Because none of us has time to waste secretly sabotaging our goals.
There’s a lot of bad advice out there when it comes to weight loss. And when you’re really trying to work hard and shed some pounds, chances are you’ll try anything that sounds promising. We’ve all been there.
But unfortunately, a ton of the “tips” you’ve heard are simply not true. In fact, some of the biggest weight loss myths are more likely to do the opposite of what you’re trying to achieve—yes, that means make it harder to lose weight. (No, we’re not trying to ruin your day.)
Here are the top weight loss myths you’ve probably heard, and what makes them total BS.
Myth 1: You can spot lose fat.
As nice as it would be to be able to choose the exact spots we want to lose fat and where we don’t (read: boobs), it just doesn’t work that way. “You can target areas when you’re working out, but you can’t choose where you’re going to lose your weight from,” Kira Stokes, celebrity trainer at BFX studios and creator of the Stoked Method and Stoked Series classes, tells SELF. “Your body is one complete unit, it has to be thought of as such.” Overall, you’re going to lose inches if you work out and eat healthy. But you can’t choose where you’re going to lose those inches from. “And everyone’s body is different,” Stokes adds. So the areas you lose inches in first will differ greatly from where your workout buddy does.
Myth 2: Fad diets work.
Just like all trends, fad diets are temporary. “You do it for two weeks and lose 10 pounds, but what happens after that deadline?” says Amanda Foti, M.S., R.D., a senior dietitian at Selvera Wellness. “They’re usually not realistic for long-term sustainability.” Without a plan for transitioning back into a regular eating pattern, most people just go back to old habits and regain the weight. You may want a quick fix (don’t we all), but it’s not going to make you feel so great. Fad diets are also very restrictive, which makes them really hard to stick to if you’re trying to live life in the real world. So when you have a work dinner and none of your diet-approved foods are on the menu, it throws you off and you just decide to throw in the towel. One bad diet down, you vow to start a different one next week, and the whole cycle starts anew. “I see a lot of chronic dieters, over, and over, and over,” Foti says, for this exact reason.
Myth 3: Cardio is better for weight loss than strength training.
Most people assume an hour-long run is going to burn more fat than a short lifting sesh. Not true. Cardio is important for weight loss, but if you’e pressed for time and have to choose one or the other, “you’re better off spending your time on strength training,” Stokes says. “Your body burns more at a resting state the more muscle you have on your body.” So building muscle will keep your metabolism revved for not just an hour after your workout, but all day long, since your body will be working to fuel and maintain those new guns.
Myth 4: Because one plan works for other people, it’s bound to work for you.
There really is no one-size-fits-all approach to weight loss. “Different bodies need different things, and one diet is not going to work for everyone,” explains celebrity trainer Anna Kaiser, founder of AKT InMotion and co-host of My Diet is Better Than Yours on ABC. “Our bodies function very differently and need different things.” Which is why it’s important to pay attention to what eating plan and fitness regimen work for you. Sure, it’s great to take suggestions from friends who have had weight loss success, but there’s no guarantee you’ll see the exact same results.
Myth 5: If you work out hard enough, it doesn’t really matter what you eat.
Unfortunately, you can’t just do one or the other and call it a day. “People don’t want to hear it, but you’re negating what you’re doing in the gym if you’re going out and sabotaging yourself by not watching what you’re eating,” Stokes says. “If you’re truly trying to make a change in your body, you have to make a complete lifestyle change, which includes both working out and changing your diet.” If you’re just trying to maintain your current weight, Stokes says a regular workout routine may be enough. But if weight loss is your goal, diet needs to be a huge part of the equation, too. “Especially for people who have just that last five pounds to go,” she adds, since those who have more to lose may notice immediate changes when adding just fitness or good nutrition into their lives; for those last five pounds, not so much.
In terms of what holds more weight, Foti says it’s very individualized. “I’ve had clients respond more to fitness levels increasing, others respond better to diets.” Usually, whatever is the more dramatic change will make a bigger impact upfront. But you’ll hit a wall eventually if you don’t focus on both.
Myth 6: Eating at night is bad.
Whether it’s due to the time of day or simply the food choices people make when they’re tired, late-night eating has long been associated with weight gain. But that doesn’t mean you have to be done dinner by 6 p.m. sharp. “It’s more about your overall nutrition,” Foti says. “If you don’t go to bed until 11 p.m., you can eat at 8 p.m. and still have ample time to digest it.” Going to bed stuffed can disrupt your sleep, but so can hunger pangs. Foti says at the end of the day (ha, ha), it’s better to eat something light before bed than skip a meal.
Myth 7: Indulging = cheating.
Foti encourages her clients to treat themselves a couple times each week. “It allows them to not feel so deprived, so they’ll stick with healthy choices longer,” she says. Rather than focusing on resisting temptation and completely avoiding certain things, work a few indulgences each week into your plan. That doesn’t mean three massive cheat meals a week, she says, but working three servings of something in will keep you satisfied without going off track. For example, if you know you’re going to a pizza place with friends on Friday, plan to have one slice. You have to keep your lifestyle in mind, and form a realistic plan that won’t make you miserable or skipping out on social events all the time.
Myth 8: You need to work out harder and longer.
Instead, focus on smarter workouts. If you’re pushing your body so hard that it can’t sustain it, you can end up doing the opposite of what you want to achieve (not to mention, seriously injure yourself). “Overtraining can actually take you too far the other way,” explains Kaiser. “Your adrenals can fail, causing your metabolism to shut down and go into starvation mode.” Which means your body will cling onto whatever fat it’s got for survival. If you’re not used to a rigorous exercise routine, start with just a couple days a week, and work up to a varied routine that includes a balance of cardio, strength training, and flexibility.
Myth 9: Becoming a vegetarian will boost weight loss.
Some diets, like vegetarian or vegan, have a halo of health that makes it seem like you’ll inherently drop pounds on them. But you can still gain weight on a meat-free diet if you don’t approach it the right way. “You can still be vegetarian and have a lot of junk food—the only thing it means is no animal products, so you can still have chips, sandwiches, unhealthy foods,” Foti explains. Sure, it will seamlessly cut (most) sources of saturated fats out of your diet, but you still have to be conscious that you’re making the right food choices and not loading up on simple carbs and sugars in their place.
Myth 10: Working out just makes you hungrier.
Some people tend to avoid cardio, especially running, because they claim it just makes them eat more after. But by that logic, you’re supposed to just not work out and not eat? Not only is it not effective (read: you have to workout and eat right to lose weight), but you’ll miss out on all of the other amazing benefits of exercise—and probably be pretty grumpy. Kaiser recommends checking your hydration levels first and foremost after getting sweaty. “Sometimes you feel hungry because you’re dehydrated and you sweat too much, but you’re actually just really thirsty,” she explains. Also, being hungry after a workout is a good thing—it means you metabolism is running strong. “The best time to eat is right after you work out because your body is going to use food instantly to recover.,” Kaiser adds. “If you work out and don’t eat, then you’re going to feel crazy hungry the rest of the day and eat more later.” You don’t need to have a full meal right away, but even something light like protein powder mixed with coconut water, Kaiser suggests, will help you avoid that ravenous feeling later.
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