Every time you pick up a magazine, you are bombarded with articles about how to burn body fat. Unfortunately, these articles contain a lot of gimmicks and not a lot of reasonable or sensible science.

If you want to burn fat, you need to embark on a lifestyle change that includes regular exercise and a modified diet. There are three popular myths about fat loss that simply will not die; but this article debunks them so you can embark on a practical – and successful – weight loss journey.

Myth #1: Exercising Your Abs Will Burn Fat

The idea of spot reducing is an attractive one but unfortunately it simply doesn’t work in reality. Fat burning only occurs when you exercise your entire body for an extended period of time. Your heart rate must get elevated in order for you to burn calories and fat.

The best exercise for stimulating fat burn is interval exercise, which combines short bursts of intense cardio activity with intervals of more moderate cardio exercise. While toning your abs will contribute to a sleeker appearance and may help your clothes to fit better, spot reducing simply doesn’t work for fat burning.

Myth #2: Starvation is the Fastest Way to Burn Fat

You may believe that a starvation diet is the quickest way to kick your fat burning into gear. After all, if you starve yourself, your body is forced to burn fat for energy, right? Wrong.

While you may lose fat while your body enters starvation mode, you will gain all that weight back, plus some. In fact, it easy to overcompensate and begin binge eating once you have tried a starvation diet. The best way to burn fat is to change your diet so you burn a little fat at a time steadily, never entering starvation mode but still reducing your overall consumption so you lose weight. You can still eat fats while trying to lose fat too; increase your intake of monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, which offer health benefits while satisfying your taste for fatty foods.

Myth #3: Any Amount of Exercise Burns Fat

In order to enter the fat burning zone, you must exercise steadily for over 20 minutes per day. If you exercise for less than 20, your body merely burns the calories you have consumed today. Exercise for more than 20 minutes, and your body begins to worry it will run out of energy, so it begins burning your reserves of stored body fat. So while the articles and advertisements for those 5 and 10 minute workouts are tempting, they won’t help you burn fat. On the other hand, some exercise is better than none at all, so be sure to squeeze 5 minutes in if that’s all you can do.

Unfortunately, there is no magic bullet when it comes to fat loss. It will take a lot of hard work and dedication, but it’s totally worth it when you have to buy a size smaller or take all your clothes in for alterations. Changing your diet and starting a sensible exercise routine are the best ways to begin your journey to weight loss success.