss Bottom Line: Fruit and vegetables will not negate bad food choices