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5 Fitness Myths That Are Responsible For Thousands of Fitness
Failures Unfortunately, many people are misinformed and are also misled by the many promises of the weight loss industry. Everywhere you look, you see or hear of people promising “Dramatic Weight Loss” with products such as “The Fat Trapper”, or “Exercise in a Bottle”. Then you also have the hundreds of diets out there such as “The Zone”, “Sugar Busters” or “The Atkins Diet”. I’m sure you have heard of many of these yourself. You might have even tried some of them. Unfortunately, these products and diets are not the quick fix, or the miracles they are portrayed as. They are also usually very dangerous. Below are some common misconceptions among people with regard to exercise and nutrition. 1. You need to exercise to burn fat. The truth is you don’t gain body fat because of a lack of exercise. You gain it because your blood sugar levels exceed what you are using. Basically, you are eating too many calories at one time. 2. Your metabolism slows down once you hit 30. WRONG! Actually, hundreds of research studies have shown that the slow down in metabolism is due to a loss of muscle tissue. And the loss of muscle tissue is directly related to a lack of hard physical activity! 3. Pasta and bread are fattening. Anything is fattening! Lettuce can be stored as fat! Any food or drink, which contains calories, can be stored as body fat if it causes your blood sugar levels to exceed what the body needs at that time. Bread and pasta are actually great sources of complex carbohydrate! The key is how much you eat and when you eat it. 4. Eating after 7pm will make you fat. Absolutely false! It all depends on whether or not the body needs that amount of calories at that time. Keep in mind your body is constantly burning calories, 24 hours per day, just the amount varies. 5. Strength training will make you bulk up. Another NO! It seems as if mostly women are concerned with this one. Muscle size is primarily affected by genetics and hormone production; therefore, most women don’t have the potential to build very large muscles. Muscle burns calories, so the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn which makes easier to burn fat and harder to gain it! By no
means is this a complete list! There are so many I could write a whole
book just about them. The key is in education, but not by reading
fitness magazines! |
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1. Move it or lose it (the
no-brainer). 30 minutes of exercise daily. I'm not
talking about a walk in the park, although you can do that on the
side. I mean at least 30 minutes (up to 60) of pushing your body
beyond what it's used to doing. I can just imagine some of you
frowning, thinking that you must put yourself through some torturous
workouts. Not at all.
Slash your odds for a number of killer diseases and rev up your metabolism with aerobic conditioning and strength training and slow down (or reverse, to an extent) the aging process. 2. Stop putting up with stuff that's holding you back from being healthy, fit, and energized. Why waste your happiness, health, time, and energy when you don't need to in the first place? Putting up with things is good for no one. Make a list of ten things you're tolerating at home. TAKE ACTION NOW to eliminate these items. Be sure to eliminate the SOURCE of the toleration. Do this same exercise for your workplace. Understand that you're "juiced" by tolerating things. Be willing and committed to being toleration-free. STOP COMPLAINING and get to work on this. 3. Fruits and veggies. Get five to seven servings of fruits and veggies a day. Not only do they reduce your risk of getting some forms of cancer, they are heart healthy, and give you more nutrition-bang for your buck. Plus with the added fiber, you feel fuller even when you're eating less. So fruits and veggies are waistline-friendly. 4. Simplify your life, immediately. Our lives are too jam-packed with projects, goals, ideas, coulds, shoulds, have-to's, commitments, concerns, obligations. Phew! Ask yourself:
Start by
cutting out 3 projects, tasks, responsibilities, shoulds, coulds,
wants, goals, etc. that are not necessary. Eliminate, delegate, or
make a system for 12 tasks that are sucking your energy stores dry.
When you think of something you "have to do," stop and ask yourself
why you have to do it. You probably don't.
5. Take a multi-vitamin. Your insurance policy to get the nutrition your body craves. Anti-oxidants. Calcium. Folic acid. The whole gamut of vitamins and minerals to build stronger bones, maximize your metabolism, boost energy, feed muscles, etc. 6. Create and use 10 Daily Habits. There is a daily routine which will keep you focused, clear, motivated, and moving forward - your 10 Daily Habits. These are the things you do each day which make your life better. Choose habits that you WANT to do. There is no place for shoulds or coulds in your 10 daily habits. Instead select or design daily habits which you look forward to and give you pleasure. Choose habits that GIVE YOU ENERGY. Most of the 10 daily habits that actually work for people are the ones that add to the person's well-being or energy flow. It might mean that you do something like have 6 veggies a day, no TV after dinner, 20 minutes of vigorous exercise, make 5 sales. Modify your 10 daily habits as needed. It takes some fine-tuning to have the 10 habits that work best for you. If you find yourself not doing one or two of your habits, change or replace them with ones which come naturally. 7. Get your Zzzzz's. Depriving yourself of sleep (okay, I'm guilty of this, too) not only makes you grumpy and less productive but may also age you prematurely and promote serious illnesses like diabetes and hypertension. Shoot for a steady 7-8 hours each night. 8. Come from a better place - improve your attitude. Stop trying to change your behavior. Instead, start shifting on the inside. Saying things like, "I will stop eating sugar," "No eating after 7 PM," "I will only eat foods that nourish me," or "I am going to work out daily, starting Monday," the focus is on what you want/need to change. Contrast that with, "I am someone who takes care of my body," "I am someone who associates with healthy people," "My day orients around my well-being and exercise," "I have better things to do than eat junk food," "I need my energy to accomplish my goals." See the difference? The second set of statements focuses on WHO YOU ARE and what you want in your life, not just the change you want to make. This shift is more than just paying lip service to the first set of statements. It calls for action to show your commitment. When you shift who you are, things naturally look different, and the results are obvious. 9. Feed your body well, and feed it often. If you want plenty of energy in addition to boosting your metabolism, 2 or 3 meals a day just won't do it. Spread your meals throughout the day (4-6), balance them with protein, fruits and veggies, and a little bit of good fats such as walnuts or almonds, or oils like olive or safflower, and your body will be a well-oiled, leaner, energized, peak-performing machine. 10. Drink your water! Drink at least eight glasses of water a day - even a slight dehydration can make you feel lethargic. Maximize your liver's fat-metabolizing ability by drinking more water so that it's not working overtime to detoxify your body. Control your weight and appetite. Ladies: you may even lower your risk of colon cancer! |