Fitness expert reveals common reason why people don't shed pounds: 'If you're not losing weight...'

You can’t believe everything you read on the internet, especially when it comes to fitness and weight loss. In fact, as In The Know previously reported, a 2002 report from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Partnership for Healthy Weight Management scrutinized 300 weight loss advertisements and found that 40 percent of them contained a claimed that “was almost certainly false.”

If you’re looking for some fitness facts you can put your faith in, one expert taking charge online is Tony Coffey, owner of Bloom Training. The 25-year-old coach uses his TikTok platform — which boasts 244,000 followers and counting — to dispel harmful fitness myths, share delicious and nutritious recipes and help users navigate all the unvetted claims on the internet.

Recently, Coffey spoke with In The Know’s Phoebe Zaslav and revealed three surprising fitness facts everyone should know.

1. Lifting heavy weights will help you slim down.

“Lifting heavy weights is typically thought of as bulking up instead of slimming down but that’s just not the case,” Coffey explained. “That comes more with your diet. Adding heavy weights will give you that lean, toned, defined look that most people are looking for when they look at fat loss.”

2. You will shed fat in a calorie deficit.

Some dietitians and weight loss programs claim that weight loss depends on what you eat. However, Coffey says that it’s not what you eat so much as how much you eat that matters. In other words, it’s all about a calorie deficit.

“If you’re not losing weight, that’s the one reason why you’re not,” Coffey said. “It’s not because you’re not eating organic enough. It’s not because you’re not eating too many carbs or sugar. It’s because you’re not sitting in that calorie deficit.”

Just remember that if you are trying to lose weight to do so in a healthy manner, keeping in mind your right to enjoy eating. Counting calories can be harmful for many, but if you are going that route, make sure you are eating enough to fuel your body. And if you want a more holistic approach to eating, consider intuitive eating, which integrates intention, emotions and rational thought into eating rather than calorie counting.

3. Eating protein is the key to health.

“Increasing your protein intake can help almost anybody,” Coffey noted. According to the fitness guru, protein can keep you full, maintain your lean body mass and build muscle. The Cleveland Clinic notes that some high-protein foods to add to your diet include lentils, greek yogurt, chicken and cottage cheese.

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If you enjoyed this story, read about how weight loss and dieting can lead to eating disorders and other harmful habits.

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