To me busting wellness myths is really important because you could be following wellness tips that could be doing you more harm than good.

I’m not going to waste any time and dive straight into it. By highlighting 4 of the most common myths I hear.

Myth 1 – To lose weight you must exercise

Exercise is important as it has many benefits such as

• Improving sleep 
• A great strategy to manage stress
• Supports gut health and immunity
• Improves memory and brain function
• Reduces feelings of anxiety and depression
• Strengthens bones and muscles

I’m sure there’s many others I haven’t mentioned but you get the jist.

The main point I want to make is that although exercise can aid and support weight loss and management it is not the main driver of weight loss. The number one driver of weight loss is diet, then comes exercise then mindset. With the last two of exercise and mindset, order of priority can actually change from person to person. But one thing for sure is that the number one influence of weight loss is diet!

1. Diet – is a 75% driver of weight loss. 
2. Exercise – is a 15% driver of weight loss.
3. Mindset – is a 10% driver of weight loss.

If you think of weight loss as energy in and energy out. All energy in comes from your diet, with about 10% energy burned from digesting the food and depending on the type of exercise, 10-30% energy out may be from exercise. But if your energy in, is higher than what your body requires to lose weight then there is a good chance no amount of exercise can drive a shift in your weight loss. The key here is calculating the amount of energy and type of energy your body needs to be nourished whilst also driving weight loss.

When it comes to mindset, this is mostly about your self-talk. If you constantly tell yourself ‘I am fat’, ‘I can’t lose weight’ or ‘I’ll never be as skinny as I use to be’ it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. What’s important here is to identify the self-talk and replace it with a positive reframe.

Myth 2 – Being skinny means you’re healthy

This is not the case at all! Yes, being skinny may give the impression that someone might be healthy because we tend to hear more about the effects of obesity causing diabetes, heart disease and other chronic illnesses. But just because someone is skinny, it does not mean they are healthy! 

There are other risks associated with being skinny, especially if someone is underweight. These risks are:

• malnutrition, vitamin deficiencies, or anemia 
• osteoporosis from too little vitamin D and calcium
• decreased immune function
• fertility issues caused by irregular menstrual cycles

Now this also doesn’t mean that just because someone is skinny that they have all of these risks. It is directly associated with their diet. And if someone is at risk of any of these there are clear symptoms for each, for example if someone has malnutrition – they may experience symptoms of feeling tired and drained of energy or perhaps getting sick often. 

Myth 3 – If you want to lose weight stop eating carbs

No way! Your body needs carbs as certain parts of the carbohydrate such as starch and fibre slows the release of sugar into the bloodstream, increases satiety ( feeling full) and improves gut flora by acting as a prebiotic. Plus it regulates bowel motions. Hency why carbs are not the enemy!

Rather they are a great source of energy and fuel for the body. But to lose weight you must consume carbs in proportion to your current weight and goal weight. As when more carbs are sonsumes than burned, excess carbs are converted to fatty acids and stored as fat.

If you want to lose weight what you actually need is a healthy gut and a diet approach that suits your bio individuality. That includes proteins, carbs and fats plus vitamins and minerals that your body needs and that are tailored to your current weight and goal weight. 

Myth 4 – Drink 8 glasses of water a day 

I think we all know how important it is to drink water. It plays major roles in the body:

• Regulating body temperature
• Eliminating waste
• Supplying a medium in which the majority of chemical reactions within the body occur

Water is so important that even a drop of about 2% in the body can cause symptoms of:

• Headaches
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Lethargy
• Excess thirst
• Decreased blood  pressure

Now this is very important because dehydration is often confused with hunger.

Although 8 glasses of water a day is not too bad, what you actually need to do is drink enough water for your body weight and level of activity. Plus based on the season/ climate you live in. e.g. in summer you may require more hydration than in winter.

So usually when you work with a nutritional advisor they can guide you on how much water you as an individual should take based on your weight loss goals, the climate you live in and your current weight.