10 Fitness Myths that I wish I knew before starting my fitness journey.
YOU CAN TARGET YOUR FAT BURN.
This refers to ‘spot reduction’ or targeted weight loss. Many people think that by working out a specific part of your body, you will then remove the body fat from that specific area. This is a total myth as burning body fat doesn’t work that way. You are able to gain muscle in specific body parts but you can’t burn body fat the same way. To put it in simple terms, your body burns fat from all areas and so by exercising your body, the fat breaks down into proper fuel for energy. The fat that is converted to energy comes from anywhere in the body, not only the muscles that you’re working.
NO PAIN. NO GAIN.
No Pain, No Gain. We hear this all the time in different forms of media and from others when it comes to working out. We believe that we don’t benefit from our workouts when it doesn’t hurt the next day. This is a myth, and one that I never knew in the beginning; I always thought that if my muscles were not sore the next day, it meant that I hadn’t worked hard enough. The fact is, when exercising, you should listen to your body and how it feels. Push yourself but not to the point where everything hurts because at that point you are doing more damage to yourself than anything.
EXERCISE MACHINES ARE BETTER THAN FREE WEIGHTS.
This is not necessarily true because you are able to do more variations of different exercises with free weights. You are also able to activate more muscles when using free weights and have full range of motion, which are both important when seeking the full benefits of an exercise. Exercise machines are also good in terms of targeting specific muscles. When you are starting to feel tired and your form is crumbling, exercise machines provide that extra stability and support that you may need. Be sure to incorporate both when planning your workouts; balance is everything!
RUNNING BEATS WALKING.
Both are cardiovascular exercises which means you will benefit from both of them no matter which one you choose to do. Running and walking on an incline burn quite a lot of calories, depending on the amount of time you spend doing the exercise. Running and walking both target the same muscle groups. The choice between these two comes down to personal preference and your abilities, but one is not better than the other.
MUSCLE IS CONVERTED TO FAT IF NOT USED.
This is completely false because muscle cells and fat cells are different from one another and are not interchangeable. The fat that you gain comes from a surplus caloric diet. This means that when you stop working out but keep eating the same amount of calories as you normally would when you were active, you will gain fat since the body now has extra calories that don’t get used during your workouts.
DOING JUST ABS WILL GET YOU ABS.
Doing abs will get you abs but you won’t be able to see them if you have a high body fat percentage. To get toned abs and to be able to see them, you need to first lose body fat. To do this, you need to have a proper diet and a caloric deficit, as well as keep up with your workouts and make sure that you get enough sleep so that your body can properly rest.
THE MORE YOU SWEAT THE MORE YOU BURN.
Everyone is built different which means that some people sweat more than others. Just because you’re sweating a lot does not necessarily mean you are burning more calories. It is the same vice-versa, just because you’re not sweating does not mean you aren’t burning calories. Sweating comes down to genetics and how your body is feeling that day, as its main goal is to maintain the optimal body temperature.
WOMEN WHO WEIGHT TRAIN WILL BE BULKY
This is not true because women don’t bulk up like men. Women and men have different hormone profiles. Men have more testosterone, which promotes muscle growth, whereas women’s hormones allow them to tone without getting bulky. This however, also prevents them from losing fat as easily as men. A clean diet and a caloric deficit can aid women, and men who want to lose more fat.
REST DAYS AREN’T NECESSARY.
YOUR BODY NEEDS REST!!! You may think that working out everyday is beneficial for muscle growth and becoming stronger, but in reality without proper rest, you are doing more harm than good to your body. Get proper sleep, relax, and have fun! Allow your body time to recover properly and you’ll be able to get more out of your workouts.
YOU NEED TO EXERCISE FOR AN HOUR AT A TIME TO BENEFIT.
Time is a big issue for a lot of people, especially when it comes to working out, but a half an hour workout is just as beneficial as an hour-long workout. It is not about the amount of times in a week or the length of your workouts; it is about the quality of your workouts and how much work you put in during each one. So the next time you run out of time, don’t worry and be happy that you still managed to put some work in.
Caloric Surplus vs Caloric Deficit
Lets talk about your diet and your goals!
Different goals require different amounts of calories. If your goal is to build muscle mass and get bulkier, then you need to be at a caloric surplus, which means you have to eat more than the amount of calories you burn. If your goal is to lose weight and body fat, then you need to be at a caloric deficit, which means you have to eat less than the amount of calories you burn. To maintain weight, you have to match your calorie intake to the amount you burn.
Now, is it possible to lose weight and build muscle at the same time? It is! However, it is not easy because your diet is restrictive and you must get enough protein while maintaining a caloric deficit. This takes time and you might have trouble seeing progress since you are trying to balance two different goals at once. In my opinion, it is easier to focus on one thing at a time because you will have a clearer goal in mind but everyone is different. Feel free to try what’s best for you!
