1. “Magic” fat burning pills will fix your weight problem!

A magic pill for dramatic weight loss does not exist. Period. Hard work at the gym and dedicated time in the kitchen will produce the results you want, not some little capsule that legally doesn’t even need to be approved by the FDA before being sold in stores. Eeeek!

2. 30 minutes of cardio itself every day will result in dramatic weight loss!

Working at a fitness facility, the majority of people I see either hop on a treadmill or elliptical, are seemingly married to it for 30-60 minutes, and then hop off and leave immediately following their “workout.” Biting my tongue has become extremely challenging since I am exposed to this event often! The fitness industry has tricked us into thinking that by doing cardio for extensive periods of time every day, we are doing our bodies a service and will lose the weight we want to trim. Runners: running without incorporating weight training can be extremely harmful for your body!! Being a runner myself, I understand that it’s not always the easiest thing to incorporate weights after a grueling 5-miler or whatever. Our bodies need to be built up strong before getting into a running routine where we damage our joints...permanently. If you’re not a runner and find yourself glued to the elliptical instead, not even making eye contact with the weight room-- know that cardio workouts have you burning calories for the time of your session, but lifting has you burning calories for the next 24-48 hours, just saying.

3. “Fit Teas” will get rid of the fat and you’ll never be bloated again!

Marketed “Fit Teas” are a complete scam. The idea behind drinking a special tea for weight loss may seem reasonable and mindedly detoxifying, however, anyone can take a regular strain of tea and tack on the word “Fit” to it just to make more of a profit. Yes, there are teas that are beneficial for overall health, such as green tea, which promotes brain function, digestive health, and decreases cancer risk. Organic green tea can be purchased at your local grocery store for ¼ the price of “Fit Tea” and is most likely more beneficial to your body too! Overall, tea doesn’t trim the fat for you; you have to pull the weight yourself. As far as being bloated goes, at times, your body will naturally be bloated, and that’s healthy.

4. Going completely gluten or carb free will produce incredible weight loss results, quickly!

Having Celiac Disease is one thing, but if your body is physically capable of consuming and digesting gluten, you should be! Our bodies need carbohydrates as a fuel source! Portion control is much more beneficial than cutting carbs completely. Reach for whole grains, and don’t go overboard on intake. It’s as simple as that!

5. Cutting your calories in half each day will make you significantly slimmer and happier!

First of all, nobody is happy when they’re eating 500 calories a day...I like to eat, and I know I would be cranky 24/7 if I ate less than say 1500 calories a day. Although cutting calories (and carbs) may show you quicker results in weight loss, as soon as you go back to regular caloric intake days and begin consuming carbs again, you will gain all the weight back, if not quicker than usual because your body is attempting to cling to the nutrients it needs; doubling the caloric value in the food!

6. Juice cleanses are essential for shredding fat!

The detox juices and beverages we see on Pinterest do tremendous things for the body when we need a good cleanse! That being said, the body was not made to digest strictly liquids. Consuming both solids and liquids is ideal to keep the digestive system happy and functioning properly. The kidneys and liver are there for a reason, anyway.

7. With these exercises, you don’t need to work anything but your abs, and they’ll look great!

YOU CANNOT TARGET ONE AREA OF THE BODY SOLELY BY ITSELF AND EXPECT IT TO LOOK RIPPED. In order to get abs, you need to incorporate cardio and target your whole body when setting up a weight training regimen. Doing ab exercises only will not get you abs. Doing a 60-day squat challenge will not get you a bubble butt. Doing only push-ups everyday will not guarantee you strong military biceps. A balance of cardio, total body weight training, and reasonable dietary habits will get you going in the right direction.

8. You must eat clean 100 percent of the time, or you won’t see results!

Nutritional foods are not your savior and processed, unhealthy food is not your enemy. Eating three entire bowls of fruit does not make you healthier than someone who ate one of mom’s homemade chocolate chip cookies. The sugar in fruit is natural and not refined, however too much of anything isn’t great, like ever. Everything should be in moderation, always! An entire package of nuts (which are incredible for you; jammed packed with nutritious proteins and fats) can contain around 3800 calories. Basically, eat mostly whole food, but not too much. Don’t hate yourself for eating a brownie once in awhile, because it’s OK as long as you’re not eating six.