5 Myths About Fitness (that social media "gurus" still feel the need to swear by)
Some of them mean well, but let's debunk this schtick, stat!
Happy Friday! Where did the week go?
Social Media crawls with misinformation. We know this. The Fitness and Nutrition Industry is a monster on the internets and it’s very hard to know what’s fact and what’s stranger than fiction. One of my favorite lines from the “Conspirituality” podcast is: “Watch what they say, then watch what they sell”. Usually the best way to spot a myth is if the person presents a “problem” that you may or may not have (how would they know?), and they just happened to have the magic solution that no one else does. That’s marketing 101, but when it comes to someone’s health there are bigger problems than talking about a clogged toilet and you’re selling the best plunger on the market. Big difference. Huge!
Here are some myths to look out for while you scroll your feeds:
MYTH #1:
You can eat as much as you want, and still lose weight, as long as you workout. A LOT.
FALSE! The amount/intensity you choose to workout doesn’t create a cart blanche effect for your calorie intake. Yes, when you workout a lot, you’re going to be hungrier and need more calories to sustain that energy. However, that doesn’t mean you’ll maintain or lose weight by eating more and more. Unless you’re an elite athlete and your nutrition and weight is being watched like a hawk by a Sports Dietician, eating everything and anything just because you ran a lot could backfire on you. We can’t all be Serena Williams. As much as we’d dream.
Your daily calorie burn has more to do with your BMR (basal metabolic rate) than the calories you burn during structured exercise. This is why you might see people, or you yourself, burning your butt off in the gym on a daily basis but the scale isn’t budging, or it’s going up because you’re so starved for food from all the workouts. This could be a good thing if you want to build muscle, but I’m not talking about that. Carry on if you’re in a muscle building phase. Nothing to see here.
→ If you don’t want to change up your workout routine, but it’s making you ravenous to point of binging, try eating more protein and fiber at every meal, and work in high protein snacks for post workout fuel. Protein is the most satiating macronutrient, and you burn 30% of the calories from just digesting it. Fiber also takes a while to digest and makes you feel full. Also amazing for keeping up a healthy gut. Magic! Or should I say, Science!!
MYTH #2:
Lifting weights will make you “bulky”
If I had a dime for every time that a Pilates, Barre, or Yoga teacher said this. Not all of them do, of course, but here’s the deal, especially if you’re a woman (biologically speaking) or over 60: THAT’S NOT HOW IT WORKS. If it’s your intention to “bulk” you’re going to be eating in a surplus with a lot of protein and carbs, and lifting heavy and progressing your weights almost weekly. You’ll be intentional about it. However, if you’re just a “normie” like me, lifting heavy-ish a few days a week, but also in a calorie deficit or eating at your maintenance, you’ll get some good tone going on… but bulky? Very unlikely. “Bulky” also sounds fat-phobic to me. What’s wrong with “bulky” anyway? Odd choice of words, and I usually hear it out of the mouths of young lady insta-gurus that are doing other questionable things with their diet, workouts, and mindset. Somethings off here!
→A safer way to go about lifting weights, if that is your exercise of choice, is 3-5x times a week and splitting up the body parts you train to allow for proper recovery.
Example Split:
Monday: Lower Body
Tuesday: Upper Body
Wednesday: Yoga/Low-Intensity Barre/Pilates/Dance/Hike/Walking: Active Rest Day
Thursday: Glutes
Friday: Shoulders
Saturday: Full Body
Sunday: Yoga/Low-Intensity Barre/Pilates/Dance/Hike/Walking: Active Rest Day
MYTH #3:
You need to workout everyday in order to see results.
Moving your body everyday and working out everyday are two different things. If you have weight loss and/or body composition goals, working out hard everyday is not going to get you the results you desire. Seems wrong, but here’s why: Your muscles need time to repair after they’ve been fatigued, stretched, and torn from your workouts. If you don’t allow this to happen, your body is going to want to stay where it is because it’s smart. It’s thinking, we need to keep up the status quo or we won’t be able to keep this up. Your muscles can weaken, your hormones can become unbalanced (cortisol overload which can result in stress and weight gain), and your organs can weaken as well.
→ Whether you’re working out or having a rest day, movement throughout the day is still important. Walking, chores, getting up to stretch, playing with the animals or children, get that NEAT in.
MYTH #4:
You can spot reduce (fat loss) specific parts of your body with specific exercises targeting those areas.
The most popular version of this that I see is “reducing cellulite” by doing specific moves. Lord! What’ll they think of next? I get it though. Women have been force fed the idea that having cellulite, or any fat on their bodies, is a crime. It’s not. It’s normal. Most biological women, and some men, have cellulite no matter how muscular they are. Genetics and diet have much to do with it, and lighting and photoshop. Aside from the aesthetic nonsense, if you want a muscular butt, you’re going to have to “build” it by eating enough protein/calories, lifting heavy, and exhausting your glutes strategically (with rest in between). You’ll gain fat in this process, and then do a cut to “split the difference”. This happens all over the body, and at random. Fat loss happens where it happens. You can’t dictate it with specific moves.
→ Be patient, and don’t worry about perfection. Speaking of fat loss… exercise is not the driver, your diet is. Cardio can help in some cases, but what you eat and how much is the way to fat loss.
Myth #5:
If the scale doesn’t move, what you’re doing isn’t working and you have to push even harder in the gym and eat less.
Hold up. The scale is but one measurement of data to take in when it comes to fitness goals. Before you lose your mind, take all of this other data into consideration:
-Measurements: In addition to recording your starting weight, also document your measurements in inches: hips, waist, chest, arms, thighs, calves, etc…
-Monitor your progress in workouts: Speed, intensity, flexibility, upping weights/dumbbells etc.
-Clothes: From the size you wear to how the clothing feels on your body now. Is there a difference?
-Energy: What’s your energy like in the beginning and where is it now? More stamina? Or more tired and stressed?
-Sleep: How many hours of sleep did you get in the beginning, and how has this improved? Or not?
-Relationship with food: Are you more relaxed around food or more agitated and obsessed?
Once you consider all the data that you want to, then you can readjust where you’re at if you feel it’s necessary. Exercising more and eating even less is still probably not going to make things better.
One of the great things about staying consistent and not subscribing to myths, is that over time you’ll find your own personal sweet spot. You won’t worry about your weight, what you’re going to eat on vacation, and you’ll feel comfortable in your own skin.
Have a great weekend!
DISCLAIMER: Please consult with your DR before starting any general fitness, nutrition, or wellness program or tip. This newsletter is NOT a substitution for professional, medical, therapeutic, or mental health consultation, diagnosis, and/or treatment. This newsletter is for informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only. It includes science-based/general guidelines, and is NOT personalized advice or training. These are just suggestions and if you try anything, you do so at your own risk.