Myths I am SICK of hearing!

There are a million different beliefs about nutrition. The truth is we all over complicate it. Being healthy comes from eating good wholesome foods, proper exercise, drinking enough water, and sleep. That's it! We especially as Americans are always trying to do everything faster. We are always trying to find a "quick-fix". Its time to stop wishing for it and working for it.

There are many false claims out there but here are the ones I am SICK of hearing- ones you should never follow!

1. I can't eat healthy because its expensive.

Yes, society has made it easy to eat unhealthy when a burger is 99 cents and a salad is $5 at a fast food chain. But you can eat healthy on a budget. I've done it for years and have continued to do so as a college student. You just have to get creative and be smart about it. And no, I do NOT clip coupons so you don't have to either :) (If you want to know how to eat healthy on a budget be sure to read my next post.)

2. Carbs are bad!

No! You are bad for believing that! Just kidding, I love you. But seriously! No they are not. Have you ever been around someone on a low-carb diet? They are a different person! And not in a good way... Carbs are fuel! Food is fuel! Carbs give your body the energy to function, like your brain. One of my personal training friends shared with me that in one of his years in college he had to go low carb in the spring semester. In the fall semester, on a normal diet he had all As. When he went low-carb in the spring he began getting Ds on tests because he couldn't focus. He said it was the worst thing he had ever done. Carbs are essential for athletes! Especially right before (and after) a work out. You can still eat carbs and see major results. :) Stick with non-processed carbs like berries, sweet potatoes, steel-cut oats, and brown rice.

3. Only green veggies are good!

Negative. Yes, it is highly recommended to get your dark leafy greens in like spinach and broccoli, but it is important to incorporate as many colors as you can into your diet. Sweet potatoes are a great carb source that are rich in vitamin A and fiber. Bell peppers are rich in Vitamin C and fiber. Making sure you get in a wide variety of vegetable will give you glow skin, white eyes, strong nails and silky hair- who doesn't want that??

4. Water will make me bloat.

Actually its the opposite. Water is the most important part of weight loss. It helps flush out all the impurities in your body. Bloating is a result of processed foods, high sodium intake, carbonated beverages, etc. Not water. The number one thing we recommend people do after eating a cheat meal or falling off track is drink water. A good goal is around a gallon a day or at least half your body weight in fluid ounces.

5. If I take this pill it'll make me lose weight.

If you believe in this you are making people money. There is no magic pill that will give you the dream body you want. Hard work and consistency is going to. Good things come to those who work their butts off!

6. But this product says its _______ so its good for me!

A fib vs. a lie. Same kind of theory with label claims. The first one I can thing of is "spinach wraps". Usually if you flip over the package to the ingredients list the first ingredient will be water or bleached flour. Then you'll see spinach used for coloring... I know. Its crazy. Don't buy the label claims. There are people paid to solely come up with ways to get you to buy things and they are pretty darn good at it.

7. Its not working! I don't understand yesterday I was down a pound now I am up 3!

Progress is NOT linear. I can not stress this enough (especially if you are a woman)! Most bikini competitors when trying to shed body fat, take a weighted average for the week to determine their progress. Most of them, including myself can prove to you that we can vary in weight 3-5 times during the course of one day! If you are weighing yourself after a workout, stop it! You will weigh heavier afterwards. Ever noticed how your feet swell after working out? Body fat percentage is what you should be looking at.

8. Lifting weights will make me look bulky/manly

Going back to my Fitness Inspirations post, please look at all those girls and try to tell me they look manly. Lifting does not and cannot make you look that way , its only going to cause you to become lean. The women body builders out there that look manly look so because they are probably taking testosterone. If you think you are going to get lean off of being a cardio bunny you won't ever see it. Sure, you will shed fat but you won't get the nice lean and toned figure that you have been dreaming of.

9. I should only eat 1,000 calories a day!

No. Stop. Tell that thought to go to hell because that's where it came from! First of all, that is NOT healthy especially during weight training. I don't care if you are male, female, 4'9" or 6'9". You are destroying your metabolism by telling it to go into survival mode. Your body will refuse to burn fat as it thinks it needs to save it, further halting your metabolism. Food = Fuel. It is time to start believing that and stop thinking of it as the enemy. Ever heard of your BMR? Basal Metabolic Rate. This is how many calories your body needs a day to function if you were to do absolutely nothing but lay in bed all day. For most women and men this can range between 1500-1600 calories a day. Just to lay in bed. There is no reason you should be restricting yourself to 1000 calories a day.

Please ditch these myths! Food IS fuel. Water IS good for you.Eating healthy CAN be done on a budget. There are NO miracle pills. Always check the ingredients list FIRST. Progress is NOT Linear. And lifting weights will only make you look FABULOUS. That's all my sweet, sweet friends! Have a wonderful day!

-xxoo Britt