Runners - Marathon - Trail - Running

Marathon - Half-Marathon - Jogging - Exercise

Weight Loss and Exercise Myths -- Test Your Fitness IQ

You've tried virtually every "diet" you can think of and still haven't lost weight. Or, perhaps you've lost weight only to quickly gain it back. You feel like you are in a never-ending battle that you just can't win. Does this sound familiar? Stop beating yourself over the head in frustration! More than likely you just aren't armed with the right information to help you be successful in reaching your weight loss goals. There are so many diet misnomers floating about that it's easy to feel like your drowning. The first step toward success is distinguishing fact from myth and using the power of knowledge.

To help you get started on the path to permanent weight loss and healthy living, read below to learn what's true and what's false in the world of diet and fitness. Take the quiz below to test your knowledge and you'll learn what it really takes to beat the scale. Read each question and answer true or false. Then read below to find out whether or not you guessed right. 1.

Skipping Meals Is a Good Idea 2. You Can Spot Reduce Certain Parts of Your Body 3. Eating Late At Night Makes You Fat 4. If Something Is Fat Free, You Can Eat As Much As You Want 5. Eating Less Than 1200 Calories Will Accelerate Weight Loss 6. Salads Are Always A Great Eating Out Choice 7. You Can Lose and Maintain Weight Without Exercise 8. If You Only Lose One Pound A Week You Need A New Diet 9. You Shouldn't Exercise Every Day 10. You Should Wait To Strength Train Until You've Lost Weight 1.

False. The idea behind this myth is that you'll consume fewer calories in the entire day. The reality is that you probably will consume at least the same amount, if not more. Skipping a meal lowers your blood sugar. Low blood sugar usually makes you very hungry. In return you end up eating quickly and probably making poor food choices when those hunger pains come a knocking. Eating several small meals per day helps you stabilize blood sugars and control your appetite. 2. False. If you slave over 200 sit ups a day, it still isn't going to get rid of your spare tire.

Fat is lost evenly throughout the body. You can't focus on one body part and only work it in an attempt to reduce that fatty area. To help a trouble spot you must focus on overall fitness - aerobic workouts, strength training, good nutrition and more. That's the only way to reduce extra fat. 3. False. Your body doesn't determine your weight based on WHEN you eat. It just cares how much you eat. What's important is determining how many calories are coming in versus how many are going out. You need to find the right balance based on how much your eating and exercising.

If you take in more calories than you burn, then the extras will be stored as fat. That's true whether you eat at night or not. 4. False. For the most part, a calorie is a calorie is a calorie. Sure, it is a little more complex than that but just keep in mind that for every extra 3,500 calories that you take in and don't burn off, you will gain a pound. Does it matter if all of those 3,500 calories are fat-free? No! Your body just cares that the extra calories were consumed. Plus, fat makes you feel full. If you don't eat enough of it, you may find yourself constantly hungry and you may end up consuming more calories than if you had eaten something with fat in it to begin with.

Search

Run Abroad Articles

Run Abroad Books