Zivile Ngo Healthy Lifestyle Coach brings us the 5 most common fitness myths…don’t fall for ’em anymore!
Myth #1: Diet pills to boost your effort.
It’s so tempting! The commercials make compelling claims about the power of diet pills, but don’t fall for it. The ‘magic pill’ has yet to be discovered. Actually, it has been discovered…it’s called exercise. Diet pills are more likely to damage your health and burn your pocketbook than to slim you down.
Tip: Don’t pop pills! Burn calories with exercise for healthy, long-lasting success.
Myth #2: Starve the pounds away.
Attempting to lose weight by severely limiting calories is not only ineffective, it’s also dangerous. Although it may seem that calorie restriction delivers the fastest weight loss, due to our bodies’ complexities, by doing so, we disrupt our metabolism and slow results.
Tip: Don’t starve yourself! Instead, eat healthy, balanced meals throughout the day.
Myth #3: Crunches are the way to flatter abs.
We all want our midsection to look toned, but excessive crunches aren’t the answer for tight abs. In order to achieve a lean look, focus on burning off the layer of fat that is covering up your abs. We all have muscles under there somewhere. Fat burn results from exercise and diet, not from your ab roller or hundreds of crunches.
Tip: Don’t obsess about crunches! Instead, focus on overall fat burn.
Myth #4: Packaged diet foods are the easiest way to speedy results.
It’s amazing (and unfortunate) to see all of the many ‘diet’ or ‘weight loss’ packaged foods. More often than not, these products are packed with sodium, refined sugar, and other artificial ingredients that your body doesn’t need. Ditch the packages and focus on feeding your body with real foods like raw and cooked vegetables, fresh fruits, whole grains, moderate amounts of seeds and nuts, lean meats, and low-fat dairy. Clean eating really is that simple.
Tip: Don’t eat packaged diet foods! Instead, stick with nutritious, whole foods.
Myth #5: Avoid all carbohydrates in order to slim down.
Carbohydrates have been given a bad rap, which is unfortunate because you can (and should) eat carbs while losing weight. Carbs give us energy and help our muscles recover post-workout. The key is avoiding processed and refined flours and sugars.
Tip: Don’t swear off all carbohydrates! instead, stick with whole grains, oatmeal, and brown rice.
One Healthy Breakdown: it’s no mystery. Hard work and healthy eating wins every time!
