9 Weight Loss Myths That Are Sabotaging Your Fitness Goals

9 Weight Loss Myths That Are Sabotaging Your Fitness Goals

By Todd Cadwell, DC


When it comes to getting healthy and losing weight, people have a lot of misconceptions. Which makes sense, given how much misinformation is out there from fad weight loss plans and so called “fitness gurus.” 

Even our mainstream medical establishment and our government—with its mixed up food pyramids and inadequate nutrient intake requirements—can’t get it right. 

Sadly, this misinformation has caused immense suffering among people who desperately want to improve their health but are stymied by terrible advice. 

If you’ve been struggling to lose weight, ask yourself: Have you bought into any of these 9 myths? If so, it’s no wonder you’re stuck. You’ve been following advice that is destined to keep you from losing weight. 

Myth #1: You have to exercise to lose weight

So many people with weight struggles exercise religiously, and still the scale doesn’t budge. They hit the gym for hours a day, hire personal trainers, and do everything the Internet and their doctors tell them to do, but they can’t seem to lose a pound.  

If you’ve been exercising and not getting results, I have news for you. The exercise may actually be causing your weight troubles. 

How? By increasing the stress hormone cortisol, which can cause you to hang onto fat. 

Now I’m not saying that exercise isn’t important for fitness and weight loss. It is. But there’s a time and a place for it. When your body is already stressed and unhealthy, it’s not the time to get into an intense exercise routine. First we need to get your body into a better state of balance and function. Once we do, you’ll be able to add in exercise—and reap the benefits it can provide.

Myth #2: All you have to do to lose weight is cut calories 

This myth goes along with myth #1. The idea is that weight loss is a simple equation: calories in must be less than calories out. 

In theory that makes sense. But in practice it’s another story. In fact, I see so many people in my practice who eat reduced calorie diets, and they’re not losing a pound. 

There are a lot of reasons for that, but a big one is that when we’re restricting calories, we need to also be working to support the body appropriately so that the physiological processes required for weight loss can happen. That support looks different for each individual, and it’s the reason that it’s so important to work with a healthcare practitioner who doesn’t take a cookie-cutter approach to weight loss.  

Myth #3: All calories are created equal

If you believe that the only thing you need to do to lose weight is cut calories, then you probably also believe that one calorie is the same as any other calorie. 

That couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, many people, when they cut calories, start eating prepackaged diet foods and drinks instead of the real thing. So they’re consuming food-like substances that are devoid of nutrients and wondering why they’re not losing weight. 

I call those food-like substances “dead food.” They do nothing to support life. Our living bodies, for their health and well-being, have no use for dead food. Our bodies need nutrient-rich foods to be healthy and to maintain a healthy weight.  

The other problem with these dead foods is that they’re often high on the glycemic index. That means they cause insulin to spike. When that happens, it can lead to insulin resistance, which leads to a plethora of problems within the body—sugar dysregulation, which can lead to prediabetes and diabetes, as well as increased fat storage.

Bottom line: All calories are not created equal. Stay away from calories that elevate sugar and ultimately insulin. Focus instead on nutrient-dense calories that fuel the body.

Myth #4: Fat makes you fat

One of the most detrimental lies we’ve been told about nutrition is that “fat makes you fat.” It’s what fueled the low-fat craze of the past few decades and pushed people toward fake foods and empty carbs. 

The fact is that our bodies need fat. It’s necessary for the health of our brains, muscles, peripheral cells, organs, glands, hormones … you name it. 

But the trick is we need to eat healthy fats. That means focusing on the omegas, and especially the anti-inflammatory omega 3s. Stay away from fake fats—those partially hydrogenated fats and processed oils that are in fast food and prepackaged foods. Those don’t promote good health within the body and can ultimately contribute to weight gain or inhibit your ability to lose weight. 

Myth # 5: If I want to lose weight I have to eat “diet food”

So many of the most popular weight loss plans out there—the ones advertising on TV and in every magazine on the newsstand—is that they rely on prepackaged, program-approved foods. 

Of course you can imagine why these programs rely on these foods: They’re a huge revenue source for them.  

But the problem with these products is that they’re chock full of chemicals—artificial sweeteners, preservatives, dyes, etc. And as I said, you don’t want those dead foods in your body. 

Prepackaged foods simply don’t have good nutrition. Plus, they tend to be packaged in plastics, which contain substances that mimic estrogen and can have terrible health effects. 

You don’t need to eat “diet foods” to lose weight, and in fact you shouldn’t. What you need is a plan that teaches you how to eat the right real foods for your specific needs.

Myth #6: I need to drink tons of water 

I’ll be the first to tell you that proper hydration is essential. But loading up on gallon upon gallon of water is not the way to achieve it. 

