Fat-Loss Myths

When it comes to fitness goals, many people say their goal is to "have a six pack" or "to have abs". But, what people do not understand, it that in order to make that happen, it takes more than doing crunches and severely decreasing your food intake. In fact, it is the total opposite of doing those things that will help define your stomach muscles. Additionally, just because someone has "abs", does not make them more healthy or in shape than someone who does not. If you exercise regularly and eat properly, but do not have a "six pack", does not make you unhealthy. However, if that is still your main goal, here are some things to consider when making changes to your health and wellness routine. 

• Doing a "cleanse" or a "detox" will not help decrease body fat in the long run
• Often times when individuals decide to make a change to better their health or want to change their aesthetics, they think that by doing some sort of cleanse to taking a diet pill will un-do the unhealthy foods and lack of exercise from their past. And while this may work at first, it is not a sustainable healthy behavior. So, when deciding how you want to reach your fitness goals, make changes that you will be able to keep for a lifetime. 
• Eating fat does not make you fat
• While fat does have a higher calorie content than carbohydrates and protein, healthy fat intake from natural foods like oils, fish, certain types of meat, nut and seeds can help improve your fat-loss mechanisms in the body. Eating low-fat foods often times means the food has added sugars or chemicals that make up for the loss of healthy fat. So, don't be afraid to consume good, dietary fats, you may be surprised as it actually helps you to burn fat. 
• Abdominal exercises are not the sole thing that will give you abdominal muscles
• Performing abdominal exercises is not a bad thing, but by doing solely abdominal exercises, you will not get a "six pack". Abdominal exercises do not require the use of enough energy to burn enough calories to truly see a difference in appearance. Make sure you are including heavy squats, dead lifts, pulls and pushes in your exercise routine to get the energy expenditure and calorie burn that you need. However, if you really want to see a difference in the appearance of your stomach muscles, look at what you eat. The saying is true, "abs are made in the kitchen!"