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Once again, my
goal
for starting the season remains the same as in previous years: going to the gym consistently
enough
to gain health and lose weight.
The good news, or bad news, depending on how you look at it, is that I am not alone in the mission: eight out of ten Spaniards sign up for a
sports center in January.
They are good resolutions that last rather short, because the number of casualties once the initial euphoria has passed is almost as high.
And even if registration at the
gym
is maintained , and the fee is paid religiously,
20%
of these new users do it very rarely, between once a week and never, and only
47%
take it seriously, going more than three times a week to
exercise
, according to data from a study by Aceso.com.
For everyone's consolation, it is good to know that "it is a mistake to sit in the gym every day a little like the wind blows."
It is said by an expert, Mar Planas, the personal trainer and coach and author of the method that allows you to change your body in 90 days.
Staunch defender of strength training,
nutrition
and
coaching
- "to accompany the change of
mentality
" - as the only possible way to lose fat and shape the body definitively "without tormenting oneself or ceasing to be happy", Mar develops his formula in
Itzazo fitness,
the gym and online consultancy that he created in 2020.
And he assures that his method
works
from his own experience.
After the change that she experienced in her body after the birth of her two daughters, with a complicated relationship with food, tired of compensating and of guided classes that were of little use, she found the key in strength exercises. change;
Now she has become a
reference
in this type of training, competing nationally and internationally in
bikini fitness.
We ask her what we do wrong and why we can't
lose weight
no matter how much we do all kinds of
diets
and exercises, that is, how we have to stand in the gym so that the wind blows in our favor when it comes to losing fat.
The answer is to know "the five myths that are
hindering
you in the process," explains the personal trainer, also an expert in
sports nutrition
.
She takes note, these are the main mistakes you have made "your entire life, the ones that mean that today you don't have that
great body
that you feel proud of," she says.
1. To lose weight you have to do cardio
It is the first myth, says Mar Planas.
"No, you don't have to do cardio, you can do without
cardio
, and I say this with a big mouth, because normally we are not passionate about
running
,
jumping
, being exhausted and having our
knees
hurt , because we don't do it well...", Add.
So what do you need to lose fat?
" Strength
training
and a negative
caloric balance
, eating less than you spend. But don't do cardio, just being active is enough."
2. Skipping meals helps you lose weight faster
It is the second great myth.
"Have you ever been told, or have you done it yourself, that 'when I did
intermittent fasting it
worked great for me...'? So I understand that now you have the body of your dreams... If not, don't fool yourself , it didn't work. What happened? If you ate
three meals
a day of 500
calories
each and you cut out one, you went on to eat a thousand. What works is not cutting out meals, but eating
less
than what you spend," says Mar Planas.
Intermittent fasting
does
not work because it is not something that is
easy
to maintain over time, "it is not comfortable to follow on a day-to-day basis," warns the trainer.
And even if you lose weight at first, since you don't learn anything in the process, when you eat again
the
same way you always do, you also gain weight again.
"In addition, eliminating a meal without a defined strategy can cause you to take less protein than necessary; less fat, something that is dangerous for your health; less
carbohydrates
, which takes away your energy... No, do intermittent fasting, as such , does not help you lose
fat
and skipping a meal does not help you lose weight," he warns.
3. Infusions and supplements help you lose fat faster
It is the third myth, says Mar Planas.
"You're not going to like this, but it's the truth: you're only going to lose fat and maintain this loss forever with proper
nutrition
, quality strength training, and good
rest
. This is the cornerstone, something we hear from afar We never pay attention to this, but it can make the
difference
, infinitely more than supplements, between whether you lose fat or not. As it is, it has been proven," he explains.
"Start prioritizing
rest
, make sure you have good
strength training
and eat properly, with the right macronutrients - for health, for performance and for
energy
- while being in
a caloric deficit
," he advises.
How is that done?
"It's not that easy, there is a whole strategy behind it based on scientific evidence. But forget about
infusions
, they are not going to make a difference. And ending fluid retention is not going to help either, because you do not have
fluid retention,
but of fat".
And aren't there supplements that help with
fat loss
?
"Yes there are, three counted. And they will only make a difference when you are already at a point where your body is very resistant to getting rid of that last bit of fat that you have left, not when it seems to you that it is having a hard time because "You're not doing things right," the
coach
responds .
At that point, she insists, the difference that the supplements
will make
will range between 1 and 10%, at most.
"Let's start by doing everything right, and when you become thin, use supplements to eliminate that
stubborn fat,
but don't start with them because you're not going to fix anything."
4. The less you eat, the more weight you will lose
It is the fourth myth, says
Mar Planas.
"There is a phrase that I often hear and with which I suffer a lot: 'To lose weight I already know what I have to do, stop eating and eat fewer calories.' I hold on, I resist a little and then... that's it:
I bounce.
" , sentence.
"On the contrary, to
lose weight
the more you eat, the better, because then you will have more energy, you will have more adherence to the diet you follow and you will be happier
.
And the happier you are, the more you will want to maintain it, the more energy you will have to train and more
calories
you will burn.
Furthermore, he adds, if you do not reduce the amount "you will not burn
stages
and it will take longer to reach
stagnation
. If to eliminate fat you only eat lettuce, when you stagnate, what are you going to
eat
? You must eat the maximum that allows you to continue losing of weight".
5. Carbohydrates make you fat
It is the fifth and final myth: believing that carbohydrates make you fat, because it means removing them from the menu.
"Do you remember myth 3 and the importance of
quality strength
training ? You will only perform if your body has energy, and
carbohydrates
give it . It is a lie that they gain more weight just because they are fat and they are essential for training, the fundamental step for you to lose
fat
, more than
weight
, and maintain that loss forever," concludes the expert.
Fitness
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