20 Biggest Fitness Myths Debunked
#18 Myth: Sex is a Great Workout
Research shows that sex only burns about as many calories per minute as walking, and is usually over after six minutes. Unless you are going at it for hours at a time, don't think your daily romp in the sack is all the exercise you need.
#17 Myth: "Spot Training" Targets Fat in One Area of Your Body
No, doing butt-crunches won't get rid of the fat in your rear, and doing sit-ups won't lose the extra flab in your belly. Your body burns fat on an even keel. As you'll see in Myth #1, exercise doesn't really help with weight loss.
#16 Myth: Eat Less Often to Lose Weight
The best weight loss diet plan is to eat no less than 1200 calories per day if you’re a woman, or 1800 for men, over 5-6 small meals. When your body is starved, it slows down your metabolism, so less food will cause a bigger impact on your body weight. Eat the same amount of wholesome foods, but eat more often to keep that metabolism high!
#15 Myth: Lose Weight With a Gluten-Free Diet
Gluten-free breads and other products still contain high amounts of calories and won't provide any health benefits to someone without a gluten allergy. The reason many people claim to have improved their health with a gluten-free diet is because they end up avoiding refined and processed foods like bread altogether.
#14 Myth: Drink 8 Glasses of Water Per Day
Not everyone needs to drink a gallon of water a day to stay healthy, you might need more or less depending on your body and your diet. Signs that you need to increase your water intake include dark-colored urine and a regular feeling of thirst.
#13 Myth: Overweight People Have a Slower Metabolism
When people gain weight, 20-30% of that weight is muscle. Therefore, people who weigh more actually have more muscle and therefore a higher metabolic rate than those with less body weight.
#12 Myth: Ambitious Weight Loss Goals are Discouraging
Many people think that they need to set small, realistic weight loss goals to stay motivated and avoid discouragement. Makes sense, right? But studies actually show that people with bigger weight loss goals lose more weight.
#11 Myth: Rapid Weight Loss Doesn't Stick
People who lose weight fast will bounce back, right? Wrong! Studies have shown that dieters who went on restrictive diets and lost significant amounts of weight weren't necessarily prone to gain that weight back. Don't be afraid to diet.
#10 Myth: Sports Drinks Are Beneficial
Don't get us wrong- Gatorade is fantastic for recovering from long, endurance-driven exercises or sports. The problem is, most people only have time for an hour or less of cardio, and most sports drinks don't provide a significant enough benefit for the amount of calories they give you. Drinking 130 calories worth of sugar after an ordinary workout may even cancel out your caloric burn.
#9 Myth: Your Body Continues Burning Calories After A Workout
Calorie calculations not quite adding up? That's because a recent study found that people who exercise more actually burn less calories when they are at rest. The amount differs on gender, height, genetics, etc, but exercising daily doesn't mean you are going to be burning more calories all day long.
#8 Myth: You Need Tons of Protein to Build Muscle
You don't need to slam protein powder and raw eggs to build muscle. You only need 1.4 grams of protein per day to build lean muscle. If your goal is to bulk up, you can scale up to 5-10 grams per day, but don't consume tons of extra calories from protein shakes.
#7 Myth: Sweating Releases Toxins
Contrary to popular belief, only 1% of sweat is toxins; some time in the sauna may be relaxing, but it's not a worthwhile fitness activity. Instead of "sweating it out", stay hydrated, get plenty of sleep, and eat well.
#6 Myth: Women Who Lift Weights Become Bulky
Weight training actually helps women slim down instead of bulk up,since women have much lower testosterone than men. Ladies, weight training is purely beneficial. It will lead to increased metabolism and strength, lower risk of osteoporosis, and a smaller waistline!
#5 Myth: Running on a Treadmill is Easier on the Knees
Running will hurt your knees regardless of where you do it because it's your own body weight doing the damage. You might as well get some fresh air on your morning jog. Just keep in mind that running downhill is extra hard on your knees.
#4 Myth: Swimming is a Great Workout
Swimming is less effective at fat loss than other forms of cardio because the buoyancy of the water is supporting you while you move. This isn't to say swimming is a bad workout- it can still help with toning muscles and increasing your lung capacity- but if you're trying to lose a couple pounds, you'd be better off going for a run or a bike ride.
#3 Myth: You Should Ditch Egg Yolks
Egg whites are really a terrible workout meal due to their low fat and lack of vitamins. The yolk- which is the tastiest part of the egg, anyway- has all the vitamins and half the protein. Eating just the egg whites is an absolutely terrible idea for your health, since it's lack of fat tends to cause insulin spikes and energy swings throughout the day.
#2 Myth: Stretch Before You Work Out
Stretching before working out actually weakens your muscles by 30%. Pre-game stretching could actually increase your risk of injury. You are better off doing your stretching after a workout; try lifting some light weights to warm up, or doing a little walking before cardio.
