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I mentioned the other week about the weight loss benefits of exercise.
Minimal at best.
And about how many FitPros will tell you how great their workouts are for “torching fat”.
And the “afterburn effect that’ll turn you into a fat burning machine for up to 72 hours after”.
And countless other similar things.
There is, of course, an element of truth in these things.
They’re not out right lies.
And there’s some kernel of truth in most things you’ll hear.
But…………
It’s all just exaggerated.
Or taken out of context.
Or not given with enough context.
Perhaps not the entirety of the story.
So, to help (I hope) here’s a few things you might have heard that have some basis in reality…………..
With a bit more info to get us ‘closer to the truth’.
1. Exercise for fat burning
– Statistically little to no difference when ‘work matched’ (same number of calories used overall
– Much more time and effort than reducing the same number of calories by adjusting eating
2. After burn effect
– Minimal – somewhere between zero and 80 extra calories burned after the workout when compared to other ‘work matched’ workouts
3. Protein bad for the kidneys
– If you have an existing kidney problem, maybe (your doctor will advise)
– If not, you’d have to go really, really really high to cause any problems and that’s unlikely unless you eat like a maniac
4. Squats are bad for the knees
– Pre-existing knee injuries may limit what you can do
– – Gradually increasing squat depth over time( if doable) will more likely be good for the knees
5. Fasting for weight loss (formerly known as “not eating”)
– When energy matched, between minimal and tiny differences in all studies
– – A perfectly valid approach if having set rules and limits to when you eat allows you to create an average deficit
6. Resetting or ‘kick starting’ the metabolism
– Fuelling the body (both from and energy and nutrient perspective) which allows it to be, overall, more active so that you can then use up even more calories than any extra you’ve consumed can work.
– Eating more (or differently) to change the rate your body uses energy irrespective of composition and activity levels can’t.
All these things have some vague kernel of truth in them.
But are usually exaggerated to the point of telling a very different story to reality.
And knowing the real level of benefit to something (or why it may or may not be beneficial) allows us to make the decisions that will actually lead us to our goals.
Much love,
Jon ‘6’ 3″ 225lbs’ Hall
