10 Common Myths About Weight Loss

Not always. Cardio is a great way to get your heart rate up and improve your cardiovascular health, but if you really want to boost your round-the-clock metabolism, build muscle.

Just because something is fat-free doesn’t mean it’s low in calories. Most importantly, weight loss will never occur unless the calories consumed are less than the calories burned on a daily basis.

Skipping meals seems like it would be a good way to cut out calories, but instead, you are sending your body into temporary starvation mode. If your body doesn’t know when it can expect the next meal, it is going to start hoarding calories instead of burning them.

A sustainable diet does not restrict food groups. If you want to lose weight, and maintain that lifestyle, allow yourself to have everything in moderation. Of course, it is best to choose nutrient-rich foods for a healthy body.

Not necessarily. Fad diets might help you lose weight fast, but odds are you won’t be able to keep up the diet forever. As soon as your done with the program, the pounds are likely to come back. Find a nutritional lifestyle that is sustainable.

When you’re dieting, cutting out desserts may only lead you to cheat and binge on them later on. If you love desserts, then let yourself have one from time to time, or satiate that sweet tooth with a healthy snack of chocolate covered almonds.

Running for longer periods of time will not necessarily boost your calorie burn. If you want more bang for less time, try weight lifting to build muscle that will boost your overall metabolism.

This myth is typically believed by women. Oftentimes, women avoid lifting heavy weights because they don’t want to bulk up like a bodybuilder. There’s nothing to worry about, women naturally do not have the amount of testosterone that it would take to build big bulky muscles. Lifting heavy is the fastest way to sculpt a lean, toned body.

I know you’ve heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but it’s true! Eat within 30 minutes of waking to get your metabolism jump-started for the day. A healthy breakfast tells your body, “Hey, I’m awake, let’s start burning some calories!”

Now, it does come down to calories in, versus calories out…however, if your calorie count consists of mostly donuts, you’re probably not going to feel very great. Just because you’re not gaining weight, doesn’t mean your healthy. Be sure to cram as many nutrients as you can into your daily allotment of calories in order for your body to feel and perform it’s best.