Gaining & Losing Weight
Rethinking Your Waistline: Nine Myths About Losing Weight
By Manuel Villacorta, MS, RDD, CSSD
Published Aug 20, 2008
Published Aug 20, 2008
Editor's note: Manuel Villacorta, MS, RDD, CSSD, is the founder of the interactive weight-management web site Nu4You and the lead nutritionist for RealJock's Weight-Loss Challenge. Want his personal help losing weight? Enter the challenge!
We all have cherished ideas about how to lose weight—but a lot of common notions about weight-loss are more myth than fact. Clinging to those myths can keep you from your goals, or even frustrate you into giving up. I've isolated my top nine myths about diet and exercise. Free your mind and the rest will follow….
Myth 1: Eating fewer carbohydrates burns more fat.
In order to lose fat you must lose weight, and to lose weight you must eat fewer calories than you are expending. But cutting just carbohydrates is not the solution—and may even be part of the problem. Your body needs carbohydrates so that you can function properly and sustain your exercise plan. Plus, carbohydrates actually help you burn fat as you lose weight by transporting fat cells to be metabolized. So, if you are lacking "carbs" you may actually stop burning fat cells. Carbohydrates, such as whole grains, are rich in B vitamins, which are key elements in helping your metabolism work. Thus a diet low in whole grains will actually negatively affect your metabolism. In addition, the two primary sources of energy when you exercise are glucose in the blood (a simple carbohydrate) and glucose in muscle in the form of glycogen (a complex carbohydrate). Therefore, if carbohydrates are either missing from your diet or are being eaten in insufficient amounts, your body will be forced to obtain the glucose needed for energy from protein. Your body gets protein energy by breaking down your muscles, which causes decreased muscle mass and can be very detrimental for the functioning of your body. This is especially bad given that muscle drives your resting metabolic rate, so having a higher muscle mass helps burn more fat, even while you are at rest.
Myth 2: If you begin an exercise program, you will lose fat.
Many people start an exercise program with the dream of losing weight. But exercise should not be used as a sole method for weight loss. You must really look closely at your diet. Eighty percent of the weight-loss game is your nutrition. You can exercise all you want, but you will not see the scale move down unless you eat fewer calories. Many people have signed up for marathons, boot camps, spinning classes, and gyms with the hope of losing weight, only to end up gaining it instead. Certainly, exercise is a great addition to a weight loss plan and will help you maintain muscle and burn calories, but eating the right diet is key.
Myth 3: Sit-ups will enable you to lose fat around the stomach and hips.
No matter what you've heard or hoped for, spot training does not burn fat from specific areas. You can build muscle in specific places, but fat loss happens gradually, throughout your whole body—and different people lose fat in different locations. Fat storage is very individualized. But the muscles do matter: When overall body fat decreases, the muscles you have worked on will become visible.
Myth 4: More exercise equals more weight loss. No pain, no gain!
You have to be careful about involving yourself in an extreme exercise plan because this can actually be a huge barrier to weight loss. It is counter-intuitive, but if you create too much of a caloric deficit with exercise your weight loss could stop, leaving you frustrated and ready to quit. Exercising more means your body needs more fuel—so if you are not fueling properly your metabolism may shut down. You'll go into emergency mode, where your body carefully preserves every calorie it gets.
So follow the plan that your RD has provided and stop thinking "the more the better." To lose weight you do have to burn more calories than you take in—but within reason. If you have found your proper deficit and you are losing weight, then continue with your plan. Don't get greedy—increasing exercise does not always mean weight loss will happen faster.
Myth 5: The more cardio the more fat loss.
You need a combination of cardiovascular exercises and strength training to burn fat and keep it off. Cardiovascular exercises can help you become more cardio fit and create a deficit of calories faster than resistance training, but strength training helps by maintaining muscle mass. Muscle mass is imperative for a strong metabolism, and for keeping your metabolism fast—and that is key to fat loss over time.
Myth 6: Empty stomach workouts burn more fat.
This is an old and insidious myth. Eating before you exercise will help improve performance, therefore giving better results from your exercise plan. On an empty stomach you don't have the energy to push yourself through your workouts and get all you can from them. And, exercising on an empty stomach will leave you feeling tired and sluggish for the rest of the day. There's a simple analogy: Your car will not run without gas just as your body will not run properly without food.
