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Fasting before cardio will burn more body fat.
- Plain and simple, this is just false. At the end of the day, you burn the same amount of calories fasted or not. That being said, if you like being fasted while doing cardio…. Do it! You won’t die. But if you decide to eat before, at the end of the day you WILL burn the exact same amount. It’s an equation, calories in vs. out, and that doesn’t change regardless of what’s in your tummy. My suggestion is simple; you will most likely perform better and feel better with food in your gut. If you have muscle and want to keep it, I suggest at least some whey protein or 10g of BCAA’s before unless you have a lot of fat too lose and aren’t worrying about muscle at the time. As for strength training fasted, I just don’t suggest it. Period. (Oh and here’s a study for some fasted cardio proof in case you think I’m full of it 😉 HERE and article HERE).
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Paleo cures everything, including cancer and obesity.
- Just like stated above, being in a calorie deficit results in fat loss. So whether that’s from a paleo approach or not is irrelevant, it’s the caloric deficit that matters. Paleo is a great approach to anyone having serious intolerances or gut health issues, see how to implement it to improve your gut in my article “Is Paleo For You?”. Take home point here is simple, paleo is not the answer – In fact, some studies are showing findings of grains before the Paleolithic time anyway… My suggestion, if you like bread than eat it! Just fit it into your calorie intake.
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Low Carb Dieting is the answer to everything.
- Low carb was a big craze for a while and seems to still be peoples go to for dropping weight and I get it, because in the short term – it works! But in the long run, it drains your energy, can wreck your metabolism, disturb your hormones, hamper sleep, ruin your performance, and ultimately making you “Hangry” (Hungry + Angry). That being said, I prescribe this to people that need to cut weight quick, are good with carb cycling, or someone with an event – but we ALWAYS have a plan afterwards to bring them back up because low carb IS NOT the answer for long term sustainable results.
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You need protein within 30 minutes of your workout or your bicep will most likely deteriorate.
- Back in the day everyone ran directly to the locker room to slam a protein shake after their last bicep curl in the squat rack. But studies have shown that this is absolutely not necessary. The body takes time to digest and break down amino acids, because of this and other factors – protein synthesis takes time… AKA you’re good bro, chill out and go eat a good meal. Best recommendations have found that eating 1-3 hours after your training session to be ideal because eventually your body does break down muscle tissue and it needs to be replenished, just isn’t as serious as supplement companies made us believe… Pretty good job on their part, though…
- Back in the day everyone ran directly to the locker room to slam a protein shake after their last bicep curl in the squat rack. But studies have shown that this is absolutely not necessary. The body takes time to digest and break down amino acids, because of this and other factors – protein synthesis takes time… AKA you’re good bro, chill out and go eat a good meal. Best recommendations have found that eating 1-3 hours after your training session to be ideal because eventually your body does break down muscle tissue and it needs to be replenished, just isn’t as serious as supplement companies made us believe… Pretty good job on their part, though…
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6 Meals Per Day is Better Than 3 and will speed my metabolism up more.
- I get this one all the time, “How many meals should I eat to lose the most weight?” and my answer is always, “How many meals do you like to eat?”. Pretty simple here, your metabolism is adjusted to the amount of calories per day, not meals. So whether its 6 or 2, your metabolism won’t change. Now there are differences for people with diabetes, other blood sugar issues, performance athletes, females with hormonal imbalances, etc. If you’re in that group, I can help you HERE.
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Brown Rice is better than white rice, wheat is better than white, sweet potatoes better than russet…
- This all started because of the glycemic index being introduced and people getting carried away with it because they don’t know much about whole nutrition. If you add a healthy fat or protein source to a high glycemic carb, like white rice, the rate of absorption slows down a lot. This makes the glycemic load of the meal completely different and now brown rice has not benefit to white, at all. Once again, its calories and preference that rule.
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Gluten will make you obese and possibly kill you.
- If you have celiac disease, than it may possibly have horrible effects and you absolutely need to stay away from it. But that is a VERY rare disease and you most likely do not have it. Therefore, gluten is not the issue – the shitty junk foods you’re eating that contains gluten, along with sugars and tons of calories, are the issues here. Again…. Calories. Here’s an article I wrote way back on Gluten.
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“If It Fits Your Macro’s” then you can eat it without any consequences… So load up on donuts and whey protein bro.
- This has some validity to it… because yes, caloric balance is king for fat loss and muscle gain. So if it fits your macros, you’re probably good. But I guarantee if you do not get an abundance of fiber, micronutrients, easily digestible foods, and just generally nutrient dense foods, in your diet than you will NOT perform well and performance is key for body composition changes. My suggestion is simple, 80-90% of your calories are good foods and 10-20% is ice cream and beer. (Click here to be like many of my other clients, who enjoy beer and ice cream, while losing body fat)
(Recycled from Mike Samuels of HLHL and photo cred to Ben Carpenter)
- This has some validity to it… because yes, caloric balance is king for fat loss and muscle gain. So if it fits your macros, you’re probably good. But I guarantee if you do not get an abundance of fiber, micronutrients, easily digestible foods, and just generally nutrient dense foods, in your diet than you will NOT perform well and performance is key for body composition changes. My suggestion is simple, 80-90% of your calories are good foods and 10-20% is ice cream and beer. (Click here to be like many of my other clients, who enjoy beer and ice cream, while losing body fat)
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That professional bodybuilder’s meal plan online will work for you too…
- That professional bodybuilder weights 50lbs more than you and is on steroids. Nothing else to say here. Get a plan for YOU, not anyone else you see that looks good.
