BLOG: Fitness Misconceptions

There are a number of people out there who have problems sticking to a routine healthy lifestyle because there is always some new fad or study coming out about health tips. They get overwhelmed and I get overwhelmed. I want to take a moment and help clear some of the myths up.

No pain, no gain: Pain is bad! You do not want to hurt yourself but don’t get pain confused with having to push yourself beyond your limits. If you are getting winded, take deeper breaths. If you think you’re going to puke, go do it, then get back to work. If something feels like it is going to break and isn’t moving smootly, then stop and check it out. Pushing yourself is good, pain is bad.

As long as I workout I can eat whatever I want — no way! A healthy lifestyle is 80 percent eating right and 20 percent working out. It is not okay to say “Well I worked out for an hour, I can have Jimmy John’s or McDonalds now.”

It is calories in and calories out. To lose weight you have to burn more calories than you take in and to maintain weight it needs to be more balanced. It should never be more in than out though. Logically speaking, that just isn’t going to work.

This brings me to our second myth, chocolate milk is a great post workout drink — wrong! There is a lot more calories and fat in chocolate milk than your body needs after a good workout. Save it for the cheat meal and go for lean protein instead.

I’m going to cut bad foods out cold turkey: This is bound to fail unless you have super human willpower. Temptation is everywhere and having a cheat meal (not day) once a week is going to be the secret to success. Without one, temptation will catch up to you and lead to a binge. The guilty, defeated feeling after a binge is the worst but it is avoidable.

This is just a diet: Diet is a terrible word because it should be a lifestyle change. You cannot achieve your goal and then go back to your old habits. It needs to be a way of life. If you think of it as temporary, that is exactly what your achievement is going to be.

All I need to do is cardio — wrong! Cardio is lovely, I love me some running to clear the mind, but there is so much more to your body than that. Weight lifting is one thing you should aim to do when improving your metabolism. Building muscle increases your metabolism and allows you to burn more calories. Don’t shy away from the dumbbells and squats, they are your friends. Be sure to start small though or you will be very sore the next day…and possibly the day after that too.

Skipping breakfast is okay, it will cut my calorie intake: This should be drilled into your head that this is the most important meal of the day. Skipping breakfast will make you hungrier later and actually increase your caloric intake throughout the day.

Diet pop is a good alternative to regular pop: Sure this will cut calories and sugar but it packs on the sodium and can also cause you to gain weight. Diet pop actually makes your body hungrier than it actually is. Your body thinks it is hungry/starving and begins to store the fat you are trying to lose.

I can’t do this — Yes, you can. Anyone can do this if they really want to.

The secret to a successful attempt at a healthy lifestyle is sticking to the basics. Exercise at least 30 minutes everyday, eat your fruits and vegetables, eat three full meals a day, and cut back on junk food. A healthy lifestyle is easier than most think.