Here's a big misconception that is in large part driven by advertising and marketing. And before I address this one, I want you to know that I am not blaming anyone. Of course all businesses and the Government should be held accountable, but ultimately your body is in your hands. No one can force you to do or eat anything. Agreed? Ok, onward. Now let me address this "anti-lean" myth. You DO NOT need to eat before you exercise or expend energy. And if you're goal is to lose weight and burn fat, then you definitely shouldn't! See, what I've noticed as of late is there is an entire industry promoting "athletic foods and beverages" that are somehow going to help you become lean and strong if you consume them before you work out.
Specifically, I'm talking about all of the sports drinks and energy bars out there. If you are trying to get lean by consuming these products in addition to your regular diet, then you are going have a bumpy road ahead of you. If an athlete simply wants to have an abundance of energy to perform at his/her optimum state then yes, some of these products make sense. An example of this would be a professional basketball player who consumes a sports drink or a professional cyclist who eats an energy bar during a race. The simple reality is that these products do have calories, and most of them are loaded with sugar. That's where all the "energy" comes from. So if you consume an energy bar right before you go weight lift or you consume a sports drink while performing your cardio exercise, guess what you're using as energy? Yeah, exactly. Trying to lose fat consuming these types of products is like trying to run a race with a 20 pound weight on each ankle. The progress is S-L-O-W. Now when you exercise on an empty stomach on the other hand, guess what your body uses for energy? FAT! So pass on the "athletic performance" products and go with the ultimate fat loss beverage… Water.