Remember that “guy”?

Ask 10 people for weight loss advice, and you’ll get 10 different answers. Work out constantly, set long-term goals, set short-term goals. Most of us have been following certain rules, or lack thereof, for how to shed pounds our entire lives.  Just how much of what we have been told about weight loss is actually false?  Have you ever met the “I exercise every day, so I can eat whatever I want person?”  Would be nice, right? Unfortunately, that’s not how it works if you’re trying to lose weight.  Even though you burn calories and fat when you exercise, it’s often not as much as you think or what the readout on the cardio equipment tells you.

Let’s move on to the “All calories are equal, so it doesn’t matter what I eat guy.”  Is it realistic to say that 240 calories from a can of pop is the same as 240 calories from chicken? A calorie, by its simplest definition, is a unit of energy.  The kind of calories the body gets will affect how efficiently people burn their body’s energy, which is a key for losing weight and keeping it off.  It’s not that calories don’t matter, but the quality of the calories going in can affect the number of calories going out.

Finally the “Weight gain and abdominal fat are unavoidable person”! (And you know who you are!) Let’s be honest here, you’re not going to wake up on Monday morning with a gut and 10 extra pounds.  Fitness is a lifestyle that reaps many benefits.  Regular physical activity, along with a nutritious diet, is key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. In order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, there must be a balance between calories consumed and calories expended through metabolic and physical activity.  Fitness does not have a finish line but your lifestyle will take you where you want to go.