by Jenna Pope

Created on: September 19, 2010   Last Updated: September 20, 2010

There are so many myths floating around about weight loss that it is no small wonder so many people are overweight.  This is unnecessary because losing weight is really quite simple:  Eat less and exercise more.  No matter what anyone tells you, this is the only thing that works in losing weight and keeping it off permanently.  Let’s debunk of few of those diet myths:

Myth Number 1:  You can shrink your stomach

There is no such thing as shrinking the stomach, even though this is a commonly accepted idea.  The stomach is not like an old shammy that puffs up when liquid is added.  Shrinking the stomach is an exercise in mental denial.  The truth of the matter is that you can get “used” to having less food in your stomach, but you cannot shrink your stomach.

Myth Number 2:  If you fast for a few days at the beginning of a diet, you will lose more weight in the long run

Nothing, and I mean nothing, could be further from the truth.  When you go on a fast, your metabolism is fooled into thinking that you are starving to death.  Then it slows down and holds on to calories and fat.  When you begin eating again - for awhile - your body doesn’t realize that it can speed up its metabolism to process the new added calories.  So you gain weight because you are deluging your digestive system with more calories than it can handle.  Fasting actually counteracts dieting. 

The key is to speed up your metabolism with exercise and to eat less.  The combination of those two factors will take the weight off and keep it off permanently.

Myth Number 3:  Diet pills will make you lose weight.

In every lie there is a small element of truth.  Yes, on diet pills, you will quickly lose weight.  But you will not be able to keep it off.  When you stop taking diet pills, you will be ravenously hungry because your body is crying out for calories and nutrients.  You will quickly gain back the weight.

Diet pills are bad for the heart because they put it into overdrive.  It is not healthy to amp up the heart for weeks at a time.

The only way to permanently lose weight is to change the way you eat.  All you need to do is eat 500 calories less per day and limit your fat intake.  For most people, this can be easily accomplished.  If you eat 500 calories less per day, you will lose 1 pound per week and more if you exercise.

Once you have reached your weight-loss goal, you should continue to limit your intake and keep exercising.  Sure, you can splurge once in awhile, and if you begin to regain the weight, you can nip it in the bud by eliminating 500 calories from your daily diet until you are back at your desired weight.

Don’t let the inflated promises of advertising to pull you (and your wallet) into a diet regime that doesn’t work.  You’ll be sorry in the long run.  To lose weight the right way, moderation is the key.

Learn more about this author, Jenna Pope.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.