The fitness community has expanded by leaps and bounds throughout the growth of social media. Access to information is at an all time high. But, this isn't always a good thing.There are a lot of old beliefs around health and wellness that still make their rounds on social media from different varieties of people.
Unfortunately, a lot of this outdated information can be sabotaging to your progress. Here are some of the frequent flyers I see being shared and how to counter them.
Limiting/eliminating carbohydrates. This is a big one- while a lot of people have gotten away from this mindset, it still rears its ugly head, often. Your brain runs on carbohydrates. Carbohydrates provide your body with glucose, which is then converted to the energy source for your body aka glycogen. (I'm oversimplifying here- there's a lot more involved in this biological process but this is the gist you need to know as it pertains to fitness and nutrition). Not all carbohydrates are created equally, though. I'm not going to say there are 'bad carbs' and 'good carbs,' the quality of them greatly differs. Asparagus is classified as a carbohydrate (yes, there is also protein in most vegetables- stick with me), but so is Ramen noodles. You shouldn't view both of those as the same thing. Less processed sources of carbs are going to be better choices to fuel your body in terms of being satiated, getting nutrients and micronutrients, and pursuing your goals for fitness and nutrition. Does that mean you can't have Ramen or other processed carbs? No, not unless you and your healthcare provider have determined there is a medical reason why you should not have those food items.
Making 'healthy versions' of food. There's a lot of emotion that gets wrapped up into food. A lot of it seems to be guilt and shame when it comes to having certain foods that you enjoy, like sweets and treats. That, in turns, leads to things like 'healthy' versions or 'better for you' ways to make things. This further leads to the negative associations with food. I'm a big believer in moderation- if you want a brownie, have a brownie. One brownie didn't make you unhealthy or overweight. I personally struggle with the idea that you should completely remove something from your diet, like cookies or sweets if you like them. I love cookies and have the biggest sweet tooth and while there are some products that are advertised as healthy alternatives and do taste good, there's no substituting the real thing. I'm looking at you, Ben and Jerry's. Do the work to determine the emotional hold those food items have over you, and have them occasionally. You can have those types of things without derailing your goals. Just practice moderation.
Stop sacrificing your form. Your form is the most important thing. Doing reps of an exercise just to do them when you have bad form will lead you down a path of injury. Before you ever add weight to an exercise, you should master it with body weight alone. Once you have the form down, adding weight should be done methodically and progressively. If your form begins to breakdown, remove weight and restore proper form.
Stop doing excessive reps. You do not need to do a ton of reps of an exercise. The most widely accepted approach for strength training based on research is progressive overloading. What does that mean? It means gradually adding weight, reps, or frequency to a workout. Most fitness professionals will prescribe two or three sets of an exercise with anywhere from 6-15 repetitions (reps) depending on the exercise and your goals. You should do only a few reps for warm up (no more than 3) and get into the body of your lift/exercise. You are risking injury by doing excessive reps. For most, as you do reps, you fatigue. As you fatigue, your form begins to breakdown. See the problem here?
This is far from all inclusive, but these are the main issues I see being perpetuated in the fitness and nutrition space. If the person who is giving this advice to you is not someone who is certified in the respective field(s) and/or a proven history, you should question it. Ask for a second opinion. Whether you are a client of mine or not, please know that I am happy to answer questions about fitness and nutrition to ensure that you are getting good information that will help you reach your goals.
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