Myths vs Reality!

Hi everyone! 

Hope you have had a great week! I made my first ever nourish and yogurt bowl this week and I am hooked! Both are so easy to make and taste yummy 🙂

This week I am going to share with you the myths I used to believe and religiously followed in order to be “healthy”. 

Myth 1. You can’t eat at night.

Truth: Whether you consume 100 calories at 9am or 100 calories at 9pm, you are still consuming the same amount. However, there are some factors you might want to consider when reaching for that late-night snack, such as, what sort of food are you about to consume? Studies have shown that food choices made late at night tend to be more calorific and lack nutrition compared to foods consumed earlier in the day. If you love your late night snacks, here are some great ideas!  

Myth 2. No pain without gain – only the sweaty workouts are beneficial. 

Truth: I used to believe that when I go to the gym or for a run I needed to completely deplete my body, otherwise what was the point? This was because I had started to chase a feeling instead of chasing the results. Doing a half an hour weightlifting session with great form is far more effective than trying to complete every machine. If you do this, you will probably find that you can’t move for the next few days! This means your body needs more time to recover, which in turn will make it that much longer to achieve the results you want. 

Myth 3. Detoxing – Because this is the only way to justify eating chocolate cake…

Truth: The days when I would eat a little bit more cake than I should made me want to reach for those smoothies and “cleanse” my body and soul. This was reinforced by seeing celebrities who have flawless skin and the perfect body endorsing their favourite detoxing company. You do not need to drink a kale smoothie to detox your body. Your liver and kidneys are constantly doing this without any help of a green beverage. So, the next time your favourite celebrity is “juicing”, just think, it is probably because they are getting paid to endorse that product. 

Myth 4. I just need some motivation, and then I will do something.

Truth: The amount of time I used to say, “I’m just not motivated enough”. Whether that was to go for a run or to make my bed, the thing that I have realised is that motivation comes afterwards, not before. Nobody wants to run at 6am, but we do it because it feels so good once we have done it! 

Myth 5. You need to get a gym membership.

Truth: My excuse for not working out as much last year was that I didn’t have a gym membership. Although I do love a good gym sesh, I also love my home workouts. Whether this is a morning run or completing a workout I found on Instagram, I have realised that exercise doesn’t need to cost very much at all. As long as you have some supportive trainers (because we don’t want any injuries), and some clothes you are comfortable in, you are good to go!

Myth 6. You can only lose weight if you are constantly working out.

Truth: It wasn’t until a month or so ago that I learnt about all the ways our body burns calories without us even knowing it!

• Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) – This is how many calories our body needs to function at rest. Our bodies are designed to burn calories even when we are doing nothing! BMR accounts for about 70% of your overall daily calorie loss.

Non-exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) – This refers to anything active you do outside of exercise. For example, cleaning, walking, and taking the stairs. How much NEAT you do is completely in your control! To increase your NEAT you could choose to take the stairs rather than the lift. Your NEAT accounts for about 15% of your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). So if you want to lead a more healthy and active lifestyle, consider increasing your NEAT!

• Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) – When you consume food you actually burn calories (I know, it’s great!). Now some foods are easier to digest than others and therefore won’t require as much energy (i.e. calories). For example, foods like fizzy pop and cookies are easy to digest as a simple carbohydrate, whereas protein rich foods like eggs and almonds will require more energy (calories) to digest. This method accounts for around 10% of your TDEE.
• Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (EAT) – And finally we have good old calories being burned through physical activity, exercise and sport. This is in fact, the smallest part which contributes to your TDEE, with it only contributing 5%.

Myth 7. Lifting weights will make me bulky.

Truth: I too fell victim to this myth. Society would tell me that I would be an outsider if I lifted weights because I wouldn’t be perceived as feminine enough. I was so wrong! Because women produce less testosterone than men it is harder for us to develop that muscle mass Achieving the bulky muscles of body builders requires a vast intake of calories and protein for this process to be supported, which is achieved through a personalised diet and demanding workout regime. Even if you want to lose weight, lifting will help with that process and is effective to integrate into any workout plan. Here is some benefits of weight lifting.

Myth 8: The pill makes you gain weight. 

Truth: There was always a rumour going round at school that if you take the contraceptive pill then you will put on weight. This little myth is associated with the initial manufacturing of the pill: back then, it contained so much oestrogen which led to an increase in appetite and therefore an increase in weight. It contained so much estrogen it would cause an increase in appetite and therefore an increase in weight. However, today the pill has much lower levels of the hormone and should not cause the same effects as it did previously.  

So, what can you do now? Why not see how many steps you can walk in a day and see if you can beat it tomorrow. Remember, the only way you can fail at leading a healthy and active lifestyle is by quitting (so keep going!).

Have a great day!

Soph x