I see people all the time who are drinking tons of water but are always thirsty. When that happens, the first thing I do is rule out any conditions that can cause excessive thirst. Then I explain that overhydrating can actually have unintended consequences. In fact, drinking too much water can flush minerals out of the body, making it impossible for cells to hold onto the water we’re giving them. 

To address the problem, we need replenish mineral supplies in the body. Once those are at ideal levels, drinking the appropriate amount of water is effective, because your body is able to put it to use. 

Myth #7: I can’t eat food that tastes good

I hear this one all the time, and it’s absolutely untrue. When people begin to eat real food instead of the garbage being peddled by most weight-loss programs, they realize just how delicious whole, fresh foods can be. 

Once you break your dependence on processed foods and the chemicals in them that cause cravings, you’ll realize that what your body truly craves is nourishing, healthy food. 

If you have a hard time getting excited about healthy foods, I recommend you read the book Salt Sugar Fat. It will help you understand how the mass-production food industry has gotten you into the situation you’re in. It’ll also illustrate how important—and how satisfying—it is to eat real food. 

So no. If you want to lose weight, you do not have to live on a diet of rabbit food and cardboard.

Myth #8: Losing weight is hard and painful

If you’re following one of those backward fad diets, yes … losing weight can be hard and painful. But that’s just because those diets focus on dead food and exercise and calorie counting. 

Those are not the answer to weight loss. Which is why so many people have struggled and become miserable and hopeless. 

But when you take steps to support your body in the specific manner it needs to overcome the things that are contributing to weight gain or inhibiting weight loss, it’s amazing how easy it can feel. You become empowered to understand your body and what it needs, and you finally feel in control and in tune.

Weight loss does not have to be painful or uncomfortable!

Myth #9: Weight loss doesn’t last

The common storyline about “yo-yo dieting” comes from the fact that fad diets promote all the wrong things. And yet people keep doing them, over and over again, and wondering why the results don’t last. 

The answer is that they don’t last because they were never meant to last. They were meant to give you quick results, not sustainable ones. They were designed to keep you coming back. 

If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you need to break the cycle of insanity—of doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

When you realize that you live in a body that has specific nutrient needs and is going to respond differently to different foods, you gain knowledge about yourself. When you have that knowledge, you have the power to ultimately transform your lifestyle for good. 

The key is long-term, transformational success that you desire and deserve will happen as you begin to understand the bigger picture.

Ready for real and lasting weight loss?

If you want to learn how to achieve lasting, pain-free weight loss and improve your health, check out our Body N Balance program. 

The weight you lose with Body N Balance can absolutely stay off forever when you make the decision to take control. It’s about so much more than just counting calories, exercising, and drinking lots of water. When you understand that—and once you get to understand how to read your body’s unique nutritional needs—you’ll be empowered to make this weight loss a lifelong achievement.

Rhonda’s Recipe Roundup – Crisp Lemon Cucumber Water

A refreshing way to beat the heat this summer


Prep Time 10 mins Cook Time 4 hrs Total Time 10 mins
Stage: All Stages Body N Balance
Servings: 1
Calories: 2.5

• ½ Lemon, sliced
• 8-10 Cilantro, sprigs
• 1 Cucumber, sliced
• Ground Ginger to taste, optional
• 3 quart Filtered Water

1. Combine all ingredients into a 1 gallon drink container
2. Infuse for a minimum 4 hours, best if left over night
3. Serve cold or over ice


9 Signs Your Hormones Are out of Balance

9 Signs Your Hormones Are out of Balance


Something’s not right. You’re constantly tired, irritable … and your sex drive has ridden off into the sunset. You just don’t feel at home in your body the way you used to.


Sound familiar?


Don’t worry, you’re not imagining things. Chances are, it’s your hormones getting a little out of whack.


As we get older, our bodies start to produce less of certain hormones, particularly estrogen in women and testosterone in men. The result? Some pretty uncomfortable and annoying symptoms. How many of these 9 signs can you check off …?


✔️ Sleep struggles


You have terrible trouble falling asleep at night (even though you’re dead tired), or you wake in the early hours and can’t doze off again.


There are lots of reasons why you may be having difficulty sleeping, but if it’s a persistent problem your hormones may well be behind it.


✔️ Bye-bye libido


As much as it upsets you, the sad truth is there’s almost nothing in the tank these days when it comes to desire for sex. When your partner whispers sweet nothings at bedtime, you can barely raise the enthusiasm to peel off your PJs.


✔️ Trouble in the bedroom


If by some miracle you and your partner do start to get it on, it’s just not as fun as it used to be—things don’t seem to work like they should any more, and it can all get pretty uncomfortable (and embarrassing).


And nothing makes you feel more ‘past it’ than being unable to perform in the bedroom.


✔️ Feeling feeble


What the heck happened to those beautiful lean biceps, those powerful quads? You just don’t have the strength you had 5 or 10 years ago.


