Take the quiz and judge your fitness knowledge

If I told you that if you stand on your head every day for 15 minutes, then you will lose 10 pounds in one month, would you hurry out to buy a mat so you could do just that?
Before you do your headstands, there are some things you might want to know. First of all, do not believe everything you hear about fitness. Do your research and consult a professional if you have questions.
Standing on your head to promote weight loss may sound silly, but there are a lot of outrageous claims out there.
Marketers are having a heyday with advertising that states claims that are simply not true.
Most people are confused about the correct way to lose weight and keep it off.
No wonder, we are bombarded with a truckload of information every day. Perhaps you do not have the correct information to help you succeed in reaching your weight-loss goals.
Of course, you must also want to change your lifestyle and be dedicated to do what it takes to lose weight. 
Unfortunately, standing on your head is not one of those disciplines.
With so many diet myths out there, it is confusing for the general public to distinguish between the truth and a lie. After all, how can you spot the deception if you do not know the truth?
The first step in knowing the facts about weight loss and proper nutrition is to use the power of knowledge. Knowledge takes some work; you must dig into reliable resources that will provide you with the latest health and nutrition information. Remember if it sounds too good to be true, it is!
Working with a health professional is also a great idea for accountability and reliable information. Take the quiz below to test your knowledge, and you’ll learn what it really takes to manage your weight. Read each question and answer true or false:

1. You should never strength train if you are trying to lose weight. In fact, you should wait until you’ve lost the weight before beginning any resistance training. 
Answer: False. Strength training is an integral part of any fitness program. It is essential for muscle building, which in turn, actually helps give your metabolism a boost. So you should do it part of a weight-loss program.

2. You can indeed spot reduce certain parts of your body. For example, abdominals exercises will help you lose weight around the middle.
Answer: False. Fat is lost evenly throughout the body. You cannot focus on one body part or section. If you do 100 situps a day, it is still not going to get rid of your spare tire. Aerobic workouts, strength training and a healthy diet will do just that.

3. You should not exercise every day.
Answer: True. It is not necessary to exercise intensely every singe day. Your body does need some recovery time between intense workouts. Resting one day a week can actually help you. However, it is important that you are active every day, and exercise as many days of the week as you can.

4. Skipping meals is a good way to reduce calories in your diet.
Answer: False. In reality, skipping meals probably makes you eat more total calories for the entire day. Skipping meals lowers your blood sugar levels, and that makes you very hungry. You are more likely to make bad food choices because you are so hungry.

5. Eating late at night makes you fat.
Answer: False. Your body does not determine your weight by when you eat your calories. The bottom line is calories in versus calories out. At the end of the day, if you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight over time. If you eat more than you burn, you will gain weight. That is true no matter what time of the day the calories are eaten. Of course, going to bed on a full stomach is never a good idea for many reasons.

6. The best choice when eating out is salads.
Answer: False. Many salads are full of calorie-heavy ingredients, especially if you drown your salad in dressing. Be sure if you choose a salad, you choose dressing and extras that do not sabotage your diet. A better choice might be a lean grilled piece of meat, some steamed veggies and a side salad if you are watching your calories.
Next week, I will address some other common misconceptions about health and fitness. See you in the gym.

LINDA STOLLINGS is a personal fitness trainer in Bristol, Tenn. E-mail her at or visit http://www.fitprescriptions.com.