To determine how many calories you should be eating, you first have to find your basal metabolic rate (BMR) which is the amount of calories your body burns at rest. Your body burns calories even when you do not exercise to maintain basic functions that your body needs to survive. Here is a website you can use to figure out your BMR (https://www.calculator.net/bmr-calculator.html). Now based on your BMR, you can figure out how many calories you need to consume to reach your goals. 500 calories is a good number to adjust depending on your goals. For reference, 1 pound of body fat is equal to 3500 calories, so for example, if you have a BMR of 2000 and you’re trying to lose weight, you would subtract 500 calories from the total amount you burned and the resulting number should be how many calories you should be consuming. Over the span of a week, rather than eating 14,000 calories, you end up eating 10,500, which is a 3500 calorie difference. That’s already 1 pound lost in one week!
You now have a better understanding of how to organize your diets and goals, but this doesn’t mean you should starve yourself or overeat. You have to listen to your body and adjust accordingly, which means not going into either extreme. If 500 calories seems like too many, then lower the amount and let your body adjust. Do not overdo the amount of calories you consume or don’t consume because you will not see the progress you want. The type of calories you ingest is also important since a balanced meal and clean diet are key. Junk food and processed sugars do not have the right nutrients to fuel your body properly. It is okay to enjoy them in moderation but not all the time! Be cautious of what type of calories you consume because it will effect your results in the long run.
Intermittent Fasting and It’s Benefits!
WHAT IS INTERMITTENT FASTING?
Intermittent Fasting is an eating pattern that cycles between periods of eating and fasting. It’s a great way to lose weight, improve health, and simplify your lifestyle.
HOW I BENEFITTED FROM INTERMITTENT FASTING
I have always been a big foodie and it made it hard for me to stay on track with certain diets; I also had to balance school, work, exercise, and my social life which made it difficult. Through intermittent fasting, I was able to set a schedule for myself which made it a lot easier to follow my diets. I gave myself a 7-8 hour window where I would be able to eat and then for the rest of the day I would fast. My days would typically consist of going to classes and exercising in the morning, after which I would get home around 2-3pm where I would have my first meal of the day and be allowed to eat until 9-10pm. I stuck to a pretty clean diet but I gave myself some slack, which gave me a lot of freedom with what foods I could eat. By giving yourself a time window, you are less likely to eat too much, although I still made sure to not overeat and watch how many calories I was consuming. There were also days where I had to adjust accordingly because sometimes I wasn’t able to start at 2 or 3, and there were days where I had to eat earlier, but I always kept my eating window at 7-8 hours. After a while of doing this, I was able to adjust to it and it became more natural for me. I was able to focus a lot more on the things I was doing because I did not have to constantly think about meals. I also had a much deeper appreciation for my meals because they became something that I could look forward to throughout my day.
HOW DOES ONE GET STARTED ON INTERMITTENT FASTING?
To get started you must first pick what kind of fast/cycle you want to do. The one that I use is a 16:8 method, which means fasting for 16 hours and eating for 8. There’s also other methods out there like 5:2 method where you eat normally for 5 days of the week and then restrict yourself to 500-600 calories for 2 days, and 20:4 which is an extreme version of 16:8 where you fast for 20 hours and eat for 4 hours. I would suggest starting simple at a 12:10 or 16:8 so that your body can adjust to it. An app that I would highly recommend is called Fastic; it helps you keep track of your fasting throughout the days and sends you notifications of when your eating windows start and end. There are days when I lose track of time and Fastic reminds me when I am able to eat or when I should stop eating. You can also learn a lot more about intermittent fasting in the app and it has multiple methods/cycles for you to choose from.
The Mindful Eating Diet
WHAT IS MINDFUL EATING?
You’ve probably never heard of this diet before and even if you have, you probably don’t have a clue of what it is. Mindful eating in my opinion is not a diet, but a lifestyle that focuses on the enjoyment of food, being mindful of what it is you are eating, and just paying attention to how you are feeling overall.
WHY AM I TALKING ABOUT THIS AND WHAT IS MY EXPERIENCE WITH MINDFUL EATING?
Today’s society is always focused on work, school, and our lifestyles to the point that we don’t take time to slow things down. I have only recently learned about what it truly means to be mindful of things; I took a class in university where we learned about mindfulness and the effects of it in our daily lives; it is through here that I learned about mindful eating. As a university student, I have had my fair share of stress and anxiety which can effect one’s health both mentally and physically. The way I deal with stress and anxiety is through taking time for myself to just breathe and do nothing else. I take the time to see how I am truly feeling and assess how to go on based on it. Mindful eating works the same way in that you take your time while eating and simply focus on what is in front of you. The idea is to listen to your body and pay attention to what it is that you’re feeling. When you feel hungry then eat and when you feel full then stop. This is also when the mindful part comes in: you have to be mindful of what food you decide to eat, you have to control the portion sizes, and lastly, you’ve got to take your time and enjoy your food properly!
THE BENEFITS OF MINDFUL EATING!
- Reduce stress
- Increase enjoyment
- Easier digestion
- Reduce calories
- Lose weight
- Less binge eating
- Control food instead of it controlling you
- Enjoy the moment
- Reduce food cravings
How can you stay motivated to workout?
