With summer here, some people are trying to melt away the extra pounds. There are many methods to achieve this, but it can be difficult to know which advice to follow and which not.
Here are four techniques that we often hear about, which are not (entirely) effective:
“You have to do intense cardio”
Cardio alone is not enough to lose weight, but it should be combined with strength training. Running for 40 minutes will burn calories for 40 minutes, which is already good, but strength training will increase your basal metabolism, which will help you lose weight in the long term because your body will burn more calories at rest.
“Fasting to lose weight faster”
Many people practice intermittent fasting, which involves skipping breakfast or dinner and eating their meals for the day only over an eight-hour period. Initially, intermittent fasting is not meant to lose weight but to rest your digestive system. And the calories skipped during the fast will be recovered during meals.
“Fat-burning foods”
There is no such thing as a fat-burning food. Eating an apple will not make you lose weight, but you will take in fewer calories than if you eat a waffle. As for fat-burning food supplements (“fat burners”), they promote digestion, the lymphatic system, and thermogenesis. This can give you a boost, but it is not enough to lose weight.
“Eliminate foods to lose weight”
It is not necessary to deprive yourself of certain foods to lose weight, you just have to not overdo it. The best technique is to apply the 80/20 rule all year round (and not just for two weeks before summer): a healthy diet in which you allow yourself a pleasure from time to time will make it easier to stick to it in the long term.
