TRUTH ABOUT WEIGHT LOSS LIES
One of the biggest challenges navigating a health and fitness journey is not getting knocked down by the barrage of straight up lies and twisted “truths” you will see online. Today I wanted to call out ten of the most prevalent messages I see when I am scrolling and offer a more balanced perspective on them!
Losing weight fixes everything…
Too often we place so much weight, no pun intended, on our weight that we actually start to believe that all of the problems and challenges in our lives will either disappear or magically get easier if we lose weight. This could not be further from the truth and honestly, losing weight can make other challenges feel even more difficult because we are no longer using food to avoid them. Should this scare you off trying? No! Instead, see losing excess weight as proof that you can tackle hard things regardless of where they exist in your life.
You just need to eat less…
This is one of the lies that is built around a sliver of truth. Yes, weight loss does involve a caloric deficit aka eating less but it is never as simple as just waking up one day and deciding to eat less. Influencers and coaches on line preach all day long how simple it is and this can make you feel bad if it just isn’t for you. It is better to realize that this is a road we all tread but our paths and vehicles, aka the tools we use to support our weight loss, will vary. And this is okay!
You must hit 10,000 steps…
Buckle up for this one! Do you know where that number comes from? It was originally a part of a marketing campaign for the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo! (More on that here!) Subsequent research over time has shown various health benefits when we are getting anywhere from 2000-9800 steps. So if you have it burned into your head that you must get 10K a day and are falling short, you are still benefiting your health. I have had clients who started at just 500-1000 steps and built from there. Having a step goal you work towards and build upon progressively is a better path than striving to hit an arbitrary number and beating yourself up for failing!
That diet is unsustainable…
How often do you hear it declared as truth that “Keto is unsustainable?” Not “keto was unsustainable for me” or even “keto is unsustainable for some people” but a blanket statement that it is unsustainable for all. This is usually followed by something like “You expect me to believe you’ll never have bread again? Impossible!” Coach Jon and myself, and many other people we know are disproving this every day, and you might be doing it too! Don’t let someone else’s opinion become fact. Follow the way of eating that best serves your body, your health and your goals and pay the haters no mind!
Everything in moderation or else…
Another touchy subject! Many loud voices including professionals in the nutrition field will make claims that not only is moderation of all foods ideal but possible for all. The reality is that yes some people are able to moderate all foods and achieve their goals, but others need to abstain from certain foods to maintain their freedom when it comes to food. Neither is better than the other, and making peace with how you best function can go a long way towards healing. Don’t waste your energy in endless cycles of hoping “this time it won’t be a problem” when you can be focusing on living a happy fulfilled life, even if some foods never touch your plate. You’re not broken, you’re just different. Coming to this place of peace can be challenging, if you want to see if we can help you as we have helped others set up a call now!
You have to burn off what you eat…
I discussed this with a guest on my podcast recently. The proliferation of people showing themselves indulging in foods and then doing the requisite amount of activity to burn it off and “earn” the food. I believe wholeheartedly that getting into a pattern of “earning” food is unhealthy for most of us. Our bodies deserve nourishment and have needs whether you calculate the amount of time needed to burn off the calories or not. Build your choices into the plan for the day so they do not feel like transgressions that need atonement.
If you’re not up early, you’re behind…
Can I make an impassioned plea for you to unfollow anyone who tells you that if you’re not up at 4am your day is already a failure? When you wake up is not as important as how much restful sleep you got and what you do with the time you have when you are awake! If you are setting an alarm for a certain time because you feel you should, not because you need to, I encourage you to reconsider it. In a recent email newsletter I spoke of the need for most of us to get 7 hours of sleep. Set your alarm based around getting enough rest so that your other efforts including diet and exercise are not negatively impacted!
Cardio over strength training for fat loss…
As I mentioned at the start of this email, there are kernels of truth sprinkled amongst the lies and this is one of those instances. Objectively a cardio workout will burn more calories than a strength training session… BUT a strength training session will promote muscle growth. The more muscle you carry, the faster your metabolism gets and that leads to longer extended calorie burn. So what’s the truth we can all take away from this? A combination of both is the recipe for anyone that is interested in weight loss and overall health! (And don’t go getting caught up in which comes first, do your cardio and strength training when best works for you!)
Put your life on hold until you lose it…
This one usually comes in the form of messaging like “You have to be focused and fixated on repairing your health and losing weight!” I included it here today because I think we too often get fixated on moving the scale and forget why we’re doing it, ie. to lead a more active, healthy life! You need to enjoy the journey along the way or it starts to feel more like work and punishment. This is also a huge encouragement to try new things that you believe are not possible due to your size, you may actually be surprised by what you discover. Long story short, if you’re telling yourself a lot of stories about “I’ll do that when I lose the weight…” you might need to turn the page and take some risks now.
You have to hate yourself enough to change…
I’m ending with this one because it is a big obstacle to overcome and it is reinforced by a lot of “inspirational figures” in the health and fitness space. Have you heard the phrase “You have to kill your old self!”? I believe this mindset came from a place of frustration and trying to find somewhere to place “blame” around the struggles and challenges many of us face. Getting angry at yourself for your past actions and their consequences is an easy target and also one that allows the patterns of behavior to continue. In my experience it is okay to get angry at your past actions but you can’t sit in that anger and truly heal. You have to instead use it to fuel a deeper level of care for yourself and your needs. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, to create true lasting change you have to believe you are worthy of the care the hard work takes! It’s a great place to start when you don’t know how to begin. Ask yourself “Why am I important enough for me to do this?” And keep asking it until you like the answer!
Where there you have it! My walk through ten weight loss lies that serve as distractions on the path to success. If you can relate to any of the struggles I have shared or need to work on the solutions, my group coaching might provide the environment you need. Check it out here!