✔️ Brain fog


You keep walking into a room to get something … and forgetting why you’re there. You’re not quite as quick with a joke or a witty response as you used to be—and you end up reading the same page in your book over and over, because you can’t focus long enough to take it in.


✔️ Sweats and flashes


What you wouldn’t give to sleep just one full night without waking in a hot mess of sweat and exhaustion!


And when your face spontaneously combusts in red blotches in a daytime hot flash, not only is it deeply embarrassing—it might just be sending you out of your mind.


✔️ Flatlining energy levels


You feel like you could nap standing up at a Nascar track.


Everyone feels tired sometimes. But you’re practically paralyzed with fatigue most of the time—even though you’re doing all the right things in terms of rest, hydration, healthy diet … it could be hormones.


✔️ Moody blues


Oh the mood swings! With no warning, you can suddenly plunge into feeling irritable, anxious and depressed. Your loved ones are constantly walking on eggshells around you … and you’re scared you’re aging into an unlovable old crab.


✔️ Weighty issues


It feels like you’ve lost the plot when it comes to your metabolism. That stubborn extra weight creeping on around your midsection just won’t go away, no matter how many spin classes you power through. You’re just not in control anymore!


So … did you find yourself nodding along?!


Yep, getting older can be a real ride! But remember, it’s not your fault—you’re not the problem. Your hormones are to blame for all these changes, and more.


The good news is that you don’t have to surrender to the mood swings, hot flashes, and exhaustion. You can take control of your hormones and bring them back to the levels they were when you were younger—when you felt most like yourself.


One way to do this is with bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT). This uses hormones that are chemically identical to the molecules made naturally by your own body—so there are none of the dangerous side-effects of synthetic hormones. To find out more about how BHRT could reverse your hormone-imbalance symptoms and get you back to being YOU, contact us at Genesis today, and talk with one of our anti-aging experts.




Forget the Scale! The REAL reasons to embrace fitness

Forget the Scale … Here Are the Real Reasons to Embrace Fitness


Look at any so-called “fitness” program out there, and you’ll be inundated with messages about how your body needs to conform to some specific beauty standard. That you need to lose weight so you can look a certain way.


Then join one of those programs and you’ll find that they’re completely weight-obsessed—and they want you to be too. With shame-based tactics like weekly (sometimes public) weigh-ins, these programs make you so fixated on the number on the scale that you can lose sight of why you wanted to get fit in the first place.


Because even if dropping pounds is on your list of priorities, it’s generally not the root of the reason you want to get fit. If you want to lose weight, why do you want to lose weight? Is it for your health? Are you trying to reduce your risk of developing a specific illness? Do you want to increase your stamina, and therefore your enjoyment of certain activities?


Those are the types of reasons to tap into when you’re embarking on a weight and wellness program. Why? Because they aren’t arbitrary, like the number on a scale. They’re major, beneficial goals that you can set your sights on when you start to feel discouraged and need a booster shot of motivation.


Here are 5 reasons to get in shape that have absolutely nothing to do with your weight or whether you can fit into skinny jeans. They’re all about those deeper motivations that will improve your life—no matter what the scale says!


  1. Lower your risk of diabetes (or even turn it around). Getting fit is one of the best things you can do to get your blood sugar in check and reduce your risk for diabetes. If you have diabetes or are on the path to it, engaging in a holistic wellness program is one of the best things you can do for your health.
  2. Improve heart health. Being in good physical shape can lower your blood pressure, improve your cholesterol, reduce your stroke risk, and lessen your likelihood of developing heart disease.
  3. Move like you used to. Being out of shape can severely limit your ability to do the things you used to do—like walking for a long distance, riding a bike, going for a hike … If you think twice about doing activities you used to enjoy simply because you’re not sure you can physically do them, that can be a great motivator for getting in shape. Getting stronger and ridding yourself of extra pounds can improve joint pain and improve mobility, putting all your favorite activities back within reach.
  4. Sleep better. Do you toss and turn at bedtime? Or do you find yourself waking up in the middle of the night and having a hard time getting back to sleep? Being out of shape may be a factor. Even a small reduction in weight—just 5 percent—can help you sleep better, according to research. Getting fit can also improve sleep apnea, which is a serious health concern.
  5. Have more fun in bed. Getting in shape can improve your sex life in a few ways. First, it balances your hormones, which of course are essential for a healthy sex drive. Second, getting in shape gives you more energy … which can put an end to all those yawning mumbles of, “Not tonight, dear.” And third, better physical fitness means better blood flow


Aren’t all those reasons to get in shape much more compelling than, “Hit this goal weight”? We certainly think so. If you’re ready for a shame-free, benefits-based plan to get in the best shape of your life—for all the right reasons—we’re here for you.