Home > Zest > Dieting
Zest: Mythbusters
Time to bust all those dietary myths.

There is a Quick and Easy Way to Lose Weight
There is no easy, quick and labour free method for losing weight. Weight loss unfortunately requires dedication and will power. (Forget any dreams of shedding kilos of fat with a snap of your fingers!)

Starving yourself makes for quick fat loss
What? Hell no! Starving yourself slows down your metabolism, slows the rate at which fat deposits are converted into an energy source and more importantly increase the likelihood that when you next eat your metabolism will go into 'panic mode' and turn any free calories into more fat.
Starving yourself and skipping breakfast for dieting purposes is purely for chumps.

Famous Actors and Superstars have Secret, Celebrity Diets
Rich and famous celebrities only manage to lose weight at remarkable speeds (and gain gorgeous bodies) due to one reason and one reason only: They're stinking rich and you're not! They can afford personal trainers, dieticians and have their foods tailored and prepared for them on an individual basis. (So unless you're rolling in dough plan to lose weight a little slower, chump.)

The Word 'Diet' means to Lose Fat
The word 'diet' does not imply weight loss! The word 'diet' merely denotes a controlled intake of food substance. Bodybuilders go on diets designed to put on muscle, size and weight. Celiacs go on gluten free diets due to their wheat allergies. Like a truly good swear word, 'diet' can be applied for different meanings.

You can 'Spot Reduce' Love Handles
You cannot 'spot reduce'! If you were hoping on shifting fat from particular body areas by doing certain exercises i.e. bicep curls to shed fat from your arms or crunches and leg raises to shift the chub from your stomach....forget it! 'Spot reduction' is just a myth and doesn't work, the body simply doesn't break down fat according to which body part you exercise, the body will break down fat deposits according to an individual genetic rule. The first part of your body to get fat is unfortunately the last place to get slim. For most women they'll accumulate body fat first on their buttocks and thighs, then their stomach then either their arms or legs (Men tend to gain fat around their stomachs first). When a lady begins to shed fat she'll lose it in reverse order from how she gained it; legs or arms first, then stomach, then buttocks and thighs. (The same rule apply's to men)

Protein Shakes make you Gain Weight
No they don't. Protein shakes are used by bodybuilders as a tool to aid in the process of gaining weight, however protein on its own will not add to your weight gain (so long as it isn't taken by the truckload.) With muscle gain you need protein which is the 'building blocks' that the muscle is made of and vast amounts of energy to put these building blocks into place. Bodybuilders consume vast amounts of carbohydrates in order to put this protein into use, without this excess calories the protein will just be flushed from the body.
For someone aiming to lose weight a protein shake is a lean, low-fat method of filling yourself up, what is more protein shakes are cheaper than other sources or protein so they're a pocket saving tool too.

Celebrities Don't go to the Gym to Get In Shape
Rich and famous celebrities only manage to get into such amazing shape with hard work and driven determination. You won't see them sweating in a gym or cursing at their small serving of foods, (but trust me they do it,) because they do it out of the public sight and in exclusive gyms.
That tight, muscular look that many celebrities have can only be gained through weight and resistance training....which means hitting the gym.

Muscle can Turn to Fat
No it can't, muscle physically cannot change to fat. However all those bodybuilders who suddenly give up their pumping iron lifestyle fail to cut their calorie intake to match their new, much lower calorie requirements. So without all the exercise all the huge amount of calories that they continue to eat simply gets converted to fat.
(You should also be aware that bodybuilders have an 'on season' and an 'off season'. 'Off season' is when the bodybuilders don't have to compete, so they bulk up on calories so that they can create more muscle, however with this extra muscle gain also comes a large proportion of fat. 'On season' is when the bodybuilders go on severe diets to shed all the unnecessary fat so that they can perform on stage. Hence their crazy rise and fall in fat percentages during any given year.)