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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.

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