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Organic is better.
- There is a lack of studies proving that organic has more benefit than non-organic. Many organic farms also own pesticide filled farms as well and a fucking string separates them… All those chemicals have no issue getting around the string, just saying. But the best route to go is local because local has traveled the least distances and it is guaranteed to be without chemicals. If an organic apple is shipped from Guatemala, it has plenty time to get all kinds of shit on it, organic or not.
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Eating Carbs at night will make you store fat as you sleep.
- False, False, False. I have MANY clients who eat 75% of their carbs at night and they lose MORE fat. In fact, some studies actually promote this fact – there are contradicting facts about it. The main thing we see in them is that eating majority of your starchy carbs at the same time, around your training, will produce the optimal results regardless of the time you eat them. Many times placing majority your carbs after a tough workout and/or before bed will help recovery, sleep, hormonal optimization, and gains even more. But the truth is simple, this is false.
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As long as you eat clean, you don’t need to track calories… “Because broccoli can’t be stored as fat, duh.”
- Calories in vs. Calories out is what leads to fat loss, I’m beating this into your head because it’s proven countless times and to get the best results you need to figure this out (Get your calorie plan HERE). Check out the Twinkie Diet Study to see for yourself, dude ate Twinkie’s every day and lost a ton of weight AND his health measures didn’t suffer at all. So overeat broccoli and chicken or Twinkies, overeating is overeating and you’ll get fat.
(Yes, I really do fit Beer and Sushi into my diet.. More so when I’m “Bulking” but still when I’m cutting as well!)
- Calories in vs. Calories out is what leads to fat loss, I’m beating this into your head because it’s proven countless times and to get the best results you need to figure this out (Get your calorie plan HERE). Check out the Twinkie Diet Study to see for yourself, dude ate Twinkie’s every day and lost a ton of weight AND his health measures didn’t suffer at all. So overeat broccoli and chicken or Twinkies, overeating is overeating and you’ll get fat.
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Protein bars are not really just glorified candy bars…
- I’m kidding; they are absolutely glorified candy bars. In fact take a snickers bar, replace some sugar with artificial sweeteners, add some whey protein and fiber, and BOOM you got a protein bar. That being said fit it into your calories and go for it, I know I do! Because hey, it is better than a candy bar after making those changes, BUT never will I say it’s better than real food, because it’s not.
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Everyone needs a good ol’ supp stack.
- Supplements are here to supplement your diet, not over rule your diet. Supplements are good for replacing nutrients you cannot get in your diet, which is rare if you’re actually trying to get them. The only supplements I ever suggest and take myself are a greens drink, fish or krill oil, and creatine. Best options in my opinion, research, and experience are all by Onnit.
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‘Juicing yourself skinny’ works every time.
- Juicing is not the answer, period. Juicing can help lose weight very temporarily by dropping lots of water weight or going on a quick very low calorie diet. But at the end of the day, it can slow metabolism, it isn’t sustainable, won’t help build much strength or muscle, and you often gain much of the weight right back, if not all of it. Real food always wins.
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Nutrition is 80% or more of the results you see.
- You think I’d be one of those guys who always promotes this rule… But truth is, if you diet your ass off and train like a wimp, you wont get results. So you need to train hard, eat on track, and recovery optimally if you want to lose body fat and build muscle.
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“Only “Net Carbs” count… because…. Just because, they said so!”
- This whole “Net Carbs” thing drives me crazy… ALL CARBS COUNT! You can’t discount fiber because it passes through the gut, because we still need to process it and it is still calorically active – which means it applies to our overall macro and calorie intake. We all process fiber, artificial sugars, simple, and complex carbs differently and because of that, all carbs count. The real scoop behind this is simple… Great marketing by food companies to make people think they’re eating lower carb, when they’re not really.
(Recycled from Mike Samuels of HLHL and photo cred to Ben Carpenter)
(Yes, I really do fit Beer and Sushi into my diet.. More so when I’m “Bulking” but still when I’m cutting as well!)At the end of all this you may realize how much bullshit is out there in this industry and how hard it can be to not get sucked into it, I’ve been right there too believe me.
That’s why I created my Online Coaching Program where I can help people avoid all of the above, give them customized training programs and nutrition plans that fit them and their goals, and provide the accountability and support needed to always have your questions answered and continually make real progress.
Click HERE if that is exactly what you need and you’re committed to achieving real results.
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