Ready to lose a few extra pounds ? Desperate to get rid of body fat? Whatever your goal, it’s easy to get sucked into the common lies about weight loss that seem to resurface after vacations or parties. If you want to progress, forget these well-known myths about weight loss.

Just because you want to lose a little body fat doesn’t mean you have to avoid carbohydrates in your life. In fact, carbohydrates are an essential part of a healthy diet . Besides being the main source of energy for your body, they taste incredible (bread, pasta, potatoes… need we say more ?!). The main point to consider here is the types of carbohydrates you are consuming . Choose complex or non-impact carbohydrates when possible – foods like whole grain bread and pasta, beans, legumes, oatmeal, and vegetables are perfect as, unlike simple or impact carbohydrates, they are often processed , will not cause your blood sugar levels to rise . Intrigued?

Eating before bed will make you fat

It is said that eating after 6 pm can make you win weight. Again, this is a lie . It all comes down to what you’re eating. So eating a Big Mac before 6 is just the same as devouring it after this time. The end result is almost always the same: calories in vs calories out . This is the deciding factor in deciding whether or not to lose weight, not whether to fill up on food during the day or at night.

You can eat whatever you want while you exercise

Be logical. An hour in the gym is not going to undo a day of gorging on junk food. The reality is: You can’t beat a bad diet. You can run on the treadmill as fast as you want, but your bad eating habits will soon catch up with you. Not only is a healthy diet essential for weight loss, but if you’re also training, your body needs nutritious food to support and fuel it while you exercise , whether you’re lifting weights, doing a HIIT circuit or simply walking the dogs.

With vegan or gluten-free diets , I will surely lose weight

Not so. Many of us are eating more mindfully today. If you are not cutting back on red meat, then you have probably gone on a gluten-free diet or maybe you have gone completely vegetarian. Whatever your dietary choice, try not to go on a new diet simply to lose weight . To lose weight, your body requires a healthy and nutritionally balanced diet. And, as mentioned above, it all comes down to calories going in and calories going out, so just because you cut gluten or go vegan doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to lose weight.

Eating ‘fat’ makes you fat

Like carbohydrates, fat is often vilified. Because why would you eat foods full of fat if you are trying to lose fat ?!

Did you know there are “healthy fats”?

Saturated fats, on the other hand, are the bad types you should avoid . But foods high in unsaturated fats, like avocados, olive oil, and walnuts, are a great addition to your diet, offering numerous benefits of cell growth and providing energy to the body.

Cardio is the only way to lose weight

Like most of us, you’ve probably spent hours on the treadmill, desperate to lose weight before that big party, the wedding of the year or just to get back into your favorite jeans. But did you know that weights can be just as effective at burning fat as cardio? On the face of it, cardio definitely burns more calories than weight training, yet you keep moving your body and expending energy when you lift, so yes, you keep burning calories. Unlike cardio, lifting weights offers many other benefits , from better posture and stronger bones to a more toned physique. If you are a fan of both, why not combine them? Throw a bell or some light dumbbells into your HIIT session for a double burn.

You must eat breakfast if you want to lose weight

We are not against a good breakfast. Hailed as “the most important meal of the day,” dieticians often rave about how skipping the first meal of the day could do serious harm when it comes to losing weight . But that’s not entirely true. While eating first thing in the morning can curb your appetite and stop eating unnecessary snacks throughout the day, whether or not you lose weight comes down to the total number of calories you’ve consumed compared to what you’ve burned.