For those of you just joining us this is a 12 week series.  I will be providing 12 Fat Burning Fairy Tales over the course of time, so one myth per week... Please leave questions and comments below...

Fat Burning Fairy Tale #5

“As long as you follow a proper fat-burning diet plan, you do not need to include exercise in your program.”

I’m sure we’d all like to lie on the couch and watch as fat magically melts off of our bodies without lifting a finger, but unfortunately it just doesn’t work that way.

The method of dieting without exercise might make for a great marketing campaign to sell books, DVD’s and other programs, but in the real world it just doesn’t stand the test.
Why?

It‟s because dieting without exercise gradually slows down the body‟s fat burning metabolism, whereas dieting coupled with exercise keeps the metabolism elevated.

There are 2 main reasons for this...

First of all… A properly structured exercise program keeps the body’s lean muscle tissue intact.

As we’ve already discussed, muscle is metabolically active tissue that burns fat on its own. The more muscle you have on your body, the faster and more efficiently your body will burn calories.

A caloric deficit through your diet without any accompanying exercise will gradually waste away your muscle mass, whereas dieting coupled with exercise will stimulate the body to maintain muscle mass.

Secondly… Prolonged dietary caloric deficits trigger the body’s defensive starvation mechanism, which in turn causes a slowdown in the fat burning metabolism in order to conserve energy.

A far better approach is to create a very small caloric deficit through your diet, and then burn through the additional calories using a properly structured exercise program.

In doing so, you will be able to create a sufficient caloric deficit that stimulates fat loss while at the same time providing your body with all of the nutrition it needs.

To sum this up: You should always implement some form of resistance training and some form of cardiovascular exercise into your program if you really want to achieve a lean, standout body that is maintained over the long run.

Dieting without exercise may work for a short time, but the results will not be anywhere near as rapid and dramatic as a diet that includes exercise along with it.

For those of you just joining us this is a 12 week series.  I will be providing 12 Fat Burning Fairy Tales over the course of time, so one myth per week... Please leave questions and comments below...

Fat Burning Fairy Tale #4

“Carbohydrates make you fat. Cut out starchy foods if you want to see the best fat-burning results.” No other nutrient out there is surrounded by more confusion, hype and contradiction than the all-too-famous carbohydrate. So much advice, fad diets and hard-fast rules have been put into place regarding proper carbohydrate consumption over the last decade that most people don’t have a clue how to go about eating them. Let’s clear this nonsense up once and for all...

Carbohydrate consumption in itself does NOT make you fat! The over-consumption of ANY nutrient will result in stored body fat, and the bad reputation that carbohydrates have received in recent years as a “fat storing” substance is totally unjustified. Carbohydrates CAN make you fat (as can any nutrient) but that’s only if you consume them in excessive amounts or focus on the wrong food sources. As long as you follow the proper guidelines, carbohydrates are nothing to be afraid of, and are needed by the body for optimal health and functioning. Here are the 2 main pointers to keep in mind when incorporating carbohydrates into your fat burning nutrition plan...

1) Do not consume them in excessive amounts. This should be a no-brainer, and applies to all nutrients and not exclusively to carbohydrates. If you consume more calories than your body needs, you’re going to see gains in body fat. The body uses carbohydrates as a source of fuel for the muscles and brain, but can only make use of a limited amount at any given time. Keep carbohydrate consumption in the range of 45-55% of your total daily caloric intake in order to fuel all of your daily tasks without going overboard.

2) Stick to natural, high fiber sources and avoid refined carbohydrates at all costs. While all carbohydrates end up as the same final product (glucose), the manner and speed in which they are broken down for use has a huge effect on the likelihood that they will end up as stored body fat. As a general rule, the faster a carbohydrate is broken down in the bloodstream, the greater the chance that it will stimulate fat storage. This is because...

a) The body can only make use of a limited amount of glucose at one time, and the excess will either be stored in the muscles and liver as glycogen or as body fat.

b) Fast-absorbing carbohydrates result in a large release of the hormone insulin, which in turn slows down the rate of fat burning, encourages fat storage and increases food cravings. Avoid refined products (those where the bran and germ have been removed from the grain) such as white rice, white bread, sugary cereal sand any item made from white flour.

These are very low in nutritional value and are far more likely to end up as stored body fat. Instead stick to natural, unrefined carbohydrates such as: -Vegetables of all kinds (particularly green fibrous vegetables)-Oatmeal-Whole grain breads-Whole graincereals-Brownrice-Potatoes-Sweet potatoes-Yams-Fresh fruits-Low-fat/Non-fat dairy products These sources are jam-packed with valuable nutrients and are broken down slowly and gradually in the bloodstream when consumed as part of a complete meal. Then option that “carbohydrates make you fat” is simply false, and as long as you properly incorporate the min to your diet using the 2 pointers above, there is nothing to worry about.

For those of you just joining us this is a 12 week series.  I will be providing 12 Fat Burning Fairy Tales over the course of time, so one myth per week... Please leave questions and comments below...


