Hannah Waterman is looking amazing after shedding over two stone in weight through a healthy programme of dieting and exercise.
Here, the expert who helped to whip her in shape talks us through the biggest misconceptions when it comes to fat-loss and what you can do better!
Myth 1: Jogging (or cycling, swimming & aerobics) is the best way to lose weight
This is a terrible mistake, which all too many people make! The reason this myth may have spread so widely is because its nice to hear that by not exercising very hard you will burn more fat. Unfortunately, in reality, this is not the case.
'It's better to do short, sharp bursts of very intense exercise if you want to burn fat fast'
This kind of ‘steady state’ exercise does burn a high percentage of fat, but this is not the best way to shift fat fast. That’s why you see people in the gym plodding away on the treadmill and not losing much weight. It’s much better to do short, sharp bursts of very intense exercise if you want to burn fat fast.. ie ‘interval training’.
Myth 2: You can’t lose weight doing only 10 minutes exercise a day
This is totally untrue. All the latest scientific studies show that doing very short intense periods of exercise (say 30 seconds of sprinting) followed by a rest (of say a minute) are 4-5 times more effective at burning fat than steady running or cycling. So you can do less exercise and burn more calories – ten minutes of ‘interval training’ is the equivalent of 50 minutes of jogging – plus you get to improve your cardiovascular system at the same time.
Myth 3: Low fat diets are the best way to lose weight
Fat is an essential nutrient for the body. If you were to cut out all the fat from your diet you would die, plain and simple. Fat is necessary for the transport of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K around the body. Similarly, fat is use to build hormones, the same hormones we need to build a good-looking physique and lose weight.
Low fat diets lead to dysfunctional hormone production, and low energy levels. Low fat diets often make people feel lethargic and depressed, which means they’re very difficult to stick to for any length of time. A number of fats, especially the omega 3 fatty acids EPA and DHA have actually been shown to benefit a fat loss programme.
Myth 4: Sitting or even exercising in a sauna aids fat loss
This is an age-old myth that stems from boxers using saunas to make the weight for a fight. These already lean boxers simply used the sauna to increase sweat loss and therefore cause very temporary weight loss. There is also thinking that the extra heat will cause the body to burn more energy and therefore produce greater fat loss.
In fact , sitting in the heat is the exact opposite of what you should be doing to lose weight. The latest research shows that prolonged exposure to cold increases thyroid output, therefore increasing metabolism and the burning of fat. So maybe sprinting in the snow is the answer!
Myth 5: No carb diets are the best way to lose weight
No-carbohydrate diets are certainly not the best thing for sustained fat loss… They may work in the short term, but prolonged low-carbohydrate intake has been shown to lower levels of leptin, a hormone that triggers your brain to use fat as fuel. So your metabolism switches into a lower gear – and burns less fat.
'Eating fewer carbohydrates rather than none, can be a great way of controlling total calorie intake'
Having said that, eating fewer carbohydrates rather than none, can be a great way of controlling total calorie intake and increasing fat burning. An easy and practical way of doing this is to replace some of the starchy carbs (potato, rice) in each meal with extra green leafy vegetables (fibrous carbs).
Myth 6: Sit-ups will give you a toned, flat stomach
It seems logical that if you want to slim your waist you should exercise your abdominal muscles. But sadly if they’re covered in a layer of fat, no amount of sit ups will make your stomach look ripped. In fact, lots of fat people probably have great stomach muscles – it’s just that no-one ever gets to see them.
So if you want great abs – lose weight. Burn fat by doing interval training (those short bursts of intense activity followed by a rest) and make sure that your calorie intake is lower than your energy output. In other words don’t eat more than you burn off in exercise - then you’ll get a great flat stomach.
Myth 7: Red meat is bad for your weight loss and health
First and foremost, red meat is full of a range of vitamins and minerals including the all- important iron, necessary for the production of haemoglobin. Without iron, you lack energy and – crucial for weight loss - fat oxidation (burning) can be impaired.
Red meat is also very useful on a diet because it’s got lots of lots of protein – and protein makes you feel full for longer. Add to this the fact that red meat does not have to be overly fatty and you can see why a steak can be eaten on any weight loss plan.
Myth 8: Lifting weights will cause women to become big and bulky
This is simply not true. Women too often shy away from this fantastic tool for improving their physique in the belief that weights will cause them to gain too much muscle. The truth is that women simply do not have the right hormonal profile to gain a lot of muscle. If women are also on a diet, it’s virtually impossible for them to put on extra muscle.
Which is why lifting heavy weights is really important, so that they them to maintain their muscle on a diet. Muscle is the only place in the body that you burn fat – so the more muscle you have, the more fat you burn, which is why men can eat more than women without putting on weight.
Myth 9: Lifting light weights, a lot of times will help to ‘tone’ the muscle
This myth has been brought about by certain trainers pampering to their clients who believe myth 8. Lifting heavy weights lots of times is much better for weight loss because heavy weights burn more calories and – crucially – ensure that women maintain their level of muscle, so that they can burn more calories. Weights can be a great tool for forming part of an interval training workout and maximising fat loss goals.
Myth 10: Exercise is not the best way to lose weight
This myth has probably built up because of the calorie counters on gym equipment which seem to show a very low level of calorie burning for the time and effort involved. So half an hour on a bike will only burn off the calorie equivalent of half a sandwich.
But what those machines don’t show – and this is backed up by all the latest studies – is that people who exercise continue to burn calories for 48 hours after they finished exercising. So exercise raises your metabolism and turns your body into a calorie burning machine.