‘Sniff a banana, an apple, or a peppermint when you feel
hungry’
‘Stare at the colour blue’
‘Eat in front of mirrors and you’ll lose weight’
‘Eat cereal for breakfast five days a week’
‘Brush your teeth after every meal, especially dinner’
‘Sleep in a cold room’
All of these ‘tips’ have sketchy, or no scientific research
behind them. They may be helpful for a select few people, or may suppress your
appetite for a short while. So eating Coco Pops for breakfast, in front of the
mirror, while sniffing a banana in a cold room, followed by brushing your teeth
in a blue room might help you lose an extra pound or two. Or, more realistically,
adding a 15 minute, 10 press ups, 10 squats and a plank or two to your daily
routine will be more beneficial by building a bit of muscle.
Here is a fact- 1kg of body fat burns 3kcal per day whereas
1kg of muscle burns 50kcal per day!
Cereal is not all that good for you, please be selective
with the ones you buy. Do try and have the more nutritious option of poached
eggs, grilled mushrooms and wholemeal toast, for example.
Also, when looking for weight loss and fat loss tips, please
read the whole article, not just the title. We tend to only hear what we want
to hear, like the following:
‘Forget About Working Out’
Some tittles are vague and the sources are poor- so some
people would read the title ‘Forget About Working Out’ and think that training
won’t help them lose weight. What the rest of the article goes on to say, is
that you do not necessarily need to go for a gym session or a spin class to get
fit, but you should try other activities, like swimming, group walking and so
on.
‘Pop a Vitamin’
Pop a vitamin?! Some people might read this title and expect
vitamin tablets to replace the nutrients we get from eating fresh healthy food.
This is not the case. Take this extract from the article, for example; “Although
no magic supplement exists for weight loss, some evidence suggests that taking
a multivitamin may help you burn more calories. Getting adequate amounts of
vitamins and minerals is vital for proper metabolism”; please note the words ‘suggests’
and ‘may’.
So what I am trying to say is, don’t look for a short cut
when it comes to weight loss. Do your research carefully. Try using www.myfitnesspal.com to track your
calories and your exercise or even write it down. There is no secret answer,
just hard work and determination. Trust me! I know!
Emma McMahon
