Wrong! People think of dieting as starving the body, and that is absolutely not the case. “When they want to lose weight, they stop eating and they shut down their body,” says New York-based trainer David Kirsch. “Eat!”
Myth: You Just Need to Burn More Calories than You Eat
Not exactly. “People think of the quantity rather than the quality. We really need to look at the quality of the types of food were eating,” Kirsch says. He suggests high-quality foods like poultry, eggs, fish, lentils, beans, quinoa, and almonds. Next time you reach for a 150-calorie bag of chips, ask yourself “where are the nutrients in this?”
Myth: You Need to Lose Weight Before You Start Exercising
“There’s this misconception that if you exercise when heavier, you will get bulky,” Kirsch says. Exercising at any weight is essential to dieting and essential to burning calories and keeping your metabolism going strong.
In terms of dieting, if it works, great, Kirsch says. But when it comes to exercise, variety is the key to results. “You will plateau. You have to keep mixing it up and challenging yourself, shocking the body.”
You can always find 5-10 minutes to fit in a quick workout, Kirsch says. Put yourself first. “If you take care of your body, it will take care of you.” To avoid the temptation of grabbing fast food when you’re in a hurry, cook the night before or on the weekends. And stock up so you always have a healthy option on hand. Kirsch also suggests healthy on-the-go options like almonds, apples, or his new Kirsch Bars for a quick and healthy snack.
“Not true!” Kirsch says. Both men and women get frustrated when they don’t see the results they expect from their dieting. Instead of blaming genetics, consider reevaluating your approach. “You need to first examine your goals and second your methods for achieving the goal.” Make sure to set reasonable goals for who you are and where you are in your life.
Women sometimes say, “I used to be able to eat that all the time and eat cakes and drink. Now I just look at a cupcake and gain 10lbs!” The fact is that the body changes as you age. “As you get older, you really need to be much more dialed in to the things you eat,” Kirsch says. At some point, your body is not going to react the same way to foods you were eating 20 years ago as it does to food you’re eating now.”
