When you embark on a new weight loss journey you will come across a bunch of myths that could hold you back. As if weight loss was not hard enough, those myths are out there to muddy the waters further. 

Not being aware of them can have a serious impact on your weight loss regime, causing the type of apathy that leads to abandoning it. In contrast, educating yourself about these myths can help propel your weight loss goals, leading to overall wellness.

Myth 1: Women Who Lift Weights Will Bulk up Too Much

While men who pump iron are likely to bulk up rapidly, women who do the same will not. Unlike men, women do not possess the correct levels of androgens to develop large muscles.  

Ultimately, some women can achieve this by body building, but incorporating weights into your usual workout will not have the same effect. Lifting weights is, in fact, highly beneficial for women. It provides muscle tone, greater bone density, and can improve your basal metabolic rate.

Myth 2: Losing Weight Requires You to Run or Perform Another Intense Form of Exercise

While running or throwing yourself into a bit of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) will make you sweat, it isn’t entirely necessary if you want to lose weight. To lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit. This means the calories you burn must outweigh the calories you eat. 

Whether you do this from brisk walking or pounding down a race track, you will still lose weight. Exercising vigorously does allow you to burn calories faster, which means it is often convenient in the form of HIIT. However, if you prefer power walking, aerobics, or even jazz dancing, you can still burn those calories.

Myth 3: You Need Specialised Exercise Gear to Lose Weight

If you so desire, you can exercise in your stilettos and a tutu and still lose weight. However, it is still important to ensure your clothing is comfortable and safe for exercising to make your workout enjoyable. 

This doesn’t mean you need to purchase the most expensive, celebrity-endorsed outfits, just that you need something appropriate. Loose everyday clothes, a pair of trainers, and a sports bra (if you are female) should do the trick.

Myth 5: Vibrating Machines Lead to Weight Loss

While vibrating machines certainly make you move around, they do not encourage you to engage in aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise engages your muscles, encouraging them to burn energy by taking up glucose or attacking lipid reserves. 

It also increases your metabolic rate temporarily, thus increasing your overall calorie deficit. Standing on a vibrating plate is not aerobic exercise. While it may lead to a little difference in toning, it is not a fast weight loss fix.

Myth 6: When I Reach my Goal Weight I can Stop Working Out

When you reach your goal weight, you need to change your exercise goals, not abandon them altogether. As you are losing weight you exercise to burn calories and drop those pounds.

When you reach your goal, you need to change your routine for maintenance. This means figuring out how many calories you need to eat and sticking to them. Exercise remains as a contributing factor, as it allows you to retain the basal metabolic rate that maintains your new physique. 

Maintenance aside, consistent exercise contributes to a positive lifestyle change that helps you stay healthy. 

SOURCES: https://www.hpb.gov.sg/HOPPortal/health-article/8808