Stop believing these health lies so you can start transforming your body
When it comes to wellness and weight loss, everyone and their mom has an opinion on what works. But too many of these theories and assumptions are actually health lies in disguise.
To help you navigate, start by avoiding these 5 health lies so you can stay focused, act smart, and work better.
Listen to the podcast version of this article here.
The 5 Health Lies
Lie #1: Diets work for everyone (most annoying health lie)
Why it’s a lie:
- The same foods & drinks affect people in different ways. We have different digestive systems, genetic make-ups, food intolerances, skin irritations, food & drink preferences, etc. I love the term Bio-Individuality for this.
- Two people approach the same exact health plan in two totally different ways. That’s why I coined the term Personality Wellness. Learn more about how your specific personality impacts your health in this blog post and podcast episode.
What to do instead:
- Rather than forcing a diet, follow your body’s signals: which foods and drinks make you look puffy, feel bloated, suffer from indigestion, turn red, get sweaty? These are signals from your body that it doesn’t like what you just gave it!!
- Also, pay attention to your health habits. Do you tend to graze all day? Eat out of emotion? Drink every weekend? Let the clock dictate your meals? These are all indicators of what method of eating could work best for your ultimate goals.
Lie #2: If it’s sold at a store it’s safe for consumption (scariest health lie)
Why it’s a lie:
- Food manufactures use ingredients to make us addicted to their snacks and treats. In his book Salt, Sugar, Fat: How the Foods Giants Hooked Us, Michael Moss explains that its the food designers’ goal to create a “bliss point” for us to feel an uncontrollable desire to consume more of the food.
- The latest coverage on the sugar free substitute erythritol is the perfect example of how we trust stores to sell us food that won’t cause blood clots or heart attacks.
What to do instead:
- Make it easy on yourself: rather than go down the rabbit hole of anxiety wondering if what you’re eating will eventually kill you, only eat real whole foods with no questionable chemicals.
- Read ingredients instead of calories. I’m telling you from experience that tracking whole foods instead of counting calories makes losing weight and staying healthy a heck of a lot easier.
Lie #3: You have to workout for an hour every day (so inefficient)
Why it’s a lie:
- Overexercise can lead to over-use of muscles & joints, and injury. A friend of who mine runs a gym with her chiropractor husband said the majority of their clients come in for help due to injuries from the 7 days a week high-intensity all out gyms they left.
- You fill in the time instead of working at your maximum effort. Telling yourself you “have to workout for an hour” can cause you to take it easy on yourself because you have it in your head that you have to fill an entire hour or more.
What to do instead:
- Include days of shorter more intense exercises. Workouts like HIIT (high-intensity internal training) give you the best bang for your buck because you can burn a significant amount of calories in 30 minutes or less.
- Rest 1-2 days per week. Your muscles recover and build when they’re not under stress. I had a strong run today because I rested yesterday. Listen to your body’s aches & pains. Don’t overdo it. Stretch and recover. And reap the rewards of your smart efforts.
Lie #4: Same serving size for everyone (easiest fix)
Why it’s lie:
- I’m 5’1″. I should not be eating the same amount as my 6’3″ husband (see pic, he tall). Not only do we have different bio-individualities, we have different health goals based on our current sizes.
- This goes for all sorts of serving sizes: Food containers like yogurt, restaurant portions, snack size bags, typical bowls & plates at home.
What to do instead:
- Listen to your body’s signals for when it’s FULL! If you’re feeling full & satisfied and you’re only halfway into your meal or yogurt container, save the rest for later!! You’re an adult now. You don’t have to maintain your membership to the clean your plate club.
- Pay attention to how you feel/think/move/work when you overeat compared to eating just enough. If it’s not great, you ate too much. So scale it back to find portion sizes that best match YOUR unique needs.
Lie #5: It’s the what, not the why or how (deepest health lie)
Why it’s a lie:
- Health is not as easy as do this not that. You must consider WHY you’re eating in the first place. Is it true hunger? Or just because it’s noon. Or you just got home. Or you’re upset about work…?
- You must also consider HOW you think & feel before, during, & after you eat/drink. You’re not a robot. A lot of emotions are tied to food & drinks. So pay attention to what those are so you can get to the bottom of what’s blocking you.
What to do instead:
- Don’t start health plans blind. Just because it’s under the BeachBody label doesn’t mean it’s right for you. Read up on the method, foods, trainers, etc. And look back at your personal history in attempting these plans. Why didn’t they work for you before? What’s going to make them work now?
- Self-awareness is the key that unlocks your most externally vibrant, internally motivated, longest-living self. The more you know about your self in health, the more likely you are to succeed in becoming your Ideal Health Self.
Did you believe these health lies?
I sure did. So I want to know which lies did the most damage for you? Either DM or comment on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn, or reply directly to me in the Self Health Weekly Newsletter.
Either way, let’s crush these lies and create our truths so we can get lean, feel lit, and have a small part in saving the world.
Whenever you’re ready, here are 2 ways I can help you:
1. COURSE: If you’re looking for health help at your own pace, I’d recommend starting with an affordable course:
→ Eating Habits Mastery: The 6-week, at-your-pace program to help you Confidently & consistently transform your eating habits so you never have to obsess over what you eat again.
→ Wellness By Design: A 6-Module, step-by-step video training course that
walks you through the 4 Phases of a transformational wellness program. From Whole Person Wellness to Food, Focus, Fitness, Friends, and Family. It all contributes to your health.
2. COACHING: If you’re serious about making health changes and are ready for more personal accountability, I’d recommend Private Wellness Coaching:
→ Mind-Body Breakthrough Session: Feel like you know what to do to get & stay healthy, but you’re having trouble with how to make it your own & stick to it? Book a virtual session with me and be guided through the Duke Integrative Medicine proprietary coaching framework. You’ll leave with two personalized actions to complete within one week.
→ Total Wellness Private Coaching: Work one-on-one with an executive wellness professional, certified in integrative wellness & behavior change to ignite & finally maintain momentum in your health!! Go from “this is a chore” to “hear me roar!”
Katie Hardy is a Duke Health Certified Executive Wellness Coach and a Ghostwriter for Small Business Health Brands. Her proprietary method called Personality Wellness combines the Enneagram and Bio-Individuality to help executives get lean and feel lit so they can fuel their passions & goals. She has a BS in Journalism and an MBA in Marketing Management. Contact her for ghostwriting, health coaching, and wellness workshops at hello@wholehardy.com.