Diving into the world of fitness can be exciting and rewarding. It can also be confusing and frustrating. I remember my younger self looking for ways to shed fat fast or trying the newest fad diet to accelerate results. Since nothing worked, I would go on a journey for the newest thing to try, and I would fail again and again. I believe the reason for my constant failure was that I followed too many myths and not science backed information. To get you started on the right track here are my top 10 myths to avoid when trying to get fit or lose weight:
- Drink so much water that you need a portable bathroom
Drinking too much water may cause you to cramp. Although this seems contradictory, since we associate cramps with being hydrated, excessive water consumption may be diluting your electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, etc.) which leads to cramps. Cramps, though, are just the symptom of a more serious illness, hyponatremia.
- Eating after 7pm will kill your progress
If you read my first post, you understand the energy balance concept. If you want to lose weight, all you have to do is eat less than what your body needs. Nowhere in that formula does the time in which you consume food dictates changes in energy balance. I hate absolutes but it is impossible, at an energy deficit, to gain fat.
- Avoid all processed foods
Sure, junk food may leave you feeling like you just got run over by a truck, but again, ENERGY BALANCE! Plus who doesn’t like an oreo or two when you are deep in a diet. If anything, the positive effects of a food you love, whether processed or not, will help you stay committed in the long run. Remember to ensure those oreo goodness fit in your energy needs.
- Workout until you need an oxygen tank
I can’t count the many times I have gotten injured or had to help a client or loved one get through some sort of ailment because they went too hard at the gym. In fact, my official Army run time went down once I started to slow down during my training runs. It is simple, the slower I take it, the longer I can go injury free.
- You must maintain a perfect streak
I am still a victim of this one, I am just human after all; and so are you. Here I am resetting and restarting my whole workout and nutrition plans just because I missed a day. Just because you fail once to go to the gym or eat clean doesn’t mean all is lost. I always recommend this quick interview with Registered Dietician Angie Tillman.
- Bread, rice, potatoes are your enemy
Even the least fitness savvy person knows to avoid starchy or simple carbohydrates when dieting. Unfortunately, this is another of those myths which became part of our culture. These foods might make you gain weight if consumed in excess but so will salads, strawberries, and broccoli. Instead of avoiding them altogether understand how you can use them to your advantage. For example, did you know potatoes are the most satiating food on the planet or that white rice is absorbed so quickly that it may help you perform better at the gym?
- Sugar will kill you and your abs
If you made it your goal to avoid sugar, you would only be eating meat. Sugars are everywhere and provide us with a quick source of energy. If consumed in excess, like anything else, then you would see the dark side of it.
- Go low sodium to avoid HBP
It seems that for every food product out there, there is a low sodium variant of it. Unless your doctor told you to avoid high sodium items, you need not go out of your way to avoid this electrolyte. In fact, avoiding sodium can lead to a variety of symptoms including fatigue. Next time you are feeling dehydrated try adding a pinch of salt to your water for faster hydration.
- Always seek the fat-free version
Just like sodium fat-free versions of popular items are everywhere. There is fat-free milk, cheese, cookies, bread, meat, etc. There are two problems with always going with these options. The first issue is that fat is essential for proper brain function. The other problem is companies often replace the fat they take out of products with simple sugars to match the flavor profile of their full-fat counterparts.
- Yoga and walking won’t produce results
Society has been getting better at understanding the therapeutic effects of going outside for a good and steady walk. I also see more and more the biggest powerlifters at my gym doing what could be considered yoga to prepare for their lifts. Other than giving your muscles a long needed rest, you would also be getting a much needed mental break.
Smiling pounds away 
Leave a comment