3 Weight Loss Myths You Never Knew About

Whenever you browse health publications regularly, you are sure to find numerous tips relating to fat loss. Some of these strategies really work, and others really don’t. Those that generally aren’t effective are the ones that advocate fad diets and slimming drugs. The techniques that actually succeed for everybody will always be simple: nutritious diet as well as the appropriate exercise routine. Unfortunately, the diet publication rack is full of myths together with mistaken guidance, and some people have a tendency to twist the reality, possibly out of ignorance or simply because they intend to turn a profit out of misleading others. In this article I will focus on 3 such dieting myths.

Myth #1: Spot reduction of excess fat is possible. Nope, it’s not. Weight reduction experts concur with this fact, unanimously. You can’t force your body to get rid of excess fat from targeted areas under any conditions, regardless of what kind of workout routines you do or devices you utilize. If you do only sit ups and leg lifts repeatedly, in the hope of reducing abdominal fat, you will be discouraged when you see that rather than trimming your stomach fat, you are likely to shrink the muscle that exists in the abdomen. This is why, your emphasis shouldn’t be on crunches and leg lifts on their own. It’s also sensible to follow a healthy eating plan that would accelerate your metabolic process and also enable you to shed extra pounds rapidly.

Myth #2: An enormous cut in the quantity you eat will reduce extra fat. Here is the most hazardous of the 3 myths. It has literally encouraged a number of people to go to the risk associated with crash dieting. People choose to use crash dieting with the hope of getting rid of excess weight as soon as possible, but they don’t realize the fact that crash dieting harms their bodies rather than enhancing their fitness. As a matter of fact, whenever you starve or fast, your body reacts by means of starting starvation mode. It holds back your metabolic rate and even uses up your lean muscle instead of excess fat to meet your energy requirements. This is the reverse of what you’re looking for. You don’t get rid of a lot of body fat in the least, but you will lose your vital muscles. This also lowers your resting metabolism even more, making sure that once you return to your previous eating plan, it will be even easier for you to gain more weight all over again. This is the process behind yo-yo dieting, to which a lot of people are susceptible. It’s not healthy for you, not in the short term or the long run.

Myth #3: Nothing but aerobic workouts can help you get rid of fat. Not on your life, and they may not even be the number one choice. While it’s unmistakable that cardio workouts can certainly help you shed fat, it is far from correct that this is the only form of slimming exercise available or even the most effective. Believe it or not, lifting weights is better than either cardio or aerobics. Lifting weights not only helps you shed fat for the duration of your exercise routine, but it also grows your muscles, which then burns even more energy even when you’re resting.

I truly hope that this article has demolished these untrue weight loss myths and made it easier for you to be aware of the truth.

Is There a Weight Loss Plan to Beat the Weight Loss Plateau?

Hitting the weight loss plateau isn’t uncommon as many people find that this will happen every time they start a new weight loss plan; most diets and plans are sold on the premise that you will see quick and emphatic weight loss and this is because ALL diets do have this effect. As the body adjusts to a lower calorie intake it still continues to burn calories at the older higher level; result: weight loss.

Unfortunately, weight loss plans generally have great results in the short term and the reason for this is that your body adjusts to survive on the reduced calorie intake and at that the point the body has adjusted and will stop losing weight.

When you reach this point, it is generally known as the weight loss plateau, the only way to counter this effect is to alter your lifestyle; changes to eating habits and the type of foods you eat on a regular basis and of course, regular exercise.

The scary thing about this weight loss plateau is that many people give up once they reach it and then see that their weight loss plan isn’t helping them lose weight anymore.

The problem is if they go back to how they were eating previously, prior to starting their weight loss plan, they will probably become heavier than they were before they started as their body has to adapt yet again, but this time to a higher calorie intake. This normally means that a rapid weight gain replaces a rapid weight loss.
That is why you need to find a weight loss plan that not only helps you lose weight quickly but also will help you lose weight continuously until your target weight is reached.

Most weight loss plans probably consist of the same types of food eaten daily and possibly the same type of exercise routine. The problem is that our bodies are smart and they naturally go into survival mode by adapting to burn fewer calories in order to make the energy reserves, stored in the body, last longer.
In order to go beyond this point, you must change the way you eat and exercise, a complete lifestyle turnaround.

Here are a couple of methods that will help you move off the weight loss plateau and continue with successful weight reduction.

1. Don’t let your Calorie intake drop too low: Never lower your calorie intake to a point where the body stops burning calories altogether, it can and will happen. You need to find foodstuffs that you can eat as much of as you like, that will take more calories to digest than they actually contain. These are commonly known as ‘negative’ calorie foods. There are weight loss plans that can help you understand the use of this type of strategy and you can find out more information by using the links at the end of this article.

