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There are a lot of myths out there sabotaging people’s diets. Let this steer you in the right direction to improved health and weight loss.

Myth #1:

Close your mouth if you want to lose weight.

More often than not people associate diets with severe calorie restriction. Several patterns occur here: skipping breakfast or lunch, eating too little during the day then binging at dinner and daily food allowances such as diet shakes and protein bars. Deprivation and starvation tactics never work in the long run. Further, your metabolism slows down making your body a fat storing machine instead of a fat burning machine, according to fittalknews. In addition, your body isn’t getting the nutrients it needs leaving you feeling irritable, fatigued, and hungry all the time. So stop starving your body. Feed it. Six small healthy meals a day will keep your engines running and metabolism burning optimally.

Myth #2:

If you want to lose weight, cut out the carbs.

In the last five years, carbs have quickly become a food demon much like fats were 10 years ago. The fact is your body needs carbohydrates for energy. Like fats, some are better than others. It is good to restrict some carbohydrates like: sodas, sweets, and breads made from refined flour. Healthier options would be whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Severely restricting carbohydrates can lead to fatigue, constipation, irritability, as increased risk for heart disease and colon cancer. So eat those complex carbs.

Myth #3:

Gain more muscle by eating more protein.

Diets high in protein are popular these days. However, consuming more protein than recommended won’t necessarily build more muscle. Yes, proteins are important for building, repairing, and maintaining muscle tissue. But just like anything else, when eaten in excess, extra protein not utilized by cells in the body will be stored as fatty deposits.

Myth #4:

Exercise hard and eat what you want.

Yes, you can burn lots of calories with intense exercise. But, this doesn’t give you a free pass to hit the drive through for a cheeseburger and fries after the gym. Eat clean. Eat smart. Bottom line: you can’t exercise and burn away an unhealthy diet.

Myth #5:

Diet foods help you lose weight.

You should always be weary of prepackaged or processed foods. Most diet foods contain high amounts of sugar, additives, and trans fat, which often lead to weight gain, not weight loss. Refined sugars, additives and trans fatty acids have been linked to heart disease and cancer. Instead, try a new recipe made with fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats and whole grains.