3. You burn more fat by exercising longer at a lower intensity – the myth of the ’fat-burning zone’.
No, we burn a higher percentage of fat as a fuel source when working at lower intensities, but we burn more total calories when exercising at higher intensities. At the end of the day, it’s calories in versus calories out that matters.

That is a great one to know, I always wondered about that fat burning zone stuff. Thanks Meg!

Great info, thanks!

I can't believe how wrong I was. Some of this stuff my high school gym teachers have gotten wrong too. thanks!

"4. If the scale goes up a few pounds when you begin exercising, it’s due to adding muscle.
No, it’s generally due to water retention from sore muscles or changed eating habits. You won’t build muscle doing cardio exercise, so starting a biking, walking, or elliptical program won’t result in a muscle gain. Strength-training will add muscle, but it takes considerable time and hard work for a woman to add even a few pounds of muscle. And muscle doesn’t ‘weigh more than fat’ – a pound of muscle is smaller and denser than a pound of fat and takes up about 1/3 the space, but the two weigh the same amount."

This one has driven me insane for years. I so often hear folks tell someone who's not losing "you're putting on muscle and it weighs more than fat" I so totally didn't believe that and now here you are to rebuke the idea. Thank you!

It's really good to have the myths out there so we have to look ourselves in the eye and be honest about what we are doing.

The whole gaining weight after starting to exercise thing happened to me! I was so upset until I talked to my meeting leader who told me exactly what you wrote that basically you may gain the first week or two after starting an exercise program.

Of course, after that I came home and googled it!

Last year I walked 1.5 miles from my house to the boardwalk downtown EVERY DAY for the entire summer to sit and knit, then my husband would come pick me up and drive me home. I didn't lose ANY WEIGHT. None. But I lost dress sizes. I could fit into my jeans better, and people commented on how I looked like I was losing weight.

I just read here that fat doesn't turn into muscles, and that muscle doesn't weigh more than fat... how can this be?

Over the fall and winter, I stopped walking and although my weight hasn't changed, I can't fit into my jeans anymore and have had to start wearing my stretch slacks and skirts again...

I would bet dollars to doughnuts that when I start walking again (I am starting back up today, thanks to this forum's support) that I will again be able to fit into my jeans but wont lose any weight....

How do I lose weight on my walking routine?

I weigh 320 lbs. and am 5'8'' tall... if that gives you any info you need to help me solve this riddle...

1) How do you lose weight on your walking routine? Eat less

2) Fat doesn't turn into muscle, you can build muscle and you can lose fat at the same time. Also, sometimes our bodies will hold onto water when we are losing fat that will result in the scale staying the same.

3) A lb of muscle weighs a lb. A lb of fat weighs a lb. A lb of muscle takes up less room than a lb of fat.

Meg - I like this post! As someone always looking for new exercise tips, knowing what NOT to do is also a big help! I always struggle with lifting weights - what is the correct ratio - in order to tone you do more reps with lighter weights or is that for building muscle? I can never keep it straight - how do you find the right numbers for your goal?

I also like #9 - it's very true of course, but for me, the more I work out, the hungrier I get! Thank goodness for my protein smoothies

This was great. Thanks for sharing.

I believe at least a couple of hours should pass between a heavy meal and exercise, but it's good to have a little carb just before your workout, as one of your snacks for the day. Then protein right after is good.

Meg - thanks for the myth list! For me, #3 was also unclear before.

Morning exercise gets your metabolism going to start your day. If you wait until later in the day to exercise, you may not have the time. If you exercise when your family is sleeping, you don't take away family time to exercise.
It may be dark and cold in the mornings, but you can go on with your day knowing that you got a workout in.

Gerry

Wow, number 9 is SO TRUE. I know that's how I gained back 30 pounds after reaching my goal weight. I allowed myself to overeat and eat unhealthy things because I was consistently working out hard 5 to 6 days a week. I gained weight anyway because there was no way to burn the hundreds of extra calories I was taking in by overeating.

I admit I fell for #7... I thought No Pain, No Gain!

Comparing the weight of 1 pound of fat and 1 pound of muscle is pointless. It's like comparing 1 pound of feathers to 1 pound of iron: they weigh the same, 1 pound! If you measure one cup of fat (not that you would, ew) then it would weigh less than one cup of muscle because muscle DOES weigh more than fat. The point of this myth is not that they have different weights, it is that you won't gain muscle fast enough to show weight gain from exercise that quickly. I just thought you might want to know that they DO NOT weigh the same, even though they both weigh a pound.

Thanks so much for posting! Glad to see I am not the only one that feels this way!