#1 Myth: Exercise Is Important For Weight Loss
Several clinical studies have shown that exercise does not correlate with weight loss. Diet is a much more crucial factor for weight loss. People who exercise and then reward themselves with extra calories will find themselves getting frustrated.
Research shows that sex only burns about as many calories per minute as walking, and is usually over after six minutes. Unless you are going at it for hours at a time, don't think your daily romp in the sack is all the exercise you need.
#17 Myth: "Spot Training" Targets Fat in One Area of Your Body
No, doing butt-crunches won't get rid of the fat in your rear, and doing sit-ups won't lose the extra flab in your belly. Your body burns fat on an even keel. As you'll see in Myth #1, exercise doesn't really help with weight loss.
#16 Myth: Eat Less Often to Lose Weight
The best weight loss diet plan is to eat no less than 1200 calories per day if you’re a woman, or 1800 for men, over 5-6 small meals. When your body is starved, it slows down your metabolism, so less food will cause a bigger impact on your body weight. Eat the same amount of wholesome foods, but eat more often to keep that metabolism high!
#15 Myth: Lose Weight With a Gluten-Free Diet
Gluten-free breads and other products still contain high amounts of calories and won't provide any health benefits to someone without a gluten allergy. The reason many people claim to have improved their health with a gluten-free diet is because they end up avoiding refined and processed foods like bread altogether.
#14 Myth: Drink 8 Glasses of Water Per Day
Not everyone needs to drink a gallon of water a day to stay healthy, you might need more or less depending on your body and your diet. Signs that you need to increase your water intake include dark-colored urine and a regular feeling of thirst.
#13 Myth: Overweight People Have a Slower Metabolism
When people gain weight, 20-30% of that weight is muscle. Therefore, people who weigh more actually have more muscle and therefore a higher metabolic rate than those with less body weight.
#12 Myth: Ambitious Weight Loss Goals are Discouraging
Many people think that they need to set small, realistic weight loss goals to stay motivated and avoid discouragement. Makes sense, right? But studies actually show that people with bigger weight loss goals lose more weight.
#11 Myth: Rapid Weight Loss Doesn't Stick
People who lose weight fast will bounce back, right? Wrong! Studies have shown that dieters who went on restrictive diets and lost significant amounts of weight weren't necessarily prone to gain that weight back. Don't be afraid to diet.
#10 Myth: Sports Drinks Are Beneficial
Don't get us wrong- Gatorade is fantastic for recovering from long, endurance-driven exercises or sports. The problem is, most people only have time for an hour or less of cardio, and most sports drinks don't provide a significant enough benefit for the amount of calories they give you. Drinking 130 calories worth of sugar after an ordinary workout may even cancel out your caloric burn.
#9 Myth: Your Body Continues Burning Calories After A Workout
Calorie calculations not quite adding up? That's because a recent study found that people who exercise more actually burn less calories when they are at rest. The amount differs on gender, height, genetics, etc, but exercising daily doesn't mean you are going to be burning more calories all day long.
#8 Myth: You Need Tons of Protein to Build Muscle
You don't need to slam protein powder and raw eggs to build muscle. You only need 1.4 grams of protein per day to build lean muscle. If your goal is to bulk up, you can scale up to 5-10 grams per day, but don't consume tons of extra calories from protein shakes.
#7 Myth: Sweating Releases Toxins
Contrary to popular belief, only 1% of sweat is toxins; some time in the sauna may be relaxing, but it's not a worthwhile fitness activity. Instead of "sweating it out", stay hydrated, get plenty of sleep, and eat well.
#6 Myth: Women Who Lift Weights Become Bulky
Weight training actually helps women slim down instead of bulk up,since women have much lower testosterone than men. Ladies, weight training is purely beneficial. It will lead to increased metabolism and strength, lower risk of osteoporosis, and a smaller waistline!
#5 Myth: Running on a Treadmill is Easier on the Knees
Running will hurt your knees regardless of where you do it because it's your own body weight doing the damage. You might as well get some fresh air on your morning jog. Just keep in mind that running downhill is extra hard on your knees.
#4 Myth: Swimming is a Great Workout
Swimming is less effective at fat loss than other forms of cardio because the buoyancy of the water is supporting you while you move. This isn't to say swimming is a bad workout- it can still help with toning muscles and increasing your lung capacity- but if you're trying to lose a couple pounds, you'd be better off going for a run or a bike ride.
#3 Myth: You Should Ditch Egg Yolks
Egg whites are really a terrible workout meal due to their low fat and lack of vitamins. The yolk- which is the tastiest part of the egg, anyway- has all the vitamins and half the protein. Eating just the egg whites is an absolutely terrible idea for your health, since it's lack of fat tends to cause insulin spikes and energy swings throughout the day.
