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Fitness Advice; The Truth & The Many Myths!

Many of us are aware of the so-called secret to hacking the ‘fitfam’ lifestyle: 70% of your effort should be geared towards a clean diet and 30% towards exercise. Whilst it is true that you get out what you put into your body, it is important to remember that not only are those numbers meant…

Many of us are aware of the so-called secret to hacking the ‘fitfam’ lifestyle: 70% of your effort should be geared towards a clean diet and 30% towards exercise. Whilst it is true that you get out what you put into your body, it is important to remember that not only are those numbers meant to serve as a guide, they also differ from one person to another.

Here are 4 fitness tips & excuses that you may have come across recently and FitNigeria’s take on them.

Counting Calories

fitness myths

My skinny friends say I should count every calorie I put in my mouth, from tasting my cooking during preparation to even a piece of chewing gum.

 FitNigeria™ says: Fitness is a lifestyle, not a death sentence. Please live and enjoy living while you are at it. Life is too short to count every single calorie that goes in your mouth. Often times, the number of calories stated on the packaging of food items can be off by 10 – 20% anyway.

So, instead of counting calories, keep a food diary where you document what you eat so you can review it and make a conscious effort to cut back on the items that appear often which do not provide sufficient nutritional value.

 

Cutting out ALL carbs & fats

cutting back n carbs and fats

My roommate suggests I cut out all carbs and fats so I can lose weight quickly.

FitNigeria™ says: Pay attention to this- carbs and good fats provide energy, which you need to carry out daily activities properly. Cutting out two entire food classes can never be a sustainable prescription so please desist from this practice if you currently do or plan to.

We suggest you cut down on your portions of carbs and fats, replacing large portions of such carbs as spaghetti, rice, kpomo (cow skin) and bread with food items such as vegetables, sweet potatoes, beans and avocados.

 

Skipping Meals (especially breakfast/dinner)

I starved myself all day so I deserve to have a heavy dinner.

FitNigeria™ says: Do not do this. You will simply slow down your metabolism. Your body needs to have regular nutrition else you will tend to over eat and store up food as fat since your body has no way of knowing when the next meal is coming. You should meal plan or meal prep to ensure you have nutritious meals and snacks available as needed.

 

Teas and Pills

slimming tea

OMG, I attended 3 weddings back to back this weekend and feel heavy. Someone just suggested this weight loss tea that many celebrities are advertising, and I can’t wait to try it.

 FitNigeria™ says: First of all, (introduction). Okay on a serious note, you should realize that celebrity endorsements do not always mean the person uses the product nor does it mean that it works (or is great for you). Since you are interested in living a healthy lifestyle, avoid quick fixes and make sure you confirm the facts before getting sold a dream.

You have now been armed with some tools to help you avoid mistakes, make good choices and become a better, healthier version of yourself. As always, enjoy the journey and all the results that will come along the way.

 

About Obinna

Obinna Udora is the founder of FitNigeria™, a health/fitness brand launched in New York, USA and based in Lagos, Nigeria. His mission is to make fitness enjoyable and available to everyone in Africa, starting from his country, Nigeria. You can find out more about the brand via social media @fitnigeria and website www.fitnigeria360.com.

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