The more you sweat, the better the weight loss effect? Debunking 3 Myths About Weight Loss Through Exercise

In spring, everyone is trying to lose weight, but wrong myths make it easy for people to gain weight. For example, we often hear: "The more you sweat, the better the effect of weight loss exercise!" Is this true? Doctors point out that weight loss requires mental preparation for a long-term battle. In addition to diet control, drinking plenty of water, and adequate sleep, regular exercise should be mastered. Only by breaking these three wrong myths can you start the first step towards healthy weight loss.

Liu Bowen, executive director of the Taiwan Obesity Prevention and Treatment Education Association and a weight loss specialist, pointed out that with the arrival of spring and the blooming of flowers, it is time to lose weight. In addition to controlling diet, regular exercise is also the golden rule for weight loss. However, many people feel discouraged during exercise because no matter how long they run or how tired they are, they don’t seem to lose weight.

Weight loss principles: diet and exercise

Basically, exercise for weight loss can be divided into: aerobic exercise (swimming, jogging, playing ball, dancing, cycling, etc.) and anaerobic exercise (gravity training, sit-ups, etc.). The former can enhance cardiopulmonary function, while the latter mainly exercises muscle endurance. Using both together and exercising regularly can help achieve the effect of burning fat and losing weight.

In addition, a balanced diet is also important. It is recommended to change the order of eating to achieve weight loss results. For example, you should eat low-GI foods, such as vegetables and carrots, first of all to stabilize blood sugar. Then, for starch, you should follow the principle of "big breakfast, medium lunch, and small dinner". In addition to limiting sweets, you should also combine it with aerobic exercise and muscle strength training to lose weight in a truly healthy way.

Exercise helps you lose weight by dispelling these 3 myths

Dr. Liu Boen emphasized that exercise has many benefits. Especially after exercise, people tend to have less interest in high-fat foods and choose low-calorie foods instead. Moderate-intensity exercise can reduce appetite, making it less likely that a weight loss plan will be disrupted by overeating. Therefore, one should first establish the correct concept of weight loss exercise to avoid being misled by wrong myths.

Myth 1: The greater the intensity of exercise, the better the weight loss effect!

• The doctor explained: It is easy to accumulate fat in winter, and many people can't wait to do high-intensity exercise to achieve the effect of weight loss. However, strenuous exercise can easily lead to lactic acid accumulation, which often fails to achieve the goal of weight loss. Not only will it cause severe fatigue, it may also cause tendon and muscle strain, and even sudden death. Therefore, it is recommended that you should not sweat or sweat slightly when exercising in spring.

Myth 2: Morning jogging and morning exercise are essential for weight loss!

• The doctor explained: Many people are used to getting up early in the morning to exercise. In fact, compared with the morning, the evening is a more suitable time for exercise. This is mainly because people's heart rate and blood pressure are most balanced in the evening, while the morning is a high-incidence period for cardiovascular diseases due to the low temperature. In addition, the lowest temperature in spring usually occurs around 5 a.m., and the temperature difference between indoors and outdoors is relatively large, which is more likely to cause symptoms such as joint pain and stomach pain, and is not very helpful for burning fat.

Myth 3: The more you sweat, the better the effect of weight loss exercise!

• Doctor's explanation: Most people believe that the more they sweat during exercise, the better the weight loss effect will be, but this is not true. The weight loss caused by excessive sweating after exercise is only a temporary phenomenon. After replenishing water, the weight will return to normal. Because sweating only reduces the water in the body, not the fat. Excessive sweating can cause dehydration if the lost water is not replenished in time, which should not be underestimated.