There are tons of “tips and tricks” about losing weight online, in magazines, in books… etc. You can find a hundred different “plans” in one google search! Unfortunately, a lot of the “helpful ideas” are just unhealthy and unrealistic gimmicks. Burning body fat requires a lifestyle change with healthy eating and consistent exercise. Check out these common misconceptions about burning body fat and don’t fall for gimmicks again!
- Targeting Specific Areas to Burn Fat: The most effective way to burn body fat is by raising your heart rate over an extended period of time while exercising your entire body. Doing 100 leg lifts just won’t do it. You should try interval workouts where you combine intense cardio for a short amount of time, followed by moderate cardio. Training specific areas is best when toning and strengthening certain areas.
- Length of Exercise Doesn’t Matter: How great would that be? Who wouldn’t be happy with working out for 10 minutes instead of 30 minutes?! To burn body fat you have to exercise for at least 20 minutes a day. If you workout for less then that, your body doesn’t burn stored fat. Once you hit that 20 minute mark your body will start using stored fat for energy.
- Burn Fat by Eating Less: Starving yourself is one of the worst fad diets you can ever do. If you have ever tried to starve yourself to lose weight you will know how unhappy you get. You will then end up falling off the wagon, or gain all the weight back once you start eating again, you might even gain extra weight. It’s important to modify your diet so you are eating lots of veggies, fruits, and lean meats. Never starve yourself!
- Cutting out the Fats: Many years ago when fitness was found to be a big part of a healthy lifestyle, fats were said to be off limits. Fats are now starting to shake off their bad rap, but lots of people still think the only way to lose weight is to eat fat free. A gram of fat has less calories than a gram of protein and will not effect your healthy lifestyle unless you take it to the extreme. Eating healthy fats like lean meats and avocados is a great way to get fats into your diet.
If the world were perfect we could all eat anything (and everything) we wanted while still remaining healthy and fit. Since this isn’t the case it’s important to know how to approach healthy eating and exercise in order to burn body fat in a healthy and safe way.
