When it comes to building muscle and losing fat, most people “in the know” agree on at least a few things:

-A high-protein diet is best.
-An energy surplus is necessary for maximizing muscle growth.
-An energy deficit is necessary for losing fat.

In fact, those fundamentals are so well established both scientifically and anecdotally that they form a litmus test of sorts for diet “gurus” and methodologies

If someone claims otherwise–that a low-protein diet is optimal or that you don’t have to worry about calories if you “eat clean,” for example–you should ignore everything they say.

That may sound harsh but, as you probably know by now, one of the biggest barriers to getting fit is just figuring out who to listen to.

Just because someone sounds smart doesn’t mean they know what he’s talking about. A degree doesn’t mean she can get results. A great body doesn’t mean he also has a reliable, universally workable system for getting there.

Determining who is and isn’t full of shit can be tricky, but know this:

One of the easiest ways to quickly assess the reliability of a self-style fitness expert is their grasp of the the non-negotiable fundamentals of dieting.

If someone…

-rejects the laws of energy balance…
-claims certain foods make you fat by “clogging your hormones”…
-rants about how sugar is ruining your life…
-pushes other foods as the “keys to weight loss”…
-or otherwise claims how a century of metabolic research has it all wrong and he knows better…

…he should be defrocked, pilloried, and exiled. He’s a fitness Flat Earther.

I don’t care if these misguided people have good intentions, either. If they’re going to step up on the stump and gather a crowd, they now have a responsibility to be well informed. We all have a right to ignorance but not to infect others.

As the saying goes, hell is full of good intentions but heaven is full of good works.