Debunking fitness myths | Kimberly Garrison

Hold up, wait a minute. You mean to tell me that it's 2018, and many people still believe much of the fitness fakery that's masquerading as truth?

It kills me every time I hear these crazy (and sometimes dangerous) ideas people have about fitness, weight loss, and health.

But crazy and dangerous stories are exactly what I heard at a party I attended recently. In spite of all of the reputable and scientific reports, (and not to mention common sense), it seems that fake fitness and health information has some type of enduring, intractable hold over our collective consciousness, seemingly never to die!  Let's put these fake fitness, half-truths, and out right lies to death, for good.

One woman at the party (I call her pill-popping Patty), confessed that her secret weapon against the battle of the bulge was medications she received from her doctor. What? In the long run, taking drugs — yes, even pharmaceutical drugs — to lose weight is an absolute recipe for disaster. While I don't know what she's taking, it's likely a remix of the popular '90s weight-loss drug called fen-phen (fenfluramine/phentermine) or some type of speed. You might recall that fen-phen was a nightmare that caused heart-valve problems and even death among some users.  It was eventually pulled from the market and the legal damages where well over $10 billion. With that said, once she stops taking the pills, the pounds will come back with a vengeance. I guarantee.

Another woman (once-a-day Olivia) chimed in and said she only ate once a day. Sure, depending on what you eat, you will likely lose a few pounds with this method. But is it healthy? Better yet, is eating once a day sustainable?  For most people, the answer is probably not.  In fact, if sustainable weight loss is the goal, it would likely be better to eat smaller and more frequent meals throughout the day.  Olivia, that's the way you keep your metabolic engine humming.

Eating small and more frequent meals stokes your metabolism, because it keeps your blood sugar levels more regulated.  Steady blood sugar keeps your body in tip, top, calorie burning mode.

On the other hand, eating a big meal once a day puts a huge strain and burden on the body, zaps your energy, and puts you to sleep.  And guess what, with the eating-once-a-day method, you're even more likely to store more calories as fat.  Yikes!

High-rep Heather lamented that she didn't want to bulk up (only tone up), so she only lifts very light weights but does 50 or more reps.  Stop it.  If toning is your goal, then Heather, go heavy!  In order to "tone up" you must stimulate the muscles.  Therefore, you actually need to overload the muscle with the right weight and intensity (just the opposite of what you're doing).  Without the proper load, you muscles will never become toned, tight and strong.

Sauna-sitting Susie swears she's losing weight by sweating it out in the sauna. While the sauna can be a great relaxation tool, it's not at all effective for short or long term weight loss. The average adult human body is about 65 percent water weight, so, sure, you're sweating out water weight in the sauna.  But guess what, that water is replaced immediately once you drink fluids, and you haven't loss one ounce of body fat. It's also worth noting, staying in the sauna too long can leave you dangerously dehydrated, which can be potentially life threatening.

While endeavoring to maintain your fitness and permanently losing weight can be especially frustrating, the best solutions lie in common sense, sensible eating, and regular daily exercise.