Myth 7: For weight loss you should engage in low-intensity, fat-burning exercises.
Weight loss depends on the total number of calories you burn, not the type of calories you burn. High-intensity exercise burns more calories than low-intensity exercise, thereby creating a higher calorie deficit and promoting greater weight loss. Exercising in the low heart-rate zone may end in frustration—your weight loss will be slower; results are much faster from high-intensity exercises. However, exercising at a lower intensity is better if training for a marathon or distance triathlon, as you need to retain your glycogen storage in order to sustain long periods of exercise.
Myth 8: Muscle weighs more than fat.
This is one of the most widely used aphorisms in the fitness world and it is just plain incorrect. One pound of fat and one pound of muscle both weigh one pound. One pound of feathers and one pound of rocks both weigh one pound. That being said, muscle is denser than fat and takes up less space. One pound of muscle also burns more calories than one pound of fat. Estimates indicate that one pound of muscle burns roughly 50 calories per day, while one pound of fat burns approximately two calories per day.
Thus, while fat and muscle weigh the same, adding extra muscle through exercise can be a powerful tool when it comes weight loss and maintenance.
Myth 9: You can build muscle while losing weight.
Your metabolism has two basic modes: anabolic, which means building-up, or adding; and catabolic, which means breaking-down or eliminating. Losing fat occurs in catabolic mode (which includes maintaining a calorie deficit), while adding muscle requires that you be in anabolic mode (which involves maintaining a small calorie surplus). I usually recommend that you start with aiming to lose fat while preserving existing muscle by consuming proper amounts of protein and strength training as recommended. Then, when fat goals are reached, switch the aim to muscle gain (and weight) while minimizing fat regain.
We all have cherished ideas about how to lose weight—but a lot of common notions about weight-loss are more myth than fact. Clinging to those myths can keep you from your goals, or even frustrate you into giving up. I've isolated my top nine myths about diet and exercise. Free your mind and the rest will follow….
Myth 1: Eating fewer carbohydrates burns more fat.
In order to lose fat you must lose weight, and to lose weight you must eat fewer calories than you are expending. But cutting just carbohydrates is not the solution—and may even be part of the problem. Your body needs carbohydrates so that you can function properly and sustain your exercise plan. Plus, carbohydrates actually help you burn fat as you lose weight by transporting fat cells to be metabolized. So, if you are lacking "carbs" you may actually stop burning fat cells. Carbohydrates, such as whole grains, are rich in B vitamins, which are key elements in helping your metabolism work. Thus a diet low in whole grains will actually negatively affect your metabolism. In addition, the two primary sources of energy when you exercise are glucose in the blood (a simple carbohydrate) and glucose in muscle in the form of glycogen (a complex carbohydrate). Therefore, if carbohydrates are either missing from your diet or are being eaten in insufficient amounts, your body will be forced to obtain the glucose needed for energy from protein. Your body gets protein energy by breaking down your muscles, which causes decreased muscle mass and can be very detrimental for the functioning of your body. This is especially bad given that muscle drives your resting metabolic rate, so having a higher muscle mass helps burn more fat, even while you are at rest.
Myth 2: If you begin an exercise program, you will lose fat.
Many people start an exercise program with the dream of losing weight. But exercise should not be used as a sole method for weight loss. You must really look closely at your diet. Eighty percent of the weight-loss game is your nutrition. You can exercise all you want, but you will not see the scale move down unless you eat fewer calories. Many people have signed up for marathons, boot camps, spinning classes, and gyms with the hope of losing weight, only to end up gaining it instead. Certainly, exercise is a great addition to a weight loss plan and will help you maintain muscle and burn calories, but eating the right diet is key.
Myth 3: Sit-ups will enable you to lose fat around the stomach and hips.
No matter what you've heard or hoped for, spot training does not burn fat from specific areas. You can build muscle in specific places, but fat loss happens gradually, throughout your whole body—and different people lose fat in different locations. Fat storage is very individualized. But the muscles do matter: When overall body fat decreases, the muscles you have worked on will become visible.
Myth 4: More exercise equals more weight loss. No pain, no gain!
