It’s already hard to navigate the wellness space, and with so much information, it is difficult to determine what is a myth and what is a fact. My rule of thumb, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. In the meantime, I gathered 13 silly facts about wellness everyone thinks are true but are not!
You should eat 1200 calories to lose weight
For some reason, the idea of 1200 calories for weight loss as a magic number is a typical wellness fact. Although 1200 calories will show weight loss for a short period, it is not a sustainable method or healthy. According to dietary guidelines for Americans, the minimum calorie needs for adult women range from 1,800 to 2,400 calories per day and 2,000 to 3,200 calories per day for adult men.
Coffee is bad for you
Coffee being bad for you is one of those facts about wellness that is a broad statement. It is not the coffee that is bad for you but the amount and what you put in it. Most people load their coffee with sugar, syrups, and creams, making it unhealthy. But coffee by itself benefits your health by improving cancer, diabetes, lowering the risk of heart disease, and improving depression.
Protein shakes help you lose weight
Although adequate protein intake is a wellness fact that is true for weight loss assistance, protein shakes alone will not help you lose weight. All of your protein sources should not come solely from protein shakes, and it’s important to incorporate whole protein sources to assist with weight loss.
You need to detox your body
Detoxing is one of the top wellness misconceptions I find. Your body does not need a cleanse or detox. It does this itself. There is no need to assist your body in a reset, or else you may need medical intervention. To read more about this, check out: Revealing Reasons Why Detoxes Do Not Work
Eggs are Bad For Your Heart
Eggs are often associated with cholesterol which is true, but this does not make them bad for your heart. Although cholesterol is found in egg yolks, it does not directly affect your heart health. The cholesterol found in eggs is mostly the good cholesterol that counteracts the effects of bad cholesterol.
You Should Not Eat After 6
Eating after a specific time does not affect the amount of weight you will lose or gain. Weight changes depend on the overall amount of food you eat and the quality. Focus on your overall caloric intake versus the time of day you eat.
You are healthy if you are skinny
Just because someone appears a certain way does not mean they are automatically healthy or unhealthy. Fat distribution plays a significant factor in whether it is outwardly visible or not. It is possible for someone who appears skinny to be more unhealthy than those who have more size. To read more about this concept: The TOFI Body Type, What You Should Know
People with dark skin do not need sunscreen
Melanated people get diagnosed with cancer at sometimes a more severe diagnosis because of this myth. People of dark skin do have protective factors in their skin but still need the added protection of sunscreen. To read more about the need for sunscreen, check out: Yes, Melanated People Need Sunscreen Too
No days off in fitness
Rest is one of the most underrated tools in fitness. Without adequate rest, your body will stop improving and spiral into many issues. Inadequate rest can lead to something called overtraining syndrome. For more information, see: How To Know If You Are Overtraining
Women who lift heavy get bulky
Weight training can only enhance your body composition and help you burn more calories. To increase the amount of muscle, it takes daily weight training and a lot of food. Some may use supplementation to enhance their muscle mass, and unless you’re training for a bodybuilding competition, you will not see that level of bulkiness.
You can turn fat into muscle
Muscle and fat are two separate macronutrients that cannot be converted into the other. It’s like saying you can turn an apple into an orange. When you are working hard and losing fat while gaining muscle, it might appear that one is changing into the other.
Crunches give you a six pack
Everyone wants a six-pack, but crunches will not give you those flat abs you desire. Fat loss is mainly done with dietary intervention, especially in the gut. Then, it is impossible to target where you want to lose fat just by exercising. It can help develop the muscles in the area, but fat loss is a multifactorial concept.
If you do not sweat, you are not working hard
Sweating has more to do with body heat than workout ability. Your body uses sweat to help cool you down and depends on several factors like metabolism, size, and where you are exercising.
