Top 7 Diet Myths

Proper nutrition is a key component of any fitness program, but with so many diet myths out there it can hard to determine what to eat and what not to eat. Here are seven of the most common myths related to diet.

1. Drastically reducing calories is the best way to lose weight. Drastically reducing calories forces your body into "starvation mode," which causes your metabolism to slow down and fat loss to stop. Any weight that you lose by drastically reducing calories will primarily be water weight, which you'll most likely end up gaining back. You have to cut back on calories in order to lose weight (fat), but you should never drastically reduce calories.

2. All fat is bad. The truth is that the body needs fat in order to function properly. Fat provides energy, maintains cell membranes and blood vessels, and helps produce certain essential hormones. The body needs fat in order to process the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Fat also helps maintain healthy hair and skin, protects vital organs, and keeps the body insulated. But some fat is healthy and some is not. Unsaturated fat is healthy fat that can lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. Saturated fat and trans fat are unhealthy fats that can raise LDL cholesterol and lower HDL (good) cholesterol.

3. Carbohydrates make you fat. What makes you fat is eating more calories than your body needs, regardless of if the calories come from fats, carbohydrates or proteins. Carbohydrates are the main source of fuel for the body and they need to be a part of your diet. But some people are "carbohydrate sensitive," and they would need to limit their intake of carbohydrates, especially simple carbohydrates, if they are trying to lose weight.

4. Dietary cholesterol causes high blood cholesterol. The truth is that about 75% of blood cholesterol is produced in the liver while only about 25% is absorbed from food. As long as you don't have high blood cholesterol in the first place, dietary cholesterol will have minimal effect on your blood cholesterol level. Saturated fat and trans fat are the primary dietary causes of high blood cholesterol.

5. Eating at night makes you fat. The truth is that no matter when you eat, if you don't use all of the calories you've consumed, your body will store the extra calories as fat. If you're less active at night, then you need to eat less at night. If you work out at night, especially if you lift weights, then you need to make sure that you eat enough after your workout to fuel muscle recovery and growth. Adjust your food intake based on your energy expenditure.

6. Low-fat or fat-free means low calories. Don't assume low-fat or fat-free means low calories. Many low-fat and fat-free foods are high in calories because sugar and refined starches have been added to make up for the lost fat. Don't just check the fat content of your food, also look at the ingredients list and the calorie content.

7. Diet sodas help you lose weight. Not necessarily. Even though diet sodas contain little or no calories, recent research strongly suggests that the artificial sweeteners in diet sodas may actually increase your appetite. Don't be fooled by any of these diet myths. Rely on proven information to help you meet your fitness goals.

Jim Plummer is a longtime health and fitness enthusiast. His website, functional-fitness-facts.com functional-fitness-facts.com, contains information, advice and resources that will help you get fit and healthy. Visit his website and pick up your free functional-fitness-facts.com/free-fat-loss-report.html fat loss report.