Everyone has an opinion on fitness, diet and nutrition and this is even more true on the web. Go to any fitness, bodybuilding or weightlifting blog and you’ll find scores of people weighing in with different opinions on what the best way to eat is if you want to lose weight, or if you want to build muscle. Unfortunately, the vast majority of them don’t have a degree in nutrition. And actually, even the ones who do have degrees in nutrition, are often still making their decisions based on outdated concepts.
There are a lot of myths that just won’t die when it comes to dieting and these are only perpetuated by people on the web who claim to know more than they do.
Suddenly I’m feeling a little homicidal…
Let’s kill those diet myths once and for all!
Myth 1: Fat Makes You Fat
This is old news and it’s just plain wrong. Fat contains a lot of calories – it contains 9 calories per gram versus 4 for carbohydrates. But that is the only reason that it might cause weight gain. As long as you don’t eat too much, it’s no more likely to make you fat than carbs. In fact it’s less likely to, seeing as the sugar is released more slowly into your blood stream. That and fat is actually crucial for healthy testosterone production!
Myth 2: Eating After 6PM is Bad For You
Your metabolism doesn’t care what time of day it is when you eat. Sure, it’s a little faster first thing in the morning, but ultimately this has a very marginal effect. What’s far more important is ‘calories in, calories out’ – so don’t go starving yourself before bed. In fact, having low blood sugar before you go to sleep can lead to a restless night and grogginess in the morning, so be careful!
Myth 3: Vegetarians Can’t Build Muscle
While we’re not recommending you give up meat, it’s just plain wrong to think that vegetarians can’t build muscle. There are tons of alternative options out there when it comes to protein shakes – such as soy protein – and even if they aren’t as efficient as whey, they’ll still get the job done. Just take a look at some popular bloggers who’ve build massive guns on a vegan diet to see for yourself that this is very much a myth.
Myth 4: Supplements Will Get You Ripped
And particularly – fat burners. The idea that you can start swallowing some magic pill and start seeing incredible gains in the gym is just pure nonsense.
The word ‘supplement’ means ‘additional’. In other words, supplements are designed to be additional to a healthy diet and a good training regime. These support your training but they certainly don’t replace it. Don’t rest on your laurels.
In fact, if you spend lots of money on these products and aren’t putting in the time down the gym, you’ll only be wasting your cash.
Gee, wonder who came up with this particular myth?
