Fat Loss Diet - 3 More Myths That You Need To Know About

In a previous article I covered 2 diet myths that may be holding you back from achieving your fat loss dreams. Well, I have 3 more here for you. When going on any sort of fat loss diet it is important to keep these myths in mind and to understand that food is your friend and not the enemy. Some of these may sound strange to you, but just trust me and apply them to your diet.

1. Eliminating Carbohydrates - Many of my clients come to me while midway through some form of low carbohydrate diet. They are usually lacking energy, lacking mental focus and find it difficult to maintain the energy to workout. You need to understand that carbohydrates are necessary to losing weight, but you have to be eating the right ones. If your goal is weight loss, forget about simple carbs, such as white rice and white bread. Stick to complex carbs, such as wholegrain bread and wholegrain pasta. Simple carbs are almost guaranteed to spike your insulin hormone and lead to unnecessary weight gain. Also, try to stay clear of carbs after dark, as any of them that aren't used throughout the day will be stored for the day after (and stored as fat).

2. Starving Yourself - This does make sense at some rudimentary level, but this is the absolute worst way to lose weight possible. Every single person who tries this who does not have an abnormally high metabolism will end up weighing more than they did when they started. If you have read any of my previous articles, you will know that I am a big advocate of raising metabolism for fat loss. By starving yourself, you are shutting down your metabolism. When your metabolism is shut down, you will store almost anything you eat as body fat. You must avoid this at all costs.

3. All Chocolate is Bad - Not all chocolate is bad. It is true that the majority of chocolates found at your local convenience store are bad, but that is because they aren't real chocolate. When I refer to chocolate, I am referring to Cacao chocolate. The higher the Cacao percentage, the better for you. Cacao is an incredibly potent fat burner, as it will push your metabolism into overdrive, due to its high zinc content and other vital minerals. Aim to purchase chocolate that has a Cacao content of 80% or more. These can be found at any reputable health store and are the perfect addition to your fat loss diet.

By combining this article with my other article on diet myths, you will never be fooled again when it comes to nutrition. So now that you know the truth, you can feel free to add complex carbohydrates and Cacao chocolate to your fat loss diet, knowing that they are doing you a world of good, not harm.

John Stamford is a personal trainer, nutritionist and an expert in everything relating to fat loss. Visit John's website in order to discover "One Tip That May Be Preventing You From Losing Fat", plus receive free eBooks, reports and updates for life at:

http://www.FatLossEnigma.com

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Fat Loss Diet - 2 Myths Finally Explained

If I had a dollar for every time that I have heard one of these myths, I would have retired to some secluded island in the Pacific Ocean a long time ago. I want to explain some of the most common myths that I come across so that you can put the knowledge to good use in your own fat loss diet. In fact some of these myths may even be holding you back from achieving your potential: So read on and take notes.

1. Swapping Sugar for Artificial Sweeteners - Now I don't blame people for believing this one, as a zero calorie drink does sound quite alluring to someone who is trying to lose weight. However, artificial sweeteners come with their own price: And it is a hefty price. Apart from the fact that artificial sweeteners, such as Aspartame and Equal, wreak havoc on the nervous system, they also contribute to weight gain. That's right, weight gain. When you consume an artificial sweetener, your brain expects sugars to be provided to the body. However, when they don't arrive, your body begins to crave for these sugars. This will make you want to consume sugars and therefore far more likely to do so.

2. Eliminating Fats - It is common sense to assume that if you eat fat, you will get fat. To a degree this is very true. If you were to go to McDonald's and consume a large fatty meal, you will put on fat. However, this is assuming that all fats are created equal: Which they certainly are not. Taking in a moderate amount of healthy fats is absolutely essential if you are looking to lose weight because the human body finds it very difficult to burn body fat without it. What's more, our brains are composed primarily of fat. Therefore without an intake of healthy fats, our brains cannot perform as they should. The fats that you want to stay away from are saturated fats and trans-fats. The body finds it very hard to break down these fats and they are usually stored as excess body fat as a result. The fats that you need to add to your fat loss diet are monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. Fresh fish and pecan nuts are perfect sources of these.

I hope that you have learned a lot from this article and now understand that these myths are simply that: Myths. Stay away from artificial sweeteners at all costs and understand that healthy fats are an essential component to any fat loss diet.

John Stamford is a personal trainer, nutritionist and an expert in everything relating to fat loss. Visit John's website in order to discover "One Tip That May Be Preventing You From Losing Fat", plus receive free eBooks, reports and updates for life at:

http://www.FatLossEnigma.com

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Weight Loss - 3 Nasty Habits That May Be Hindering Your Progress

Everybody has habits that they wish they didn't have. It is no different when it comes to losing weight. Weight loss requires complete dedication and therefore it is imperative that if you have any such habits, you do something about them immediately. Here are 3 of the most common bad habits that I come across in relation to losing weight and what you can do about them.

1. Combining Food and Television - I am not going to lie, there is something very relaxing about sitting your butt down in front of the television and eating whatever you feel like. However, unfortunately this kind of behaviour has got to go if you are going to achieve weight loss goals. The reason why this is so dangerous is because most people fall into a relaxed state while watching television, and as such, they lose track of how much food they have eaten. Do yourself a favour and make sure that from now on you only eat healthy food while watching television and when that food is gone, you don't go back for seconds. I personally like to relax with a cup of green tea while I am on the couch: I recommend that you try this too.

2. Overeating - It makes sense that somebody who has put on a lot of weight has gotten themselves into the habit of eating too much food. However, this habit can still remain a problem even when that person has decided to change to a healthy diet. As healthy as a food may be, every food still contains calories and if we eat more calories than we burn, we will put on excess fat. This is often quite a hard habit to break, but there is an upside. As you start eating smaller portions of food, your stomach will gradually start to shrink. After a period of weeks, what seemed at first to be a small portion, will make you feel full.

3. Alcohol - This might sound contradictory, but there is a healthy and an unhealthy way to consume alcohol. Well, I guess you could say that there is a healthier way. Just because you are trying to lose weight, doesn't mean that you have to give away your social life. The trick with alcohol is to drink your drinks as neat as possible and never purchase premixed drinks, such as vodka and lemonade. When we combine alcohol with sugar, this is a very dangerous combination and will make you put on weight very quickly. So do your research: Try to find lower calorie versions of your favourite drinks. For example, if you love vodka and lemonade, try drinking a vodka martini for a change.

Seeing as you now know about these habits and what to do about them, you won't have to worry about them impeding your weight loss. You will be the person in the gym that improves every single week because you will have nothing holding you back. But most of all, you will fast track your progress to the body that you deserve.

John Stamford is a personal trainer, nutritionist and an expert in everything relating to fat loss. Visit John's website in order to discover "One Tip That May Be Preventing You From Losing Fat", plus receive free eBooks, reports and updates for life at:http://www.FatLossEnigma.com

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