3 Lies that are keeping you stuck in an unhealthy eating and exercising cycle

We are constantly bombarded with health lies. The problem is that we usually don’t know what is a lie and what is the truth! Fad diets and new research are constantly making us doubt what we should be doing to stay healthy. Today, I just want to talk about the relationship between eating and working out and the lies associated with it.

Most of us learned these lies as kids and still hold on to them today. Some lies you may not even realize that you believe in, but once you recognize them, you have the ability to break free from them. I’m also going to give you a truth to replace each lie with. If you implement these truths, it will be so much easier to reach your health and wellness goals!

Lie #1: Overeating makes me a bad person.

For some reason, we’ve told ourselves that overeating makes us bad. We are supposed to feel guilt and shame whenever we overeat. We even start a monologue of name-calling in our heads when we overeat.

We say we’re weak, we did something bad, we’re out of control. All of these are lies! Somewhere along the line, we associated overeating with being morally wrong, but it’s not! 

Overeating happens to all of us! Sometimes you just can’t resist enjoying yourself! That doesn’t make you a bad person, a weak person or anything else. It simply makes you human!

Instead of feeling guilty for eating too much, we need to realize that we can change and we can do better next time!

If you’re telling yourself the lie that overeating makes you a bad person, try replacing that thought with this TRUTH. “I will get back on track right now. I will make better choices at my next meal.”

This truth will help you forgive yourself for doing something you regret and will help you get back on track at your next meal. You can walk away without the guilt because you’ve already chosen to move on.

Lie #2: I need to work off all the food I ate.

This lie piggybacks on the first lie. We think that since we overate, we need to be punished. We’ve been told that the best punishment for overeating is working it all off in the gym. It’s not a bad thing to push yourself in the gym after overeating; however, what is bad is the mindset you go into the gym with.

There’s a big difference between, “I was bad and now I have to pay for it.” and “I ate a lot, and now I have extra fuel to push myself with.”

Can you see the difference? The first example, again, says that you did something bad when you didn’t. The second example allows you to grow from your experiences.

Instead of perpetuating the mindset of negativity, use this TRUTH to help you grow. “I have extra fuel to be able to push myself out of my comfort zone and towards my goals.” When you approach the gym with this mindset, you can set new goals for yourself. See if you can run an extra 15 minutes or lift an extra 10 pounds.

Pushing yourself to new limits is a great way to take what could have been a negative experience and turn it into a positive one.

Lie #3: I can eat whatever I want as long as I exercise enough.

First of all, this is just an unhealthy lie because you will never be able to outrun your fork! If you want to live a healthy life, then you need to recognize that fact.

Food first and foremost, is fuel. It’s meant to give us the energy we need in order to live our lives. Exercise is meant to help keep our bodies strong and flexible so that we can do regular movements without injury.

In order to live a healthy life you have to balance the two. You can’t overeat and then push your body harder to compensate. You also can’t undereat and not exercise at all. Either way, you’re going to have health problems!

Replace this lie with this TRUTH: “I eat well and exercise to support my body. Balance is the key to the healthy life I want.” When you follow this truth up with actions, you’ll see the results you’ve been looking for!

The place to start is always going to be with a balanced diet! A balanced diet is going to make the biggest impact on your overall health. I tell all of my clients, there are no good or bad foods, there is only food accountability! You can enjoy food, as long as you know your boundaries!

After you’ve gotten your diet managed, you can focus on accomplishing your gym goals. It’s recommended that you get 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week. You don’t have to work out for hours and hours, day in and day out to get the exercise your body needs.

I’m going to leave you with one more truth. Balance is the key to a healthy life. Eat the salad, but also, eat the cupcake. It’s ok to have both! You’ll be happier when you can find a balance between doing what you want and what your body needs.

If you need help finding that balance, then let’s talk. I can create a custom nutrition plan for you that gives you the freedom to enjoy your food but also has the results you want.