I don't prefer the word "myth". It's too universally qualifying. Very few concepts are outright myths but rather "misconceptions".
That said, some nuggets of wisdom have been repeated so fervently that we just assume they are true. Here are 5 "myths" that people don't seem ready to let go of.
Eat often to stoke metabolism
"Eat smaller, frequent meals to keep that metabolism humming". This is a familiar rhetoric that has just been accepted as truth for many years. And while it may seem elementary that eating often would keep metabolism up and hunger at bay, the research cupboard is empty when it comes to validating this. In fact,
recent research shows that 3 meals is better than 6 for weight control.
Muscle is a massive metabolism booster
"1 lb. of muscle uses 50 extra calories a day". This one's been promoted heavily by health practitioners and fitness authors alike for years. Forget about science for just one second and let's apply some common sense to this one. If the above were true, if one were to put on 10 lbs. of muscle, they would burn an extra 500 - 1000 calories PER DAY. The more rigorously designed the study, the lower this number becomes. More tightly controlled
studies put that number closer to 6.
Eat your carbs in the morning
Stop me if you've heard this one;
"No carbs after 3".. "Eat carbs only in the morning". Well, it turns out you won't sabotage your fat loss efforts by indulging in the oft-maligned carbohydrates - even if it's after 3. This
study shows BENEFITS to eating carbohydrates mostly at dinner.
Exercise Makes you Hungry
People just assume this to be true. I picked this assumption apart in a certain
TIME Magazine article last year. So while this assumption has been parroted by journalists and other health experts - both qualified and not - the majority of research says otherwise. Here's a good
summary of research on the topic.
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