You have to be careful about involving yourself in an extreme exercise plan because this can actually be a huge barrier to weight loss. It is counter-intuitive, but if you create too much of a caloric deficit with exercise your weight loss could stop, leaving you frustrated and ready to quit. Exercising more means your body needs more fuel—so if you are not fueling properly your metabolism may shut down. You'll go into emergency mode, where your body carefully preserves every calorie it gets.
So follow the plan that your RD has provided and stop thinking "the more the better." To lose weight you do have to burn more calories than you take in—but within reason. If you have found your proper deficit and you are losing weight, then continue with your plan. Don't get greedy—increasing exercise does not always mean weight loss will happen faster.
Myth 5: The more cardio the more fat loss.
You need a combination of cardiovascular exercises and strength training to burn fat and keep it off. Cardiovascular exercises can help you become more cardio fit and create a deficit of calories faster than resistance training, but strength training helps by maintaining muscle mass. Muscle mass is imperative for a strong metabolism, and for keeping your metabolism fast—and that is key to fat loss over time.
Myth 6: Empty stomach workouts burn more fat.
This is an old and insidious myth. Eating before you exercise will help improve performance, therefore giving better results from your exercise plan. On an empty stomach you don't have the energy to push yourself through your workouts and get all you can from them. And, exercising on an empty stomach will leave you feeling tired and sluggish for the rest of the day. There's a simple analogy: Your car will not run without gas just as your body will not run properly without food.
Myth 7: For weight loss you should engage in low-intensity, fat-burning exercises.
Weight loss depends on the total number of calories you burn, not the type of calories you burn. High-intensity exercise burns more calories than low-intensity exercise, thereby creating a higher calorie deficit and promoting greater weight loss. Exercising in the low heart-rate zone may end in frustration—your weight loss will be slower; results are much faster from high-intensity exercises. However, exercising at a lower intensity is better if training for a marathon or distance triathlon, as you need to retain your glycogen storage in order to sustain long periods of exercise.
Myth 8: Muscle weighs more than fat.
This is one of the most widely used aphorisms in the fitness world and it is just plain incorrect. One pound of fat and one pound of muscle both weigh one pound. One pound of feathers and one pound of rocks both weigh one pound. That being said, muscle is denser than fat and takes up less space. One pound of muscle also burns more calories than one pound of fat. Estimates indicate that one pound of muscle burns roughly 50 calories per day, while one pound of fat burns approximately two calories per day.
Thus, while fat and muscle weigh the same, adding extra muscle through exercise can be a powerful tool when it comes weight loss and maintenance.
Myth 9: You can build muscle while losing weight.
Your metabolism has two basic modes: anabolic, which means building-up, or adding; and catabolic, which means breaking-down or eliminating. Losing fat occurs in catabolic mode (which includes maintaining a calorie deficit), while adding muscle requires that you be in anabolic mode (which involves maintaining a small calorie surplus). I usually recommend that you start with aiming to lose fat while preserving existing muscle by consuming proper amounts of protein and strength training as recommended. Then, when fat goals are reached, switch the aim to muscle gain (and weight) while minimizing fat regain.
Alan_Jza wrote:
Do not believe everything you read as you will get confused. This article is not accurate and is misleading. Read many articles and make your own conclusions.
Nov 01 8:33 AM
Dave2152 wrote:
#8 i would guess explains the obvious that 1 pound equals 1 pound no matter what the equals the pound but as far as mass or amount the same size piece of fat will definitely weigh less than a same size piece of muscle, so that seems to explaine for those that do not understand that 1 pound = 1 pound being the same but the amount of it will still greatly very where i think (do not know for sure) that if you take 1 pound of fat and 1 pound of muscle, the fat will be nearly double amount of muscle
Aug 28 7:36 PM
paradox wrote:
I got fat on a diet of whole grain and beans, and I lost the weight by drastically reducing my intake of them down to two slices of toast per day. I now eat no grain at all, and I've never felt better. This notion of grain being essential for human nutrition or weight loss is nonsense. You can get all the carbs you need from fruit and vegetables.
