Getting Fit? Don’t Fall For These Four Scams

5.1 million U.S. consumers were victims of weight-loss scams in 2011, the Federal Trade Commission reports. The next biggest scam was prize promotions, deceiving just 2.4 million in comparison. People want to lose weight and quick-fix solutions are too good to pass up. Most of us have tried out some form of fitness miracle promising us our best body yet. Personally, I’m tired of wasting hard-earned money on useless fads, and I bet you are too. But sometimes it’s hard to tell what’s genuine and what’s not. Here are four fitness scams not to fall for.

1. Hot yoga 

The hot yoga craze essentially involves doing regular yoga practice in a heated room. It’s said extreme sweating makes the practice more detoxifying. But this isn’t true. Sweat is your body’s way of cooling down, while your kidneys and liver take care of detoxification. Hot yoga may even raise your internal temperature to 103 F, one degree away from heat stroke. Stick with regular yoga for the mental and physical benefits without endangering yourself.

2. Weight machines

It’s not that weight machines are ineffective, but they’re inefficient. Why spend time working out one specific muscle when you could be strengthening and toning several at once? Full body workouts comprised of cardio and strength training will give you the biggest pay off for minimal effort.

3. Out-supplementing a bad diet

Diet pills and carb and fat blockers claim to undo the nasty effects of those cookies we regret eating earlier. And while we’d love to believe this, it doesn’t quite sound right, does it? High-quality dietary supplements certainly do exist, but they’re designed to work in conjunction with a healthy diet — not make up for a bad one. When you’re already eating healthy and exercising, dietary supplements can boost your nutrition even further. For weight loss, supplementing can keep you within your calorie limit without sacrificing nutrients.

4. Crunches = abs

Think doing endless amounts of sit-ups will give you six-pack abs? Think again. In one study, people who just did daily ab exercises for six weeks saw no change in their waist size or stomach fat. Why? You need to combine a healthy diet with exercise to achieve fat loss — and only then will your abs reveal themselves. Do ab exercises to strengthen your core, but be sure to eat right and work out the rest of your body as well.

Moral of the story? If you want results, you have to put the effort it. A slim physique can only be achieved one way: healthy diet, water, regular exercise, and sleep.