Weight loss: is society sabotaging your silhouette?
Before you bombard your body (and brain!) with the latest lifestyle blogger's 'must have' weight loss method, take a moment to register what the reality of five favoured food and fitness claims really resembles...
1. Society says: we can only eliminate excess weight with weighted workouts.
The reality resembles: weighted workouts may raise our resting metabolic rate by building more muscle mass - muscle's high metabolic activity forces the body to expend more energy at rest - but not everyone enjoys executing such strenuous exercises and/or can participate in this particular form of physical activity to their full potential.
Although ladies who lift are likely to build muscle much more quickly than those who blast their bigger bodies with continuous cardio, a body weighted workout (think push ups, squats and lunges) is equally as effective when it comes to building a bad ass body!
2. Society says: we must subject ourselves to gruelling gym sessions in order to shape a slender silhouette.
The reality resembles: sweating it out with a strenuous spin (or gym!) session may shape a slender silhouette, but fighting the flab with a fitness class isn't the only effective way to eliminate the excess energy that widens our waistline - tackling the tough terrain of an uphill hike, a countryside cycle and even an energetic dance DVD will all help to banish a bigger body without the worry of wasting our money on a membership that we won't use.
3. Society says: we must deprive ourselves of delicious dishes and desserts to successfully drop a dress size.
The reality resembles: tucking into too many treats and takeaways may tighten our trousers, but depriving ourselves of these delicious dishes and desserts can be equally as detrimental for our dress size - we religiously resort back to our unhealthy habits as our newfound infatuation with 'forbidden' food forces us to over consume the culprits that we're trying to cut.
Although we do need to curb our consumption of 'food' sources such as cakes, crisps and confectionery, the occasional overindulgence will leave us less likely to succumb to the slip ups that stem from struggling to sustain such a strategic weight loss solution by ensuring that we ditch the deprivation that destroys our discipline, and determination.
4. Society says: we must dedicate every ounce of energy to a dangerous caloric deficit.
The reality resembles: subjecting ourselves to a severe caloric deficit may see us drop a dress size, but this short-term solution will eventually lead to a slowed metabolism as the body is forced to conserve calories in fear of famine - the more calories that we cut, the more we'll struggle to shift those stubborn pounds as our body clings to its fat stores.
Although a controlled caloric consumption is essential for the initial elimination of excess weight, women should never consume less than 1,200 calories per day (1,800 for men) without supervision from a medical specialist.
5. Society says: we have to exercise every day.
The reality resembles: tackling a tough training session/s on a daily basis may temporarily ease the exaggerated emotions that stem from over satisfying a sweet tooth, but subjecting ourselves to such an excessive exercise regime on a regular basis will eventually result in a burned out body and a beaten brain.
Although moving more will aid a wider waistline, ensuring that our muscular, cardiovascular and neural systems all receive the time that they require to rest and recover from our exercise efforts is equally as important as increasing our physical activity.
Final thought: instead of striving to sustain the worrying weight loss solutions that society insists will shape a slender silhouette, focus on finding an eating and exercise regime that works for you - be it blasting body fat with your favourite fitness DVD, munching on six small meals a day or combining gruelling gym sessions with a sensible and sustainable caloric deficit.
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