Myth busting

After a spot of web surfing there seems to be several snippets of information repeated continuously, this really annoys me, so here goes my attempt at busting the top 5 fitness myths.

Myth #1:
the most common advice seems to be Take diet pills to boost your effort.
It's so tempting! The commercials make compelling claims about the power of diet pills, but don't fall for it. The 'magic pill' has yet to be discovered. Diet pills are more likely to damage your health and burn your cash than to burn your calories. 

Tip: Don't pop a pill-instead burn calories with exercise.

Myth #2:
Starve the pounds away. 

Attempting to lose weight by starving yourself is not only ineffective, it's also dangerous.
It may seem that severe calorie restriction would deliver the quickest weight loss, but your body is complex and by doing so you'll disrupt your metabolism and slow your results. 

Tip: restrict your input to about 500 calories below your output, Don't starve yourself  -  instead eat healthy small meals throughout the day. 

Myth #3:
Do extra crunches to flatten your abs.

Everyone wants their midsection to look toned as we stroll down the beach, but excessive crunches aren't the answer for tight abs. In order to achieve a lean look you'll have to focus on burning off the layer of fat that is covering up your abs.

Tip: Don't obsess about crunches-instead focus on fat burning.

Myth #4:
Eat packaged diet foods for speedy results.
I find it amazing the foods that are packaged as diet foods, zero fat, low calorie foods that contain lots of refined sugar and artificial ingredients that your body doesn't need.  Diet soda's are the worst.

Tip: Don't eat packaged diet foods-instead stick with nutritious whole foods.

Myth #5:
Avoid all carbohydrates in order to slim down.

Carbohydrates have been given a bad rap, which is unfortunate because you can (and should) eat carbs while losing weight. The key is to stick with whole grains, oatmeal and brown rice while avoiding processed and refined flours and sugars. 

Tip: Don't stop eating  all carbohydrates - just reduce them and stick with wholesome carbs.


So to sum up

Cut out the junk.

Start by purging your kitchen. Get rid of sugary, processed foods. Once the junk has been cleared out don't buy any more of it.

Eat whole foods.

Replace the junk food with the following: cooked and raw vegetables, fresh fruits, whole grains, moderate amounts of seeds and nuts, lean meats and fish and dairy. Clean eating really is that simple. 

Give it a go, what do you have to lose?