Fat Loss Myth Busters!
It’s no secret that there are a lot of misinformed consumers out there, and one of biggest markets for these consumers is the weight loss market!
In my field of work, I deal with these consumers, and their questions, often. Because of this, I’ve noticed a lot of gaps in the understanding of both supplementation and weight loss. About a month ago, I took to my Instagram to address some of the 7 biggest weight loss/fat loss myths I’ve come across, but in case you missed it, I’m placing them all here.
Consider this your one-stop-shop for fat loss myth busting!!
Fat Loss Myth Buster #1: Green Tea
Drinking it, taking green tea extract, whatever the case- green tea does not lead to fat loss.
Yes, it does have components, such as caffeine and catechin, that technically CAN increase fat loss by “speeding up your metabolism”, but it’s so important to note that those benefits for weight loss are likely to be VERY small.
So, while green tea may ever-so-slightly increase your metabolic rate, the effects will be so minuscule that you likely won’t even notice a difference. As well, that tiny impact of green tea is not nearly as beneficial as other weight loss methods that produce far greater metabolic benefits.
Bottom line ⬇
If you like green tea, keep on drinking on! There is certainly nothing wrong with a delicious glass of it every day!
But, if you’re only drinking it or taking GT extract for its “weight loss properties” then save the money & ditch it! There’s far better options out there.
Fat Loss Myth Buster #2: Meal Frequency
Six small meals a day will not lead to any more fat loss than three.
The myth out there is that higher meal frequency (more meals at smaller portions more often throughout the day) increases your metabolism because the more often you eat, the more often you’re revving up your metabolic fire and burning fat.
The truth is, at the end of the day, 2,000 calories is 2,000 calories & how you got there isn’t all that significant.
That’s not to say higher meal frequency doesn’t have its benefits, though. I find it useful for clients who, when left to their own devices, are chronic under-eaters as a spaced out eating schedule ensures they are getting enough calories in per day.
Frequent meals may also keep hunger at bay and avoid overeating during a meal. With clients, I’ll utilize it as a way to keep their hunger levels low by hitting them with protein at various points of the day. There is evidence out there showing that protein spacing/timing IS effective, especially in regards to recovery and muscle growth. Not to mention, protein fills you up more which, again, can prevent overeating later in the day.
Bottom line ⬇
Eat at a frequency that works for your schedule and your hunger levels. So long as you’re eating the correct amount per day, it doesn’t particularly matter how you do it! Eating six small meals a day won’t burn fat any faster than eating three or four larger ones, all that matters is that you’re eating the same amount at the end of the day.
My suggestion: stick to your three main meals and tack on 2 protein-rich snacks between them!
Fat Loss Myth Buster #3: Fasted Cardio
The rates of fat loss from doing exercise on an empty stomach versus a fed stomach are no different.
Sure, it sounds plenty plausible that if you exercise with nothing in your stomach, then your body has no choice but to burn fat, but unfortunately that’s not the whole truth.
Exercising while fasted DOES breakdown fat, but that rate of breakdown exceeds your body’s ability to use all of the fatty acids for fuel. So, post workout, all those fatty acids that were broken down but never used are repacked into things called triglycerides and sent right back into your fat cells— sending you essentially back to square 1 and making your fasted training anything but worth it‼️ (Especially when you also take into account fasted cardio’s fabulous way at eating away at muscle mass...)
In fact, in the long run, eating before your cardio or training is actually what can help you with fat loss! This is because ingesting food (especially carbs) prior to your workout increases the post-exercise “afterburn” more than the fasted state. In other words, you’re burning more calories throughout the day, not just during your workout— and guess where the vast majority of calories expended in the post-exercise period come from? You got it, fat!
Bottom line ⬇
It truly all comes down to calories in versus calories out: if you burn 300 calories while fasted OR 300 calories later in the day after some meals, at the end of the day, you’re still -300 calories for that day...
If you enjoy doing your cardio fasted & want it no other way, then keep on keepin’ on; however, if you’re torturing yourself by becoming a gym zombie every morning thinking you HAVE to do it because it’s the only way to burn fat, then hit the snooze button, get some rest, eat some food, and train in a happier (and more beneficial) state later on!!
Fat Loss Myth Buster #4: Raspberry Ketones
Raspberry keystones don’t make any difference to your waistline.
While this fad/craze is {thankfully} dying down, I do still get asked about these. You may recognize them from random website or Facebook ads as their advertisements used to be plastered everywhere. As well, you can still find them sold in health & nutrition stores either by themselves or highlighted as an ingredient to some new, trendy fat burner.
Unfortunately, unless you’re an obese rat, these aren’t going to do a damn thing for you in regards to fat loss!
