Over the years, there has been some flat out lies from the fitness community that have people believing there is some sort of magic when it comes to weight loss or building muscle. This type of advice, helps no one. In fact, it can be discouraging.

You Can Spot Train

This is one of the most stupidest fitness lies that I have heard, often perpetuated throughout some fitness groups. Spot training is the notion that if you focus on a certain group of muscles or area, such as your arms, you can lose the fat around that area.

This is totally false. Weight loss, is not specific to one area, in fact we all lose weight from areas based on our genetics. For example, I have noticed and so may a lot of women, that I lose weight mostly from the top portion of my body first. The larger areas below the belt, seem to hold on much longer to fat. Nothing you can do will stop this from happening or speed up any fat loss from your tummy, legs, arms, and so on.

You Fail at Diets Because They Do Not Work for You

There is a tiny bit of truth here. I believe and it is my personal opinion, that not every diet plan is for every person. There are a lot of fitness “experts” that claim their program is 100% going to work if you follow it. While this maybe true, what is not true is that it will work for you.

The reason we have a shit load of choices when it comes to diets, is because some people prefer one plan over another. The “work for you” aspect of this is, you have to do the work and like what you are doing. If you’re currently doing a diet plan and you hate it, why the hell would you want to continue it? Find something that is RIGHT for you. Most people do fail at diets because they never did them as prescribed. We should all know by now that, eating healthy, exercise and drinking water are necessary for weight loss. You have to be willing to stick to something to make it work, or it does not, but don’t say: “diets don’t work for me.” That my friends is a bunch of bullshit.

If a Woman Lifts Heavy Weight, it Will Make her Bulky

What the fuck. Excuse my language but, this is so irritating. Ladies, stop using this as an excuse to not lift weights. Lifting weights will prevent you from injuries, provide some serious benefits while aging, and most importantly, is essential to an exercise regimen for burning fat. Seriously, stop saying this. Its like nails on a chalkboard.

I Have No Time During the Day to Workout

I was on this exercise group page on Facebook. This woman, literally mapped out her entire day in bullet points and asked anyone to help her find time to workout. With every suggestion that was offered, she had an excuse. I have four kids, (one admittedly, is a step-child who is not here all the time) I wake up at 415am so that I can workout and not have it interfere with my day. If you want something bad enough you will make time for it. My health and fitness is essential to the wellbeing of not only myself, but also my family. If mom isn’t well, the family suffers.

If you have an excuse for every minute of your day, then you do not want to workout at all. Do not lie to yourself. Be truthful. Even a 10 minute walk can have enormous benefits.

For example, I gained 70 pounds during my last pregnancy. After the birth of my daughter, I could not even get myself off the floor, bend down to get pans out of the bottom cabinets in my kitchen, walk short distances without feeling out of breath, or do minimal housework. This was my fault for over eating during my pregnancy. I wasted no time to change that because it is this body that takes care of 5 other people. My children and more importantly my husband need me. I want to do everything in my power to not only be able to defend them if I need to, but also to provide a home for them. Check out my fitness journey here.

You Can Work Off Bad Food Choices

People…no amount of exercise can burn off a bad diet. Your food is at least 70% of your fitness routine. In fact, it has been proven that if you can’t workout maybe because of an injury or illness, stick to your diet, you’ll still lose weight. Sure, our bodies will burn calories with activity, but don’t buy into this lie or it will end up on your ass-in pounds.

What are your thoughts?

Let me know what you think or other fitness lies you’ve heard. I have a BS in Sports and Health Science with a concentration in Exercise Science. I have also done the work. This is the second time in my life I am overweight. I know how hard it can be and I want to encourage anyone to reach out to me for free advice and cheerleading!