When it comes to being healthy, exercising and eating well, there seems to be a lot of stereotypes, a lot of misconceptions and a lot of misunderstood information. We aim to clear up 5 of some of the most common misconceptions associated with the above.
1. Never trust all before and after pictures
Technology in this day and age is absolutely amazing. There are so many ways to manipulate pictures these days whether it be with computer software or simply with make-up and lighting; most before and after pictures are taken on the same day! A bit of rugged clothing, bad hair, bad lighting and bad posture can make for a perfect before picture. Then some self-tan, styled hair, good posture, bright lighting and a bit of picture editing software and voilà you have you after picture.
2. Experience is your greatest teacher, don’t believe everything you read
There are so many magazines, and so many informational resources available to people now a days and you may very well read a different method, on how to do the same thing, in each one. This can be quite overwhelming and sometimes can even mislead you.
Unfortunately the best way to learn is by trial and error. So research as much as possible but always put that research to test and in turn you will hopefully find out what works best for you.
Do not get caught up in believing there is only ONE right way to do things. This could force you into looking for this ‘secret method’ and you may miss out on trying different things which could have worked for you.
3. Beware of marketing hype
One major problem in this industry today is that everyone wants to sell a product. Now that’s not the problem, the downfall comes in when companies want to sell you something no matter if it works or not with their only aim being: To make money and profit. Advertising and marketing can also be a very dangerous and misleading tool which these companies take advantage of. For example, some supplement companies claim their supplements will allow you to gain many Kgs of muscle in just a month or even a week, without actual research or data to support these claims. And the sad part is many people actually believe these claims since they are looking for something to give them that edge, and they end up paying a lot money for these supplements.
What needs to be understood is there are no quick fixes, no short cuts, only consistency and time. So be sure to do your own research before you purchase any supplement or exercise product.
4. Spot reduction is not possible
This follows on from the previous point about falling prey to marketing claims. Some products or programmes claim to help you remove fat from a specific place on your body, most commonly to remove your stomach fat. It’s very difficult to target exactly where you will lose fat from, and many people for instance believe that to lose weight on your stomach you need to do stomach/ab exercises which is not the case.
Losing fat comes down to eating the right foods in the right amounts for your body, as well as some form of exercising.
On a side note the belief that ‘muscle turns into fat’ falls under this point as well. Muscle is one thing and fat is another, neither can turn into each other. Building or losing muscle and losing or putting on fat are all separate and different processes.
Read more in detail about Spot reduction.
5. The dry ripped look is not sustainable
The fitness models you see on magazine covers and the extremely shredded and dry physiques you see on a body building stage are not sustainable over a long term. These people manipulate their food and water intake for about a week or 2 before their competition or photo-shoot in order to look that way and lose that last bit of water between their muscles and their skin which gives them that very dry look. So they do not look this way everyday of the year, only for that short time around a competition/shoot.