Fat Burning Fairy Tale #3

“A Low-Fat Diet = A Low-Fat Body” As an individual who desires a lean, defined and “fat-free” appearance, you most likely have the idea that your ultimate dietary goal is to limit your consumption of fat as much as possible. And who could blame you for thinking that? For years we’ve been told that low-fat diets are the only true healthy solution and that dietary fat is somehow an evil, harmful substance that should be steered clear of at all costs. Just walk into any grocery store and you’ll be bombarded with package after package of “low fat” and “fat free” products lining the shelves. I mean, it only makes sense... If you want to lose as much fat as possible, you should eat as little fat as possible, right?  Wrong! In fact, diets that focus on the extreme restriction of fat intake are actually counterproductive to your fat burning results, and will actually take you farther away from your goals rather than closer to them. Don’t believe me? Let me give you 4 good reasons why…

1) Low-fat diets are naturally higher in sugar.
Fats contain 9 calories per gram, and when you place severe limitations on your fat intake, you’ll naturally have to make up for those lost calories through an increased consumption of protein and carbohydrates. For most individuals, this means piling up their intake of fruits, breads, pastas and other such items that, while low in fat, are very high in sugar. Although your body requires a certain amount of glucose to fuel its daily tasks, any excess that isn’t needed will simply be stored as fat.

2) Low-fat diets increase cravings and hunger pangs. Not only does the addition of dietary fat provide a more “filling” effect from the meals that you eat, but since your carbohydrate consumption is now naturally higher, your blood sugar levels and insulin production will be in overdrive. Constant rising and falling of blood sugar not only leaves you feeling tired and sluggish throughout the day, but it increases your appetite and food cravings as well.

3) Low-fat diets lower testosterone levels. Most people are aware that testosterone plays a large role in the process of building muscle tissue (which in turn causes greater body fat losses), but testosterone itself also has direct fat burning effects. Diets that focus on significant reductions in fat consumption also cause measurable negative effects on testosterone production.

4) Low-fat diets increase the rate of body fat storage. When you severely reduce your fat intake, the body perceives this lack of dietary fat as a potential threat to its survival since fat is a primary source of energy.
As a result, the body will make the necessary adjustments to hold on to more of its stored body fat rather than burning it for energy. These adjustments include a decrease in the fat burning metabolism and an increase in fat-storing hormone secretion. For the reasons outlined above, dietary fat intake should NEVER drop below 10% of your total daily caloric intake. This is just a minimum, and 15-20% is probably ideal. It’s not fat itself that is the enemy; it’s simply consuming the wrong types of fat, and consuming it in excessive amounts. Your goal should be to limit your intake of saturated fats (those that are solid at room temperature and typically found in animal meats), and instead place the majority of your focus on healthy, unsaturated fats which are derived from plant sources and are liquid at room temperature. Here are some great food sources that are high in unsaturated, healthy fats…

- Salmon - Cod - Sardines - Avocado - Peanuts
- Pecans - Flaxseed -Oil - Extra Virgin --Olive Oil - Fish Oil

This is a 12 week series. I will be providing 12 Fat Burning Fairy Tales over the course of twelve weeks, so one myth per week... Please leave questions and comments below...


Fat Burning Fairy Tale #2

“You should consume a smaller number of meals each day if you want a lean and attractive body.” Just as the majority of people looking to lose body fat dramatically reduce their overall daily calorie intake, they also decrease their meal frequency as well. In an attempt to achieve quick and rapid weight loss, they try to endure long periods without any nutrition at all, barely squeezing in 2 or 3 small meals a day. The reality is that if you want to burn body fat and transform your physique as quickly and efficiently as possible, you should actually focus on eating MORE frequently throughout the day rather than less. It may seem counter-intuitive, but it’s true. It all ties in with the body’s natural defense mechanisms that we previously outlined. Not only does an excessive calorie reduction trigger the body to store fat and lose muscle, but insufficient meal frequency does as well. You see, thousands of years ago we didn’t have the luxury of a readily available source of food. The conditions were harsh and uncertain, and we often had to endure extended periods without any nutrition at all. Because of this, the body had to develop a way to prolong our survival when food was scarce. It accomplishes this by slowing down the fat burning metabolism as a means of conserving energy, and by breaking down muscle tissue to obtain a source of protein. This mechanism kicks into gear much faster than you might think, and will begin operating whenever you go for about 3-4 hours or more without a nutritious meal. This is precisely why the traditional notion of “3 square meals a day” (or less) consumed every 5-7 hours is far from optimal when it comes to an effective fat burning nutritional approach.
In fact, if you want to experience the best possible results in the shortest period of time, you should flip this method directly on its head and do the exact opposite... Instead of consuming 2-3 meals a day once every 5-7 hours, you should instead focus on consuming 5-7 small meals a day once every 2-3 hours. This method of “grazing” throughout the day will keep your fat burning metabolism operating on over-drive and will keep your levels of lean muscle tissue intact. Since the body will be provided with a constant external source of nutrition, it will have no incentive to store additional body fat or waste away lean muscle mass. On top of its positive effects on body composition, small and frequent meals will allow you to maintain a high level of energy throughout the day, control your blood sugar levels and food cravings, and improve the efficiency of your body’s digestive processes