The 13 Biggest Myths About Weight Loss

1. The Scale is God

The scale is a quick and easy way to measure change.

However, it’s one of the most ineffective ways to measure weight loss and progress.

I go into more detail in an entire article devoted to why the scale can be a poor measure of success.

 

2. Cardio is King

Cardio had its moment to shine.

After all, it was the first method of weight loss to really get a lot of attention.

But that’s all yesterday’s news.

Nowadays, Trainers are being taught more effective ways to lose weight that are much more fun, quick, and effective.

 

3. Weight Lifting makes you Bulky

Sure, it can.

But it doesn’t have to.

If you train like a bodybuilder, you’ll get a bodybuilder’s physique (provided you have the right body type for it).

I hate this myth because it keeps people from using weights to sculpt their body into lean, tight, defined bodies.

 

4. The More, the Better

The truth is, the longer you train, the less intense you can train–or else you’d wear out too fast.

The nehttps://www.austinkickboxingandjiujitsu.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/placeholder-vertical-1.jpgt science on the matter demonstrates that shorter, more intense, sessions are best for weight loss.

 

5. If you exercise you can eat whatever you want

Your body still needs the right material to build a nice physique.

It’s hard to out-train a bad diet.

And if you’re not getting the right amount of nutrients, your workouts can actually work against you.

 

6. Spot Reduction

Spot Reduction refers to the idea that you can burn fat in specific areas of your body, like targeting your hips or stomach.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that.

Your body burns fat similar to how your car burns fuel.

You can’t pull from specific parts of your gas tank. It all gets burned together.

Some body types will naturally burn fat faster from one area of the body and some from another.

But we have no control over that.

However, weight lifting is wonderful because it CAN sculpt and shape specific areas of your body.

 

7. Muscle can turn into Fat

I think this myth has mostly died out.

But just in case…

Muscle tissue and fat tissue are completely different things.

However, adding a nice layer of fat to a muscle can give it the look of having turned to fat.

 

8. You can’t lose weight because of your Genes

This is a valid excuse for almost nobody.

Usually families where several of the siblings or parents are fat has more to do with learned behaviors than it has to do with genetics.

So prove that myth wrong.

 

9. Fat will make you Fat

We’re in a stage of nutrition science now where we’re starting to look at how food effects our body’s hormones.

It’s your hormones that decide if your body holds onto fat or gets rid of it.

And fat isn’t as bad as it was long thought.

In fact, eating enough of the right kinds of fats can actually help you stay skinny.

 

10. Carbs are Bad

This one’s a tricky subject.

Carbs seem to be enemy #1 at the moment in our society.

And the https://www.austinkickboxingandjiujitsu.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/placeholder-vertical-1.jpgtern diet provides plenty more carbs than your body needs.

Even worse, these carbs often come in the form of refined breads and sugars.

Carbs aren’t bad–junk food is bad.

Eating TOO MANY carbs is bad.

But carbs are your body’s main source of energy, so make sure you’re not completely ostracizing them from your diet.

 

11. Cut as many Calories as you Can

In the short term, you’ll probably have success with this strategy.

But in the long term you’ll slow your metabolism, burn up your muscle, and lack the energy you need for a good workout.

Most people could benefit from cutting some calories from their diet.

But don’t go overboard.

By just eating healthy you can almost guarantee that your body will crave the right amount of calories that it needs.

 

12. Being Overweight means you lack Willpower

This perception creates a lot of negative judgement in our society.

There are a lot of factors that go into being overweight.

For some, it’s discipline.

But that’s definitely NOT the full story.

Food education, body type, and other things come into play as well.

 

13. Diet Food is Good for You

There are a couple things wrong with this statement.

First of all, diet foods are usually chocked so full of chemicals that the phrase “food substitute” might be more fitting.

Second, diet foods usually get rid of one nutrient by substituting it with another.

The most common is labeling something as low-fat, while the sugar content has been blown up to still make it palatable.

 

Those are my top 13 myths about weight loss.

 

Coach Forrest