My old roommate recommended a new book to me, "Thinner, Leaner, Stronger" by Michael Matthews. Initially, the name made me think that this was another diet book that would tell you what you can and cannot eat, and I rolled my eyes, but I read the first chapter going into Matthews' philosophy on how doesn't believe in restriction and is not, in fact, trying to sell me anything, and I was forced to keep reading. Here, he goes on to list the common weight loss myths that so many of us STILL believe, despite their lack of evidence and even contradicting evidence that shows itself every day. But why, I always ask myself, do so many men, and women especially, put themselves through agony using extreme methods for losing weight if it so obviously NEVER works for them?
"I'm not eating carbs". We've been told that carbs are the devil. I hear women say to me, "I'm not eating carbs" way too often. These people are clearly uneducated about what a carb is. By definition, a carbohydrate, "is a molecule composed of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen that serves as a source of energy for animals". It might so sound silly to some people when I say that "vegetables are carbs, so are you not eating those?" because they always laugh and say "ohhh no I'm eating vegetables, of course!", because we all know those are healthy. So why vow to cut out an entire macro nutrient that, by definition, is required to give us energy just to survive? Each one of us needs a specific amount of calories just to get through the day, not to mention think clearly, perform in our daily activities - whether that be sitting at a desk all day or exercising regularly, and be considered healthy, not just in survival or starvation mode. In order to achieve that, we need to consume a specific balance of macro nutrients (carbs, fats, and proteins) each day to not only be able to survive, but also to lose weight. So yes, you can actually still lose weight if you are eating a hefty amount of carbs.
"I need to eat clean." Eating "clean" is very ambiguous - everyone thinks they know what this means but everyone has a definitely meaning for "clean eating" Eating "clean" often means you are eating foods in their more "natural" state, but also refer to coconut oil, chicken, peanut butter panda puffs, or anything from a whole foods or natural store as "clean". While eating this way can help you be a healthier person because you may be eating more vitamins and whole grains, etc., it is definitely not the key to losing fat. You can eat only broccoli, natural peanut butter, and almond milk every day but you are likely not focusing on balance. This is where the importance of eating the right balance of micro nutrients comes in. If you want to focus on eating "clean", please make sure you are eating a proper balance of proteins, carbs, and fats. Many diets, like the paleo diet, vegan, and vegetarian diets restrict you from 1 of those macro nutrients. Paleo, being carbs, and vegan and vegetarian being protein.
"I'm just going to burn 800 calories at the gym every day." People put too much emphasis on cardio when trying to lose weight because of the long believed myth that cardio makes you think and weight training makes you bulky. While doing cardio is important for your heart and it can speed up fat loss in addition to weight training and a proper diet, it isn't going to get you to reach your goals, according to Matthews. I used to be a "cardio bunny" myself, and would only eat about 1,000 calories a day and run about 7 miles a day with the intent to "burn off everything I ate that day". Calories in, calories out, right? Wrong. People fail to understand that we each burn a certain amount of calories every day just from LIVING. It doesn't matter if you sit at a desk all day or are a professional athlete - it's the truth. Like carbs, calories have a bad reputation. Calories in is thought to equal fat, while calories out is thought to equal fat loss, however calories, by definition, are a measurement of energy, so if you aren't giving yourself enough energy to survive and function properly, your body is only going to go into starvation mode and hold onto the fat that is currently on your body and the calories you are taking in, causing you to GAIN weight.
I have been vegan, vegetarian. clean eater, cross-country runner, sprinter, cross-fitter, lazy couch sitter, excessive running cookie eater, and have learned what works and doesn't work along the way, however with 8 years of personal experience under my belt, I have never stopped doing my research. Even today, now that I believe I am following the right path towards my goals by doing weight training and counting macros, I continue to research. This is a time where information is at our fingertips, and although that includes both true and very, very false information, we have the tools to determine what is right and wrong in minutes, so rather than listening to Cosmo magazine and the news for "the latest breakthrough diet", do your research and stick with what is scientifically proven. No pills, fad diets, waist trainer belts, juice cleanses, or crash courses that require you to eliminate entire food groups is going to help you. The right plan, dedication, and lots of patience will.
