If you're serious about losing weight, you probably know that your workout plays a big part in that. Slow and steady wins the race when it comes to sustainable weight loss, according to national-level boxer and celebrity fitness trainer Tridev Pandey; he is the man behind the transformation of Kartik Aaryan for Chandu Champion and trainer to actors such as Sanya Malhotra and Shweta Tripathi, among others. 

Common myths about weight loss

Cardio is the only way to burn fat, and running is best for losing weight. Ditching carbs slims you down. You need to detox your body with a juice cleanse. It takes 21 days to break a bad habit (or form a new one). Social media and websites are rife with information (sometimes less-than-accurate information) about weight loss and fitness. So, we asked Tridev about a bunch of popular myths and the real deal on each.

Myth 1: You can exercise and still lose weight on an unhealthy diet

Exercise is a key part of any weight loss program. But it all boils down to your diet. That's not to say you can't enjoy your favourite calorie-dense foods every once in a while; just don't expect to see progress if most of your diet is processed junk food.

Asked if you can out-exercise a bad diet, Tridev says, “It is not recommended because you will stay in that loop of burning calories and eating. If you have a particular body goal, then for the first one or two months, you should go on a strict diet, and after that, you can enjoy one or two indulgent meals in a week if you are working out regularly. Suppose you have a goal of 8 kg weight loss, so, in the first 1-2 months, you will see 6-7 kg weight loss if you follow a proper diet.”

Myth 2: Exercise is only for weight loss

“Fitness and exercise is not only for weight loss or fat loss. Those will happen if you are consistent with your workout... for me, weight loss is not the only appropriate goal for fitness... I have been training for the past 18 years, and I tell my clients to make their one-hour workout a part of their daily routine; it is about learning new skills. I know people who have been training for years but still cannot do push-ups and pull-ups properly; they are only looking for weight loss. I am training Sumukhi Suresh, Srishti Dixit, Sanya Malhotra and multiple women, and I am very proud that they are not like others,” Tridev says.

Myth 3: You should detox your body with a juice cleanse

Despite all the hype around detoxes that claim to remove toxic substances from the body or speed up your metabolism, there's little proof that fasting or skipping meals actually works. Tridev says these so-called cleanses are not even new. He says, “These are Western words. I hail from Varanasi, and I have seen my mother and others do these (fasts) forever. If you look at our culture, there is a lot of fasting on so many different days of the year. But now people are presenting these in a modern way by calling it cleansing. I don't think these are ideal for weight loss.”

Myth 4: Cardio is the only way to burn fat

Sure, cardio, such as walking, running, spinning, or jumping rope (basically anything that gets your heart rate up for an extended period of time), burns calories. So, you should incorporate cardio into your weight loss plan if you're trying to burn fat. But it's just one piece of the puzzle.

Tridev says, “Your body does not really know in which form you are burning calories. Of course, how you workout, whether cardio, yoga or treadmill, the body will benefit differently. So with cardio, 100 percent, you will burn more calories, but you will not see benefits in terms of muscular mass, bone density, or good posture. But burning calories with strength training will result in good overall fitness.”

Myth 5: Weight training turns fat into muscle

Does weight training turn fat into muscle and does muscle turn to fat if you don't use it? Tridev says, “Never (weight training turns fat). That (muscle turns to fat if you don't use it) depends. If you are not training and eating more than your total daily expenditure, 100 percent you will start gaining fat; your muscle will not turn into fat, but you will gain kilos. The muscle mass you will lose very slowly, not in some 14-15 days of not training.”

Myth 6: Running is best for losing weight

Running is a good workout. But does it lead to weight loss? “Yes, running can help you lose weight. I think everyone should do it because it shows good results. After a certain age, say after school and college, people stop sprinting. But sprinting is the best way to stay fit. I suggest to everyone, no matter what age they are, 40, 50 or 60, that they should sprint at least twice a week, be it for 100 m or 200 m,” Tridev says.

Myth 7: It takes 21 days to break a bad habit

There is no magical time frame for breaking bad habits or forming new ones, according to Tridev. If you're trying something new, like daily exercise, give yourself time to make it a routine, he says, adding, “I personally don't think so (that it takes 21 days to break a bad habit). It totally depends on your mind and varies from person to person. For instance if you want to get in shape for a wedding, you will not wait for 21 days; instead, you will get to work from day 1. But dieting and skipping meals is not recommended as you gain back the weight.”

He adds, “So I say that whatever your goal is, whether to build your body or lose weight, try to do it gradually. You should never go for shortcuts because now I see so many people taking Ozempic. Never ever fall for these things, as whenever you stop, you will see a huge change in your body, and your mental health will be affected.”

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