Motivation is a crucial aspect when it comes to starting anything, and like a lot of people my motivation to stay active comes and goes. Finding that motivation is difficult, especially when you’re first starting out, but once you have it and begin, the key is to keep that motivation going.
HERE ARE SOME WAYS TO STAY MOTIVATED
- Make it fun – Going to the gym and exercising does not seem fun to some people and they become less motivated to go. Instead, find an activity that you enjoy doing that requires physical activity. Play sports, dance to you favorite song or even just walk your dog. Exercise does not have to be boring and tedious, by finding something you like to do it won’t even feel like exercise!
- Set small goals – Everyone has a major goal in mind when they start exercising which can sometimes work against them. People try so hard to reach these big goals that eventually they give up when they don’t see progress. One way to get through this is to take that big goal and break it up into smaller ones. This makes it more manageable and you’ll feel accomplished after completing each of the smaller goals. The more of your smaller goals you finish, the closer you’ll be to reaching your major one!
- Find a friend – Find yourself a friend that can either help you stay motivated or even better, find someone to join you on your journey. Doing things with your friends makes it a lot more fun than just doing them by yourself! A little friendly competition does not hurt either and can benefit the both of you.
- Make physical activity a part of your daily routine – Find time in your life to get physical activity in, which means including some form of physical activity in your daily routines whenever you can. Take the stairs rather than the elevator, go for a walk rather than watch tv, or do an exercise while you watch tv. Any amount of physical activity is good for you and the more you get, the better you will feel overall!
- Always remind yourself why you started in the first place – This one is a big one because people tend to forget what motivated them to work out in the beginning. Always remind yourself why you’re doing this and by keeping that in mind, you’ll be able to continue pushing yourself to be the best that you can be.
- Silence the doubters – One of the big motivators that I found for me was the idea of silencing my doubters. Now, you shouldn’t really care about what others think, but that was something that kept bothering me. I felt that there were people in my life who did not think I could do these things and so I was motivated to prove them wrong. Nothing felt better than showing those who doubted me that I could do it.
- Listen to audiobooks or watch motivational videos – I find that a lot of people get motivation from different things such as books and movies. These often have powerful messages that motivate a lot of people. I found myself motivated to work out after watching the training scene from the boxing movie CREED 2. I kept saying to myself that if he can do it, then why can’t I?
- Think about the feeling you get post workout – I found this to be incredibly helpful on days that I just did not feel like working out. There were a lot of times where I felt horrible during the day and I probably shouldn’t work out, but it turned out that exercise was exactly what I needed. After doing a workout or physical activity, you get filled with endorphins which boost your mood from 1 to 10 really quickly. So next time you don’t feel like working out, think about those endorphins!
- Set a schedule – This tactic works for those who like to keep an organized daily schedule. By setting a time to workout in your schedule, the chances of you going and doing it increase significantly. As time passes, it will feel natural to you and you will be able to keep up with it for a longer period of time.
- Reward Yourself – Doing a workout plan and eating a proper diet requires a lot of discipline which makes it difficult for some people to maintain. Reward yourself with a night out with friends, a cheat day or meal, or a day to just relax and do nothing. By rewarding yourself every now and then, you will feel so much more accomplished, that being said, do be mindful of the rewards that you give yourself and make sure not to overdo it.
Websites and Apps To Look Into
Lift Vault is a website that gives out free workout programs. The site includes programs such as strength training, power lifting, power building, and bodybuilding. Finding a program that works for you is difficult to do and so, this website gives out free templates for multiple skill levels. I know when I first started my fitness journey, I always had a hard time picking which exercises to do that day. I also had no clue how many times I should go and train in a week. Some pros and cons to this website include:
| Pros | Cons |
| Free workout programs | Website is kind of messy |
| Includes different types for different goals | Programs can sometimes be hard to understand without proper guidance |
| Multiple skill levels to choose from | Can be intimidating for beginners to look at |
Eat This Much is a website that allows you to choose your calorie intake and it gives you ideas on what food to eat. The website allows you to choose anything as well as gives you an option to choose from multiple diets such as Vegan, Paleo, Vegetarian, Keto, and Mediterranean. Nutrition is key when it comes to starting a fitness journey and so it can be hard sometimes to know what to eat. This website gives you a variety of options to choose from and it even gives you the ingredients you need to make them. Some pros and cons to this website include:
| Pros | Cons |
| Multiple diets to choose from | Not all the foods you like are in the website |
| Gives you new ideas for food | Does not consider food allergies |
| Gives you a breakdown of macronutrients | |
| Tells you how to make the recipes |
My Fitness Pal is a food and calorie recording app, it allows you to keep track of all the food that you take and get a breakdown of how many calories you consumed that day. I personally use this app to get an idea of how much I am eating in a day. The amount of calories you take in is important when it comes to achieving your goals. It is easy to lose track of how much you eat and so keeping track allows you to take control over how many calories you consume. Some pros and cons of this app include:
| Pros | Cons |
| Track your calories everyday | Does not tell you how to cook the recipes or food |
| Most food in the world are included as well as certain brands | You have to input a lot of things if you want to be really specific |
| You can make your own recipes as well and see how much calories they have |
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