Koala Fitness

Weight Loss Success

Common Myths

Role of Exercise

Nutrition

Putting it all Together

Why Some Diets Work

>> Common Myths Regarding Weight Loss

1. MYTH: When it comes to dieting , less is better, meaning the less you eat, the more successful you'll be.

TRUTH: Eating too little may actually make weight loss more difficult, especially in the long run. It has been shown through research that if food intake is too low that your metabolism (the rate at which you burn calories) is slowed. This may cause a plateau in weight loss, and may lead to weight regain once you return to regular eating patterns. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

2. MYTH: Muscle will make you bulky, so it's better not to lift weights, or at least to wait until you lose some weight to begin a weight lifting program.

TRUTH: You will not be able to get bigger from weight lifting unless you are also eating more food. Because muscle is more dense than fat (and therefore takes up less space), a higher percentage of muscle would cause you to appear smaller. In addition, muscle is more metabolically active than fat, and therefore would increase your metabolism and allow you to burn more calories 24 hours/day, therefore enhancing weight loss.

3. MYTH: Carbohydrates make you fat.

TRUTH: Eating carbohydrates do not cause weight gain any more than eating protein or fat. In fact, carbohydrates have less than half the calories than fat does, and carbohydrates have the same amount of calories as protein gram for gram.

Here is the breakdown:

1 gram of carbohydrate = 4 calories

1 gram of protein = 4 calories

1 gram of fat = 9 calories

4. MYTH: It's better to work at a lower intensity to burn more fat during aerobic exercise. This will put you in the "fat burning zone". TRUTH: Although your body may burn a higher percentage of calories from fat at lower intensities, you will not burn as many total calories at low intensities. Your body doesn't care where calories come from when you exercise. Your goal should be to burn a higher number of total calories, even if some of them come from carbohydrate stores. Ex: Walking for 30 min. burns approximately 150 calories compared to jogging for 30 min. which burns approximately 300 calories.

5. MYTH: You can target fat loss on your abs, thighs, hips, etc. TRUTH: It is not possible to "spot reduce". When we lose body fat, we do not pull fat stores from "target" areas. We lose fat from head to toe. So, doing 300 crunches a day alone most likely will not be enough to burn the fat on your stomach. It is important to find a balance with calorie intake, aerobic exercise, and overall strength training to reduce total body fat.