10 Lies We Have Been Told as Women

 

1. The number on the scale tells you how healthy you are.

We have used our weight as the measuring stick for “healthy” for far too long. But the number on the scale doesn’t tell you how much muscle you have versus body fat. It doesn’t tell you how strong you are, how much energy you have, how healthy your heart is, or what your bloodwork looks like. Your weight is simply one number, and it doesn’t define your health.

2. Carbs are bad for you.
Oh, I cannot wait for this one to go away. Carbs are not bad for you. Your body needs carbohydrates for energy, and they’re especially important when you’re active and strength training. Carbs help fuel your workouts and replenish the glycogen your muscles use during exercise. The goal isn’t to eliminate carbs, it’s to choose quality sources most of the time and eat an amount that supports your activity and goals.

3. Lifting weights will make you bulky.
This one makes me laugh because building muscle is not easy. It takes a lot of time, consistency, proper nutrition, and progressive training to build significant muscle. And muscle is denser than fat, meaning it takes up less space on your body. Stop being afraid of getting “bulky” and start thinking about getting strong.

4. You can completely transform your body in 21, 30, 60, or 90 days.
We live in a world of instant gratification, and fitness marketing has convinced us that we should be able to completely transform our bodies in a matter of weeks. Can you make progress in 30, 60, or 90 days? Absolutely. But truly changing your body, building significant muscle, losing fat, and maintaining those results takes time and consistency. Think in years, not weeks.

5. All calories are the same.
Yes, a calorie is a unit of energy. But that doesn’t mean all foods affect your nutrition, hunger, recovery, and body composition in exactly the same way. Eating 1,800 calories mostly from burgers, fries, and candy bars gives your body very different nutrients than 1,800 calories built around protein, vegetables, fruit, rice, potatoes, and other whole foods. Calories matter, but so does what those calories are made of.

6. One “bad” meal ruins your whole week.
We’ve created this idea that we have to eat perfectly all the time, and if we don’t, we’ve somehow ruined everything. Then we tell ourselves, “I’ll start over Monday.” It’s the constant starting over that keeps you stuck. Consistency is the goal, not perfection. Enjoy dinner out. Have the dessert. Celebrate the birthday. Then get back to your normal routine with your next meal. You don’t need to start over.

7. You need to change your workout every day to keep your body guessing.
Think about all the classes, boot camps, workout videos, and constantly changing routines we’ve been sold in the name of keeping fitness “interesting.” But constantly changing your workouts can make it harder to measure whether you’re actually getting stronger. Be boring. Follow the same strength program for 6–8 weeks. Track your weights and reps. Get stronger. See how you’ve progressed. Then make changes and do it again.

8. Cardio is all you need to lose weight.
Remember spending hours doing cardio because we thought that was the secret to losing weight? Cardio is fantastic for your heart, endurance, and overall health, and it can absolutely be part of fat loss. We don’t need hours of cardio, really walking 30 mins a day is perfect. Strength training helps you build and maintain muscle while changing your body composition. You don’t have to choose one or the other, walk, run, bike, do your cardio, but pick up the weights too.

9. You have to eat as little as possible to get leaner.
Remember when 1,200 calories seemed to be the magic number every woman was told to eat? Women have been taught for years that if we want to lose weight, we simply need to eat less. So we cut calories lower and lower while training harder and harder. But your body needs enough food, especially protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats to fuel your workouts, recover, and maintain or build muscle. Eating as little as possible isn’t the goal. Eating appropriately for your body, activity level, and goals is.

10. Getting smaller should always be the goal.
For so long, women have been told to take up less space. Lose weight. Get smaller. Fit into a smaller size. But what if the goal isn’t smaller? What if the goal is stronger? More muscle. More energy. Better endurance. Strong bones. Feeling capable and confident in your body. Your healthiest, strongest body might not be your lightest body and that’s okay.

At the end of the day, fitness doesn’t have to be as complicated as we’ve been led to believe. Eat food that fuels your body. Lift weights. Move every day. Do cardio because it’s good for your heart. Get enough protein. Enjoy the dinner out and the dessert without guilt. Stop chasing quick fixes and start focusing on what you can consistently do for years. Most importantly, stop measuring your success by how small you can make yourself. The goal isn’t to take up less space, it’s to build a strong, healthy body that allows you to live the life you want for as long as possible.