8 Ridiculous Belly Fat Myths that is Delaying Your Flat Abs

Tell anyone that you need a flat belly and the first advice on exercise you are likely to get is: do sit ups. They are guaranteed to knock out belly fat and give you flat abs.

Come to think of it, when you have a headache, you will take drugs for headache; everything is specialized and geared towards eliminating specific challenges. It should be the same for belly fat loss. So when you need to burn belly fat, you should concentrate on abs exercises. It seems to make sense that doing sit ups will give you flat abs.

Well, not exactly.

Sit ups will give you flat abs is one of the ridiculous fitness myths that you may have been hearing; you may have even believed and practiced it.

We are looking at these belly fat loss myths because they are a major stumbling block to a lot of people.  Most people do not know who or where this myth started, all you know is that it has been handed down from generation to generation, that everyone now gives the advice without bothering to find out if it is true or not. You may also have given the advice to others.

Here are some of the myths I have heard about losing belly fat. There are 8 of them. There are more, but I am tackling these 8 today.

 

Myth # 1 Abs crunches and sit ups will burn belly fat

This is one myth that has passed around for a long time.  You heard it the moment you are old enough to know about flat belly.  According to this myth you have to do tens and hundreds of sit up every day to get a flat belly. This myth has a lot to do with spot reduction. You cannot pick where you want to burn fat and work on that area alone through sit up and crunches.

You have fat in your abs because you put on weight in other areas. To burn it, you have to use a fat loss plan that includes healthy nutrition, cardio, weight training, and recovery and relaxation techniques.

Crunches will only give definition to abs that does not have fat. Burn the fat first, then crunch away

 

Myth # 2 You can spot reduce abs fat alone

Clients work into my gym, tell me they want to burn their belly fat and nothing but belly fat. Then as they are talking with me, their eyes wander in search of the abs bench and abs roller and every other thing abs related. They literally want to have a go at them.

I always tell them that working on your abs alone will not burn belly fat. Sometimes I do not allow them on the so called abs equipment to educate them on how fat loss really works. It takes weeks of training.  But it’s only when they start seeing results and their waist trimming without touching those machine that they believe what I have been telling them.  They look at me in childlike wonder and say – it’s true!

Spot reduction does not work. You did not choose where your body stores fat, how do you think you will force it to lose fat in one area by subjecting a specific part if your body with day after day of punishment in the name of exercise?

What you will do is to concentrate on all over body fat burning exercise, then also uses other exercise that target specific areas like reverse crunch. You will then see belly fat loss result.

 

Myth # 3 Lemon burns belly fat

That is one myth that should be kicked out. Everyday new recipes on how to drink lemon water and what to add to it (cucumber, cinnamon) to turn its fat burning power into an inferno comes up. Taking lemon with other healthy lifestyle changes is good for belly fat loss but it has no power on its own to burn belly fat.

Do not stop taking lemon but there has to be changes in your lifestyle to make lemon effective especially for visceral fat.

 

Myth # 4 Abs devices burns belly fat

You know those infomercials with a smiling, tanned, sleek with flat abs glowing model telling you that it is this unbelievable gadget that took away her big tummy in 2 weeks!

I never stop saying oh my! whenever I see those adverts.

The infomercials and the attractive device preys on the human desire for the easy way out. This is not such a bad thing but when you buy the gadgets without experiencing any result and then you buy the next: that is just being too gullible and a waste of money. These gadgets do no burn belly fat.

Those ladies and men are fitness models that have paid the price of looking  sleek and toned by working out and eating right  to get their bodies in good shape. You can also get paid to endorse these products – get in shape the right way.

 

Myth # 5 – You have to work out more than 15 minutes before you burn fat

These have given rise to a dizzying range of 30 minutes and 1 hour workouts. It does not working out for 15 minutes before you start burning fat. You can burn fat in 10 minutes. Any number of minutes works for me and my clients as long as you focus on what you are doing and give it all that it takes.

When you sit on a bike or on a treadmill and you are on selfie alert or browsing, you cannot be serious. You may end up in the gym for 2 hours and may have worked out for 20 minutes. I advise clients that calls and browsing can wait till after working out.

When you slow down to browse or chat while working out, your heart rate and breath rate slows down.  You have to bring them up again when you come back to your senses.  It does not make sense.

 

Myth # 6 – Dieting alone will give you a flat tummy

 

Many diets including the flat belly diet claim that by just using the diet and not doing crunches or any other exercise, you will get flat abs.

Any diet that is healthy, has more of vegetables, fruits, nuts, poultry, and healthy fat and observes portion control will cause weight loss and belly fat loss. But when it comes to firming up and sustaining it you need to add exercise and make other lifestyle changes.

If you go on a smoothie fast or fruit fast you will get a temporary flat abs. I call it temporary because at some time you have to eat food and your tummy will go back to its former size. Going on smoothie or other restrictive diets will only make you resentment and may cause eating disorder.

 

Myth # 7 Wearing abs belt will give you a flat tummy

Different abs belt, with different shades and sizes abound in shops. They have the same claim. They burn belly fat when you wear them. Some of them come with batteries and vibrate when you put them around your waist. According to the manufactures they burn belly fat as they vibrate. Some other claims by the makers of this belt are so outrageous to mention.

You may even have one that did not fulfill its promise and is gathering dust right now.

It’s not the abs belt that burns fat when you are working out. Your effort is burning fat.

Manufacturers are so wise now that they tell you to use it while working out. When you see changes in your midsection you will not congratulate yourself but you will give all the thanks to the belt.  You did the work, not the belt. That you are wearing it does not make any difference.

But why was my abs measurement smaller after using the belt to work out?

When you constrict something forcefully for a long time it stays that way temporarily. But when you remove what was applying the pressure (in this case the abs belt) after some time, your abs will seem as if it’s gradually unfurling and voila – your waist is back to its original measurement.  The smaller measurement was caused by forcibly constricting your tummy.

 

Myth # 8 Drinking fat burning tea and shake off will give you a flat tummy

Manufacturers come up with fat burning teas with exotic names that claim to burn belly fat.  The packs have a model with flat tummy and a tape wrapped around her tiny waist. Fat burning tea will not give you a flat tummy.

Most of these belly fat tea contain Psyllium husk and other laxatives. So what does it do? It helps you to move your bowel, sometimes it gets out of hand with you visiting the rest room 3-4 times in a day. So your tummy gets flatter for that day. You eat and take it tomorrow and the same thing happens. Does your belly get flatter on a more permanent basis? No!

The worst part is that after sometime of taking these laxatives with exotic names, you digestive system packs up and will not move unless you take the laxative.

Another strange thing? At a point one tea bag will no longer work and you will go from 1 to 3 or 4 to move your bowel.  That is the definition of belly trouble.

All these myths cause frustration and hopelessness because they raise your hope and make you unrealistic in your expectation. They have derailed the fitness goals of a lot of people.

The sooner you let go of these myths and follow the proven methods that work, the sooner you will lose belly fat and get a sleeker and well toned body and abs.

Who knows? You may just be the next fitness model on a tea pack with an exotic name smiling contentedly and telling us this is what burnt your belly fat – and we may even believe you!