I've been in the fitness industry just about 6 years and worked as a fitness manager at a women's gym for 5 years which means I have seen and heard about every fad diet, newest workout craze, and weight loss pill. Every week Dr. Oz would be promoting some "shocking new miracle food" or "shocking way to lose weight." There was always an extreme way to lose weight and there will always be a new way to lose weight and get in shape. There are so many weight loss myths I'm sure everyone has come across at some point or another; maybe you've even tried those methods. If you want to lose weight and/or get in shape it doesn't have to be miserable, unbearable, and tedious. In order to reach your goals you have to want it, be willing to make some sacrifices, and stop believing these 10 lies the fitness industry has been feeding us!
1."For every 1 pound of muscle you gain, you will burn an extra 50 calories per day." Sound too good to be true? It unfortunately is (BOO!) In reality, that number ends up being around 4 calories extra over a 24 hour period. So, instead of focusing all your time in the gym, take that extra time to prep your meals for the week.
2. "Weight/Fat loss is only accomplished by cardio and lots of it." I was caught in the cycle of endless cardio for almost 15 years and never accomplished the weight loss I wanted until I STOPPED doing cardio, long steady state cardio I should say. I ended my long, dysfunctional relationship with the treadmill and found my true love: weight lifting; although my other love of cooking helped too! Once I started eating healthy and lifting weights my weight melted off and it's stayed off with no rebound and very little effort.
3. "Ladies, you'll bulk up if you start lifting heavy weights." How many of us have heard this awful and uneducated statement? It saddens me that the majority of women still think this way and I want to set the record straight: muscle doesn't make you look bulky, FAT does. Work on eating healthy to lose fat. We should be lifting weights that are challenging for us because it builds bone density to help in preventing osteoporosis, makes us strong to do our activities of daily living, and gives us women a fabulous shape and did I mention curves? Plus weight training is so much fun and incredibly empowering!
4. "Spot reduction can be done with specific exercises." I know it sucks you can't do sit ups every day to lose weight in your midsection or squats to get nice legs; *sigh* in a perfect world. I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record BUT, DIET is your main squeeze yet again. Focus on healthy eating and you'll get results.
5. "Number of calories burned in a gym session and length of time worked out are the most important." Ever hear of quality versus quantity? Only have 20 minutes to get a workout in today? Perfect, that's plenty of time! A 20 minute bodyweight circuit or 15 minute interval sprints on the treadmill will always be more effective than running for an hour or going on the elliptical. So stop focusing on calorie burning and killing yourself in the gym for 3 hours because it doesn't matter! Again, spend that extra time you'll have prepping meals for the week or spend time with friends and family. You can't out train a poor diet, always remember that.
6. "If you want to keep seeing results, you must change up your workout constantly or your body will start to plateau." This is a huge mistake many of us make and this ugly rumor has somehow made its rounds to us all. The average time you should stick with a weight training program is between 8-12 weeks. There are some tweaks you may make to the plan such as number of repetitions or change up a couple of exercises, but for the most part you must stick with it and make a commitment! You have to give your body time to get used to your workout and your muscles time to get used to new movements for your body to start changing.
7. "No pain, no gain." If you aren't sore did you even workout at all? Everyone is different and our bodies each respond differently to our workouts. For example, no matter what kind of heavy, brutal shoulder session I do, my shoulders will NEVER get sore, but it doesn't mean I didn't work hard enough. So, if you aren't sore, don't worry that you did something wrong or your plan is bad. Sore muscles are not an indicator of hard work!
8. "Squatting is bad for your knees." Squatting is only bad for you, when you're squatting incorrectly. Once your form improves, you'll realize what a great addition they make to a program and there are a ton of different types of squats you can do.
9. "In order to get a flat stomach or six pack do *insert any ab exercise here*" Abs are made in the kitchen, end of story. If you don't have control of how you're eating and aren't losing fat, it's not possible for those abs to make an appearance. Plus, most exercises are building abdominal strength without you even realizing it. Squats are one of the BEST ways to work your abdominals, be sure to keep those babies pulled in the entire time and hold them tight. Another awesome way: when incorporating single leg exercises such as standing cable single arm rows, you'll hit 'em hard!
10. "Men: have to lift heavy and less reps to get big and Women: lift lighter and more reps to 'tone'" Last, but certainly not least! Both genders can utilize all rep ranges and weights to reach their goals whether it be to gain a lot of bulk and muscle or lean out. So, men don't be afraid to lift in a higher rep range with a lighter weight and ladies don't be scared to lift heavy weights in a lower rep range. See what works for you and go for it. 
The most important advice I can give someone who wants to lose weight and get in shape, is to find what works for you and make sure it's something you truly love and enjoy! There's nothing worse than dreading your workout session. So ask yourself if this is an activity you can see yourself continuing long-term, which becomes even more essential once you have reached your initial goals. Remember to always set new goals for yourself, stay active, and be healthy! Never do anything to your body that may give you short-term success but long-term destruction, it's not worth it. Our main goal, after all, should always be to improve health.
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