Dieting Myth #5: 

Forks Can Be OutRun

Dr. Freedhoff says:

80% of your modifiable weight is likely determined by your dietary choices leaving only 20% for your fitness choices.

While exercise has truly fantastic health benefits and markedly mitigates the risks of weight, you're far more likely to lose weight in your kitchen than you are in your gym.

If you're exercising solely for the purpose of weight management, you run the risk of quitting perhaps the single healthiest behaviour you could adopt if and when the scales don't fly down.

Unless you plan on spending a heroic part of each and every day running, you're not going to outrun your fork.

Dieting Myth #6: 

Cheat Days Are Wise

Dr. Freedhoff says:

The photo here is of The Keg's carrot cake à la mode.

I once referred to it at the world's most dangerous piece of cake because who in their right mind would ever guess it contained more than a day's worth of calories?

I'm all for thoughtful indulgences (and even that piece of carrot cake if you've thoughtfully decided it's worth it).

However, in our current non-intuitive, hyper-calorific food environment, cheat days, even cheat meals, can easily sink your weight management efforts.

The answer to the question, "is it worth it?", is a personal one, but if you don't even ask the question because the day or the meal's a "cheat", you're liable to bite off far more than you'd have thoughtfully decided was actually worth chewing.

Dieting Myth #7: 

Some Foods Must be Forbidden


Dr. Freedhoff says:

I'd bet I've written more actual prescriptions for chocolate than any other physician in North America.

While of course there's no all-you-can eat chocolate weight loss program, there's also little doubt that if chocolate is one of the loves of your life, the likelihood of you living forever-more without it is slim to none.

It's about the smallest amount of chocolate you need to like your life, and for most chocolate lovers, zero isn't a sustainable amount.

Dieting Myth #8: 

There's One Best Diet

Dr. Freedhoff says:

Different strokes for different folks is definitely true diet wise, and it's dead simple to know if you're on the best diet for you.

Just ask yourself the question, "Could I happily live like this forever?", and if the answer's "no", you're on the wrong diet.

The corollary's true too - if the answer's "yes", and if you're happy with your health, don't let any diet guru or zealot try to tell you different.

Dieting Myth #9:

Muscle Gain Outweighs Loss

Dr. Freedhoff says:

Have you ever told yourself that the reason you're not losing weight is because you're gaining muscle?

Oh how I wish muscle were that easy to gain!