#2 Myth: Stretch Before You Work Out
Stretching before working out actually weakens your muscles by 30%. Pre-game stretching could actually increase your risk of injury. You are better off doing your stretching after a workout; try lifting some light weights to warm up, or doing a little walking before cardio.
#1 Myth: Exercise Is Important For Weight Loss
Several clinical studies have shown that exercise does not correlate with weight loss. Diet is a much more crucial factor for weight loss. People who exercise and then reward themselves with extra calories will find themselves getting frustrated.
0
Replies
-
Maybe I read this wrong, but if exercise doesn't help with weight loss than why would swimming be a bad exercise because it doesn't help with weight loss? Am I missing something?0
-
#18 Myth: Sex is a Great Workout
Research shows that sex only burns about as many calories per minute as walking, and is usually over after six minutes. Unless you are going at it for hours at a time, don't think your daily romp in the sack is all the exercise you need.
6 minutes? Im not sure what guy you've been with or if you are a guy sorry about your luck in both cases. 6 minutes isnt even getting started with most people0 -
I can assure you even protein haters would agree you need more than 1.4 grams per day to build muscle0
-
#16 Myth: Eat Less Often to Lose Weight
The best weight loss diet plan is to eat no less than 1200 calories per day if you’re a woman, or 1800 for men, over 5-6 small meals. When your body is starved, it slows down your metabolism, so less food will cause a bigger impact on your body weight. Eat the same amount of wholesome foods, but eat more often to keep that metabolism high!
No.0 -
#16 Myth: Eat Less Often to Lose Weight
The best weight loss diet plan is to eat no less than 1200 calories per day if you’re a woman, or 1800 for men, over 5-6 small meals. When your body is starved, it slows down your metabolism, so less food will cause a bigger impact on your body weight. Eat the same amount of wholesome foods, but eat more often to keep that metabolism high!
No.
No x 20 -
Where are #19 and #20?0
-
#4 Myth: Swimming is a Great Workout
Swimming is less effective at fat loss than other forms of cardio because the buoyancy of the water is supporting you while you move. This isn't to say swimming is a bad workout- it can still help with toning muscles and increasing your lung capacity- but if you're trying to lose a couple pounds, you'd be better off going for a run or a bike ride.
#1 Myth: Exercise Is Important For Weight Loss
Several clinical studies have shown that exercise does not correlate with weight loss. Diet is a much more crucial factor for weight loss. People who exercise and then reward themselves with extra calories will find themselves getting frustrated.
I will call BS on these 20 -
Where are #19 and #20?
That's what I want to know, lol.0 -
I think I must be doing #19 and 20, cause whatever they are, they've taken away my ability to see them in this post. tehehe. It's nice to know I haven't fallen for any of those. I just try to be sensible, and do what I can live with. If its not something I can maintain, then what's the point.0
-
I got stuck at daily romp in the sack. You lucky *kitten*.0
-
My BS detector practically exploded reading this unattributed junk.0
-
The wrongness is killing me. On so many different levels, but I'll just stick with this one: I ALWAYS stretch my legs before I get on the treadmill/elliptical/bike. If I do, my legs do not cramp up. If I don't, they do. It's not a science, there's no maths involved. If it works for you, do it. If it does not work, skip it.0
-
#16 Myth: Eat Less Often to Lose Weight
The best weight loss diet plan is to eat no less than 1200 calories per day if you’re a woman, or 1800 for men, over 5-6 small meals. When your body is starved, it slows down your metabolism, so less food will cause a bigger impact on your body weight. Eat the same amount of wholesome foods, but eat more often to keep that metabolism high!
No.
No x 2
Cant say NO without backing it up!!0 -
That swimming one is baloney as well. Yes, the water supports your weight while you exercise. But it also does something that being out of water doesn't do -- it provides horizontal resistance. So while you're not supporting your whole weight vertically, you still have to push that weight through a much thicker substance than the air you would have to push through while running.
If you swim good and hard you burn a ton of calories, which is great for weight loss.0 -
bahahaha..i didnt even notice that :laugh: dont blame me, i got this from hereWhere are #19 and #20?
http://likes.com/misc/12-biggest-fitness-myths?pid=94672&utm_source=mylikes&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=ml&utm_term=243774920 -
#16 Myth: Eat Less Often to Lose Weight
The best weight loss diet plan is to eat no less than 1200 calories per day if you’re a woman, or 1800 for men, over 5-6 small meals. When your body is starved, it slows down your metabolism, so less food will cause a bigger impact on your body weight. Eat the same amount of wholesome foods, but eat more often to keep that metabolism high!
No.
No x 2
Cant say NO without backing it up!!
See intermittent fasting and while you're at it why don't YOU find us a reliable peer reviewed study showing us that eating more frequently will increase your metabolism.
Also as for the original post, I see no sources cited or even a damn author for that matter of that list.0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 426 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions