In the age of the internet it’s no surprise that there’s a wealth of weight loss misinformation out there. This information is confusing, contradictory and most of the time, flat out wrong!

{She advocates lifting weights and guess what? No bulging muscles!}

Being able to separate weight loss fact from fiction could mean the difference between successful fat loss and fat loss setbacks. Keep reading to see if any of these weight loss myths are responsible for your weight loss dilemma!

Weight Loss Myth #1 – All Calories Are Equal

It’s no secret that here at TFLA we encourage creating a calorie deficit for fat loss, but that doesn’t mean that all calories are created equal.

Certain foods, like fat burning foods, require your body to work harder simply to process them. These foods are better for fat loss than easy overly-processed foods that require almost no effort to break down. When you have a diet that includes fiber and lean proteins, they take so much work to digest that you burn some of their calories before they even get absorbed!

You can’t say that about a Twinkie!

Weight Loss Myth #2 – Fat Free Food Doesn’t Cause Weight Gain

Fad dieters love to nosh all day long on fat-free food products thinking this is their golden ticket to weight loss. The truth is that our bodies actually need some fat for general health and body functions.

Fat provides our bodies with much-needed fatty acids that help get vitamins to where they are needed, keep our hearts healthy and give us fuel, just to name a few things. Then there are the bad fats like saturated fat that we simply do not need.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture as well as the Institute of Medicine recommends that 20 to 35% of our daily calories come from fat. So you see, a fat free diet will not only NOT help with weight loss, it may actually hinder it.

Weight Loss Myth #3 – Lifting Weights Will Give Me Big Muscles

This is by far my favorite weight loss myth, because thousands of women tell me this regularly. Trust me ladies, if lifting weights were all that’s required for big muscles, gyms would be far more crowded!

You need strength training exercises like weight lifting to help you burn calories all day—even when you’re sitting around watching TV or dreaming about cheesecake. Getting big muscles requires a lot more than just lifting weights.

Weight Loss Myth #4 – I Workout Regularly So I Eat What I Want

It sounds good to say, but the truth is that simply working out each day does not give you free reign to eat what you want. I mean you should want to eat the things you eat each day, but an hour on the treadmill does not mean that you can eat burger, fries, and pie and wash it down with a coke.

Most of us do this to some extent; reward ourselves for a kick ass workout, it’s only natural. But you should find other ways to reward yourself if weight loss is your goal, such as a new item of clothing.

Eating recklessly each day or even most days, cannot be undone each day with regular exercise. Go here to find out how to count calories for weight loss.

Weight Loss Myth #5 – Nighttime Eating Makes You Fat

This is another one of those half-true weight loss myths that drive me crazy! Eating at night isn’t a problem; overeating at night is a huge problem. In fact, as long as you work hard to create a calorie deficit and avoid eating right before your head hits the pillow, you will not gain weight.

{This misinformation surrounding this myth makes you feel guilty for feeling hungry, then you overindulge.}

What you eat at night is more important than what time you eat. Most late-night snackers grab nutritionally bankrupt foods that have more problems than just a ton of calories. Choose a healthy snack at night like fruit or low-fat popcorn if you tend to want or need a snack in the hours leading to bedtime.

Weight Loss Myth #6 – Going “Off” Meat Will Make You Lose Weight

While it is true that eliminating or reducing your meat intake can produce positive health benefits, there is a difference between eating vegetarian and eating healthy. Unfortunately the two don’t always go hand-in-hand.

What many diet vegetarians forget is that they should be eating vegetables, but many who cut out meat to shed fat end up eating anything but fruits and vegetables. Fake meat products, cheese, beans and pasta are often diet staples for this type of vegetarian, which has the unintended consequence of adding more calories, rather than reducing them.

Weight Loss Myth #7 – You Know How Many Calories You Burn

At the risk of being the bearer of bad news, I feel obligated to let you know that your favorite treadmill or elliptical machine is not an accurate measure of your calories burned during a workout session. This doesn’t mean that these machines don’t get close, but without vital information like gender, weight and body type, there’s no way the machine can be accurate.

The best bet here is to underestimate how many calories the machine says you’ve burned, while also eating about 250 fewer calories each day. This way you can make sure you’re burning enough calories to enjoy successful and ongoing weight loss.

If you subscribed to any of thee myths there’s a good chance that you have difficulty making healthy food choices. To help you get a better grasp of healthy eating and food choices, read our Eat Stop Eat review.