Millions of books, articles, coaches, and programs tell us how to slim down and get healthy, yet most of us still struggle. We’ll try diets and we might even workout really hard for a while, only to return to the same, tired problem.
We’re fat. We’re tired. And we don’t know why.
A big reason is because some of the advice out there is just plain wrong. Believing these lies, we continue to struggle with weight and fatigue.
I’ll look at three of the biggest myths we believe, and then show you the truth
Myth #1: Eating Less Helps Us Lose Fat
Sorry, no. Eating less does not help us lose fat. Some people who try calorie cutting may experience a loss in weight, but it’s not fat they’re losing. Without adequate sustenance, the body will fuel itself by burning muscles, not fat.
What’s worse, when regular eating resumes, the body will pack the pounds back on, and in the form of fat. I know, it’s unfair. But this is how it is.
The truth is, it’s not how much we eat, but what kind of food we eat that dictates fat loss or gain. But we’ll get to that in a minute.
Myth #2: Exercising More Burns Fat
What a weird thing for a fitness coach to say, right? But it’s true – exercising won’t burn fat. It builds muscle. It sends endorphins coursing through you, making you feel awesome. It has loads of health benefits and I obviously recommend exercise. But don’t expect it to be just this that burns the fat. You’ll be very frustrated if you do.
Exercise doesn’t tell our bodies whether or not to store or burn fat either, hormones do, as I’ll soon explain.
Myth #3: Ab Workouts Give You Abs
I know this goes along with Myth #2, but it’s such a common belief, it needs its own point.
We’ve been misled – perhaps by our own desperation – to believe that if we just do enough crunches, if we really hit those sit-ups hard, the fat will melt off our midsection and we’ll finally be slim.
Not so. It is impossible to turn fat into muscle.
No, I’m afraid abs are made in the kitchen.
So How Do We Really Burn Fat Then??
The reason none of these things work to burn fat is because they don’t impact the boss. The decision maker. The one who decides whether our body will store fat or burn it.
And that boss is our hormones.
Our hormones – particularly insulin – decide when to store food as fat rather than burning it.
Are you curious what swings insulin to choose fat storage? Are you sure? You won’t like the answer.
Oh, alright.
What triggers insulin to tell our bodies to store our food as fat is the intake of sugars, carbohydrates, and pretty much any processed foods (because they typically contain both carbohydrates and sugars (plus chemicals), and in high amounts too.)
Note: The recommended clean eating for everyone is NOT a carb-free approach. Our bodies need carbs. We just need the right kinds and in the right amounts. The less processed the better too.
Our hormones ultimately decide how much fat to store, and they don’t care about crunches. You can do two hundred sit-ups every day, it won’t matter unless you feed the hormones what they need to choose to burn fat instead.
It’s not just how much we eat or whether we workout, it’s what we eat that determines whether fat is burned or stored.
Clean eating is super, crazy important. It’s critical.
We can’t be healthy or lose fat without it.
This is why I advocate for and lead a Clean Eating Class regularly on Facebook. It’s free to join, and comes with a meal plan, recipes, shopping list, and daily challenges and motivation from me and others in the group. Contact me to join here and I’ll send you registration information.
Stop letting these myths delay your progress.
Kick your hormones into fat-burning mode with clean eating today!
LETS DO THIS!
#1. Click the button below to receive a PDF about how to get started with a clean eating lifestyle NOW!
#2. THEN, Contact me to learn more about joining a clean eating challenge and burning fat!
CLICK HERE to receive a FREE PDF re: getting started NOW with Clean Eating!