2. Exercise: Exercise is vital as is increases your metabolic rate and the higher your metabolic rate the more calories your body will burn hence you lose weight, hardly rocket science, but you would be amazed how many people think that all you need to do is diet!

By using these two methods you will continue to lose weight and reach your target weight sooner than you ever thought was possible.

As mentioned there is a weight loss plan that you may want to consider looking at that concentrates on calorie shifting. Calorie shifting fools your metabolism into burning calories that you haven’t eaten and as a result you can enjoy rapid PROLONGED weight loss, something I’m sure we would all give serious consideration to. You can find out more about this program by following the links below.

What is Dukan Diet and its side-effects?

This article gives pertinent information about Dukan Diet and its side-effects

mediaimage
Pierre Dukan, a French doctor and nutritionist, challenged with the case of obesity started to look for alternative ways in curing the illness. After 20 years of thorough research he published in the year 2000, a book called, “Je ne sais pas maigrir” or translated as, “I don’t know how to get slimmer.” It gained the best-seller in France after a year it has been published.
It was made a hit in UK when Kate Middleton, now the duchess of Cambridge, tried the Dukan Diet before her marriage to the beloved Prince William, she reportedly claimed a loss of two dress sizes. It also allegedly claimed to help five million French. The book is also gaining fame in the US in the year 2011 when actress/singer, Jennifer Lopez, lost pounds after her pregnancy by following this diet.
Dukan Diet: What is it? How does this work?
Dukan Diet is similar to the famous Atkins diet. Atkins and Dukan are much alike in terms of non-intake of carbs initially and do not require portion control or counting calorie consumptions. In Atkins, it requires net carbohydrate intakes and unlike Dukan, it suggests a daily intake of oats, increase water consumption and 20 minutes of everyday brisk walking. Dukan Diet adopts four phases namely: Attack, Cruise, Consolidation and Stabilization.
Four Phases of the Dukan Diet
Attack: In this starter phase, the dieter is only allowed take protein rich foods that are exquisitely low in fat. Dr. Dukan provided 72-item list of foods to be eaten, it excludes pork, lamb, poultry products and cheeses. Food should always be cooked but without adding any fat to it, it best to cook in grilling or roasting. It also requires you to eat 1 ½ tbsp. oat bran & 1.5 liters of water per day. This phase should be followed around 2-7 days or more. Results from this initial phase within 5 days may result in 4-7 lbs. loss. This phase promotes quick loss of weight since it is strictly based on a protein-only diet.
Cruise: Cruise, the second to the fourth phase of the Dukan diet scheme. During this phase dieters who were only allowed to eat protein-only foods can now alternate a 28-items of non-starchy vegetables. They may take attack phase diet for today and take non-starchy veggie diet for tomorrow, and so this phase must go on by alternating these two types of diet each day. This phase may last long enough as much as you want by reaching your desired weight and assuring 2 pounds per week loss.
Consolidation: As one achieves the desired weight, one has to go the next phase called Consolidation, this is the maintenance phase of this diet scheme where you have to prevent putting back excess pounds. The plan in this phase is less strict compared to the first two phases. During this phase you are permitted to eat protein-only and veggie diet along with a piece of low-sugar fruit, 2 slices of whole grain bread and a portion of hard cheese. In this phase you are allowed to have 1-2 serving of starchy foods and one celebration meal per week. The phase of consolidation does not expect to loss off pounds but rather it is steadily the maintenance process.
Stabilization: Stabilization is the final phase and a life-long phase of the diet scheme. In here maintenance of the life-changing diet may be a challenging and tempting. During this portion of the scheme, one is already permitted to allow any food intake that a person wants and by also sticking to the diet rule in the consolidation phase. As Pierre Dukan suggest, that staying on the phase 1 rule once a week and eat whatever you like for the rest of the week lowers the chances of regaining weight.
Pros and Cons of Dukan Diet
Pros: The fast results of this diet scheme is beneficially rewarding and motivating. It allows you to have protein and veggie meal plan diets and does not require you to count off your calorie intakes.
Cons: It is highly restrictive and can exclude healthy foods. Dieters can experience side-effects such as symptoms of headaches, nausea, lethargy, irritable and loss of concentration. Dieters may acquire halitosis (bad breath), metallic tasting mouth and strong smell in their urines. For those people who have problems with their kidneys and liver are not advised to follow this diet plan. It is not also recommended for pregnant and nursing mothers.

Views and Opinions by Health Experts on the Dukan Diet
There are lots of critics in this diet plan. Due to the restrictive type scheme of this diet, some fruits, grains and nuts which are healthy and have high amounts of vitamins and minerals that are vital to the nutrition of the body are eliminated. Keri Gans of American Dietetic Association, said that the lost amount of multivitamins that should be acquired from those restricted foods are not compensated in the Dukan diet. Experts have also criticized that experiencing such side-effects may not be healthy at all.