1. "Carbs are bad for you."

WRONG!! Stop cutting carbs out of your diet because you NEED THEM! Carbs should be 40% of your daily diet at the LEAST (65% at the most)! Don't be afraid to get this bread! No, you probably shouldn't consume an entire loaf of bread or basket of greasy breadsticks daily, but in moderation, bread is not bad for you, and your body literally needs carbs. Most people think protein is what you need to consume the most of, but it's actually carbs! There are plenty of ways to get healthy carbs like brown rice, whole wheat pasta, and potatoes.

2. "Lifting weights as a female will make you bulky and unattractive."

Girl, NO. I ran every day all. The. Time. In high school up until my senior year, and yes I was slim, but I was shaped like a crayon. Not exactly what most women go for. About a year after I started lifting weights I had become STRONG, and since then I've only gotten stronger. I push myself and love to lift heavy, and I DON'T look like a professional wrestler. I've got a booty that looks good in jeans, biceps to show off in the summer, and I NEVER need help opening stuff. It's awesome. Bonus fun fact: having more muscle mass makes you burn more calories throughout the day, so you're actually burning more calories just by having muscle so you can eat more food. Always nice. Lifting makes you TONED. You're not going to look like a bodybuilder on accident, those people train HARD.

Healthy and balanced lifestyle versus actively competing in bodybuilding.

3. Calories make you fat.

WRONG. Fat makes you fat. On days I work my legs and/or hamstrings, it's like a garbage disposal has been turned on somewhere deep inside of me. I guarantee that 9 times out of 10 I eat more than 2,000 on those days. And that's perfectly fine because I've probably burned 700+ calories as opposed to a shoulder day where I only burn around 500+ calories, so I have a larger calorie deficit.

Eating a buttload after quite literally working my butt off won't make me fat because I turn to eggs and spinach, protein shakes, and healthy pasta and veggies. Not fast food, greasy food, or fatty/sugary food. Calories are FUEL, fat is fat.

4. "Eating at a caloric deficit is the most important thing about staying thin."

A BIG FAT LIE. What if I told you I feel slimmer on days I eat MORE? Well, it's true. When you're starving yourself you're only hurting yourself, and personally, I feel super bloated when I get really hungry. I always snack throughout the day to prevent feeling that way. When your body needs fuel, it turns to your muscle mass before it turns to your fat mass, so you're losing the part of you want to keep! EAT! Plus, literally no one is happy when they're hungry. You'll feel more energetic, in a better mood, and alert with food in your tummy than without. There's NEVER a need to starve yourself.

5. "It’s more effective to work your whole body daily versus having specific muscle group days."

INCORRECT. Your body has way more muscles than you realize. There's honestly no way you could even get to all your muscle groups in an hour-long workout, and if you tried to, it would be super ineffective. If you want your muscles to grow and gain definition, you need to isolate them and target them specifically. My week typically looks like shoulders, quads and butt, back and biceps, chest and triceps, hamstrings, cardio and ab heavy day, and a day of rest. Sometimes I switch it up depending on how sore certain parts of my body is or if my favorite leggings are dirty. Yes, things like a cycle class and Tabata are awesome cardio workouts, but doing these alone aren't going to get you ripped.

6. "Speed is most important."

FALSE. FORM is most important!!!! You could be squatting as fast as humanly possible, but if you aren't keeping your knees behind your toes, keeping your weight in your heels, activating your glutes, and squeezing at the top, you might as well not be doing squats. As with life, going through the motions will get you nowhere. You have to engage, even if that means taking it slower or at a lighter weight. Getting stronger takes time, be patient.

7. "Weight loss happens while you’re working out."

WRONG AGAIN! You lose weight while you SLEEP!! Sleep is SO important! Adults need 6-8 hours of sleep per night, and this is when your body recovers your muscles and when weight loss happens. Rest is critical for your mind and body. Functioning sleep deprived WILL catch up with you and it won't be pretty.

8. "You can eat whatever you want as long as you exercise regularly."

INCORRECT! You cannot out-exercise a bad diet. Would you put expired milk in your car and expect it to reach its full potential? No. So why would you put processed, greasy, fatty food in your body and expect to reach your full potential? You can't! So stop selling yourself short and fuel your body properly! Diet is just as important as exercise, sometimes more so. On days I eat crappy I feel crappy, that's no shocker. Obviously, it's important to #TreatYoSelf every once and awhile (for me it's donuts and ice cream) but your body deserves proper nutrients DAILY!