According to Julia Valentour, media spokesperson and MS, Program coordinator on exercise for American Council. believing in these half truths about weight loss result in keeping you “Stuck in your rut and derail your motivation”.

The myths that result in keeping you from your weight loss goals include

1. “Performing strength exercises will actually bulk me”

This is not even half truth. The reality is that muscles are denser than fat two persons with the same weight may look different if one has muscles packed in and the other fat.

2. “Since I am exercising daily I can eat anything”

Everyone would wish this be true, but it is not. According to Valentour, “You can out eat your workout” easily. The calories you think you burn daily are as much as you think.

3. “Women Lose weight harder than men”

Half true. Firstly, men have a more lean muscles compared to women, their metabolism works 5% to 10% higher than women. Also biologically women’s body is more inclined to store fat and they lose calorie burning muscle in premenopausal and menopausal period. So

4. “All calories are equal irrespective to what I eat”

Not true. Some foods require more energy to digest them and so their calories are absorbed lesser as much is required by your digestive system whereas some foods have the tendency to store every calorie as they digest easy.

5. “If I eat fat I will become fat”

Half true. Fats are essential for body and limiting saturated fats and avoiding trans fats and consume more of monounsaturated fats found in oil of plant foods should be ideal for weight loss.

6. “Eating at night will increase my weight”

The time of eating is not so important that what and how much you eat are important. Take you meal a little later at night but two hours before going to sleep.

7. “Drinking lots of water will reduces my weight”

Drinking water may aid weight loss but certainly will not help if you are not changing other habits.

8. “Cutting out meat will help me reduce weight”

Eliminating meat will help you achieve health benefits but not substituting it with a perfect health diet will rob you of essential nutrients and also contribute in weight gain.

9. “Drinking lots of diet soda and diet food will help in losing weight”

False again, this may to an extent work for a limited period though exposing you to serious health problems. This is like tricking your body which is not good.

10. “Belly fat and gaining of weight is unavoidable after 40”

Although it does get hard to lose weight after 40 however it is not impossible. Through introducing healthy habits and a healthy lifestyle this is possible.

11. “I can lose weight through simply dieting or only exercising”

This is another myth. Though any of these things will to some extent contribute to weight loss however it is the right combination of both that will result in the most significant, timely and long lasting results.