While studies with rats have shown reductions in total body fat, studies with actual humans demonstrated no effect on weight loss. Zilch. Zero. Nada.
Raspberry ketones are another example of a big reputation with little to no scientific evidence to back it up. Sure, Dr. Oz will sing their praises all day, but the truth is, they’re just a buzzword & marketing ploy.
Bottom line ⬇
Don’t fall for it!! Save your money, these little (synthetically created) suckers are out there to make you just that: a sucker.
...not to mention, they have a pretty extensive list of scary side effects!
Fat Loss Myth Buster #5: Spot Reduction Exercises
Doing crunches and sit ups won’t burn belly fat, just like doing squats won’t burn thigh fat, just like doing tricep extensions won’t burn under-arm fat. Spot-reducing fat is not possible!
While, yes, technically crunches, squats, tricep extensions and all other forms of exercise WILL burn fat, they will not directly burn it in those direct areas. We cannot lose/reduce fat in specific spots with specific exercises, we lose it from the entire body as a result of diet and total-body exercise.
As overall body fat percentage decreases and muscle growth takes place, THEN reductions in all areas (those problem spots included) will happen.
Bottom line ⬇
Fat loss is a total-body thing and spot-reducing fat does not exist!
Doing a 7-minute-abs routine every day or 30 day squat challenge won’t suddenly decrease belly and lower body fat. Ditch this notion, forget the “spot reduction” creams and gimmicks, and focus on a caloric deficit and solid exercise regimen instead!
Fat Loss Myth Buster #6: Detoxes and juicing
Despite the fact they have no scientific backing, “detox diets” have gained massive popularity over the past few years. “Popular” is just about all they are, though, because detox teas and juices cleanses certainly aren’t effective.
Don’t believe the Kim Kardashian “Fit Tea” hype— Detox diets don’t work!
“Skinny teas”, detoxifying juice cleanses... they all seem pretty appealing with the big game they talk— saying they’ll result in fat loss, quick weight loss, heightened energy, perfect skin, so on and so forth. But, again, they’re making claims with no real research to back it up.
The truth is, all you’re really going to get from a detox or cleanse is water-weight loss (and potential dehydration) through laxatives and nutrient deficiencies and inadequate calorie/fiber/protein intake.
Bottom line ⬇
Ditch the detox!!
You have kidneys, right?
A liver?
A gastrointestinal tract?
Then that’s all the “detox” you need! The body is naturally designed to be able to clear waste materials such as toxins, chemicals, and old hormones in order to prevent an accumulation of potentially toxic & harmful byproduct building up in our systems.
Our bodies do not actually need to be “detoxed”, they do a pretty great job doing this themselves. Trust your body, not juices & cleanses- more times than not, THOSE are just doing more harm than good.
Fat Loss Myth Buster #7: Putting coconut oil in your coffee
Drinking “bulletproof coffee” in the morning is not going to trigger fat loss and it is not fat burning.
Quite the opposite, actually. Replacing or drinking in conjunction to your typical breakfast means either losing out on essential nutrients or significantly increasing your total calories for one meal. You know that drinking a Starbucks’ 400+ calorie frappa-latte-espresso-chino-whatever daily isn’t a smart idea for fat loss, so why would drinking another type of fat-packed, calorie-loaded coffee would be any different?
The craze of shoveling coconut oil or grass-fed butter into coffee drinks everyday came about due to people claiming that the MCTs in coconut oil have fat burning qualities. While this is true, those qualities are so, so small that the MCTs aren’t even going to make a difference. Now, all these extra fats may be beneficial for an extremely low-carb dieter or one in ketosis, but if you’re neither of these, then you’re simply adding a crap ton of extra, unnecessary calories and fat into your daily diet-- and that surplus will eventually work out to be a few extra lbs on the scale and pudge on the body.
Bottom line ⬇
MCTs are good, coconut oil and grass-fed butter are good, and coffee is delicious, but keep in mind that there is such thing as too much of a good thing, and combining all these are just that.
Stop drinking empty calories with minimal, minimal nutrients and stick to enjoying a regular coffee with a nutrient-packed breakfast instead.
The “fat burning” capabilities of coconut oil or MCT oil in your coffee are supremely low and not worth the calorie-bomb!
It can be easy to get sucked into the hype of the “weight loss” media, but hopefully these tips will help keep you on the straight and narrow! Don’t waste your money, there’s no “magic weight loss pill” or “secret”-- just be dedicated, be patient, and put in the work!
If you have any questions about how to use training and nutrition for fat loss, please reach out to me! I’d love to help!
Now, go out there and show that weight loss market who’s boss!