Aug 25 2:47 AM
Squarejaw wrote:
Yeah, this is pretty bad. #2, 4, 5, and 8 aren't myths, and the article's own reasoning doesn't show them to be myths. I love realjock's articles, but this one needed a good editor.
Aug 22 11:36 PM
NoNameGuy wrote:
Wow, I'm more confused that ever.
Aug 22 9:40 AM
joeindallas wrote:
Key point on Myth 8 is the calorie use per pound of fat versus Muscle. Thank you for including that factoroid
Aug 21 9:03 PM
tooblack wrote:
The answer to myth #1 is misleading and rather incomplete. I would have rephrased the way myth #1 is presented to be a bit clearer to your readers. It is true that carbohydrates are very important to metabolism. Ketosis (the burning of protein (particularly by the brain) in lieu of carbohydrates) is the unfortunate end result of extreme dieting which still might be prevalent in certain circles and was very common in the bad old days of body building. The problem with the North American diet is an abundance of ultra high energy, carbohydrate stuffed foods with little nutritional value (Saturated fats are part of this too but let’s leave them out. Saturated fats are another controversial topic.). And, diabetes is an epidemic in Canada and the USA. High, all-at-once carb intake will raise insulin levels to the point where the fat storage mechanisms get turned on in the body and herein lay the problem. Complex carbohydrates from whole grains and whole greens should be encouraged (and this is done in the article, at least for grains) and free starches and sugars should be avoided or eliminated (The article needed to state this clearly and doesn’t.). There is more than enough starch and sugars in whole grains and greens to meet the body’s need for glucose or the manufacture of muscle bound glycogen. Also smaller and more frequent balanced meals with grains and greens, protein and mono/poly unsaturated fats should also have been encouraged (more frequent, smaller meals boost metabolism while keeping insulin well below fat factory levels). In the last 100 years our sugar/starch consumption has gone up 1000 fold and we are seeing the results today.
Aug 21 5:56 PM
GettingFitter wrote:
So, in order to loose body fat I should focus on more cardio but still do weight training on a couple of days a week, but keep my main workout to cardio like spin classes morning and night and running on the treadmill first thing when I wake up ?
Aug 21 11:44 AM
Librarian wrote:
Same thing here, great article that coincides with many things I allready read multiple times in other books/discussion. But #9 I lost an insane ammount of weight, while still building up muscle, I NEVER had a biceps/triceps sticking out like this, my upperarm has gained 3 inch and that didn't just happen because fat melted away. So it might be if you are on a better calorie intake you would build more and way more efficient, but not at all.. my stats say different.
Aug 21 9:36 AM
cthedj wrote:
I don't know if I believe ALL of these like the guys above. However, this was definitely very interesting to read.
Aug 21 7:48 AM
MaxHedrm wrote:
I agree with yogasea. On number 8 the author is just being retarded with semantics. What people mean when they say muscle weighs more than fat is that you can gain weight & lose inches, ie muscle is denser than fat, or weighs more per cubic inch.
And seriously, does anyone on the planet still believe #3? Or better yet anyone on this site? I sure hope not.
Aug 21 3:13 AM
yogasea wrote:
I think Myth #8's answer is somewhat incorrect. Sure, a pound of anything weighs the exact same as a pound of anything else, but the *volume* of the two materials could be vastly different. Like, a pound of gold vs. a pound of cotton. The cotton will take up MUCH more space, obviously. With the muscle weighing more than fat statement, I always understood it to be referencing space, as muscle is more dense than fat. If you took two men with the same body measurements where one had 20% body fat and the other had 5%, the guy with 5% would weigh more, I would guess. The "myth" makes total sense to me! I personally weigh more now than I did 10 years ago, when 10 years ago I was scrawny but had about 20% body fat. My waist is now 6" smaller and my musculature more defined with around 8% body fat.
Aug 21 1:33 AM
t0theheights wrote:
I was with him on this one until "Myth" 9. I have seen many, many articles debunking the author's own 'myth' that one cannot both burn fat and build muscle at the same time. The idea that the body can only do one or the other at a time is just plain ridiculous. I have also been warned that too much high intensity cardio can inhibit muscle growth, which may contraindicate this author's advisory to do lots of intense cardio (if trying to both loose fat and gain muscle at a slow but steady pace).
Aug 21 12:59 AM