How many times have you thought about starting a diet only to hear that the method didn't work? There are just so many myths around that sometimes it's difficult to sift though and get to the genuinely effective ways to diet.
In this article we'll uncover several myths that may have caught your attention.
Myth number one by a long shot is losing weight by dropping calories from your diet or even going so far as to starve yourself.
This is not only dangerous, but counter productive.
When your body senses extreme lack of nourishment, it will enter starvation mode and try to minimize weight loss.
You end up with your body working against your goal.
The next myth we'll dispel is that of eating only one type of food.
The grapefruit diet, for example.
Or the hot dog diet.
Supposedly, you can get a slimmer waistline by only eating those foods, and only those foods, every day.
But your body suffers because it's not getting the essential vitamins and minerals along with other nutrients necessary for healthy living.
Yet another oft told diet myth is not strictly following your diet will lead you to disaster.
Having one chocolate brownie will mean an endless amount of exercise to shed those calories.
Like all of the myths covered so far, this one simply isn't true.
It's okay to skirt the diet rules once in awhile and still make progress.
Just don't make a habit of it.
Have you heard you shouldn't eat right before bed because that will make you fat? Technically, it depends on what you eat.
Gorging on a large meal right before bedtime isn't the wisest move, but having a healthy snack to tide you over until morning is just fine.
Don't eat any food in between regular meals...
or so they say.
Actually, snacking can help with your diet because your body prefers smaller, more frequent food intake rather than larger, irregular meals.
Plus, since you're not reaching that really hungry state, you're less likely to overdo it and eat something you'll regret.
Should you avoid dairy products? According to another dieting myth you should but really it's not the case.
Supposedly, they're so fattening as to be avoided.
But dairy is a main food group.
Drop it from your diet at your own peril.
The best solution is choosing low-fat versions of dairy products and consuming them in moderation, not avoiding them altogether.
There you have several common diet myths that get passed around.
Now that you're aware of them, you can more easily find a good diet that will meet your weight loss goals and avoid wasting your time with useless diet information.