Myth #6 - By eliminating a food group or by just eating only one food group, I will lose weight quickly.

The above statement is typical of fad diets! Initially you may lose weight by eliminating a food group (e.g. carbs), or by eating just one food group (e.g. cabbage soup), however the reason for the initial weight loss is simply because you are consuming fewer calories than you are burning. This kind of diet is not healthy and can be very hard to maintain; in time you will feel deprived and go back to your normal eating habits. Fad diets are not the way to go if you want to achieve permanent weight loss.

Myth #7 - When trying to lose weight, you should avoid eating starches since they are fattening.

It is a common misconception that starchy foods such as pasta, bread, rice and potatoes are fattening. In reality these foods are generally low in fat and calories. Usually when starches are covered with high fat toppings (e.g. butter, mayonnaise, sour cream and rich sauces) they become fattening. Starches or complex carbohydrates are an essentially part of your body's fuel supply. When eaten in the proper form (e.g. plain potato instead of having it fried or loaded with sour cream), complex carbohydrates should be a key component of your diet.

Myth #8 - In a successful weight loss program, you will be able to lose lots of weight very quickly.

You did not gain your weight overnight, so don't expect to lose it overnight! If you want to lose weight on a permanent basis, then you should not expect to lose more than 1 or 2 pounds per week. If you are losing more than this amount of weight, you may be losing muscle tissue which can be devastating since this will lower your metabolism. Many fad diets proclaim that you can lose lots of weight in a short term period; however this type of weight loss is always temporary. Moreover with most of these quick weight loss fad diets, you will regain your weight as quickly as you lost it—and you will probably also gain a few additional pounds due to the yo-yo diet syndrome.

Myth #9 - Diet pills and meal replacement products are great for losing weight.

Many diet supplements claim that the diet pills work by increasing thermo genesis, meaning food can be converted to heat instead of being stored as fat. However, this is a false claim. Moreover, these diet supplements can be dangerous for your health as these products contain ephedra or ephedrine, which are known to have potential side effects including hear attack, seizures, stroke, psychosis and even death.

Meal replacements usually come in the form of high protein milkshake drinks. They are supposed to kick start your diet by providing you with concentrated calories in one meal. However, the concentrated calories are just the problem with meal replacements. Meal replacements cannot fill you up and generally do not provide you the nutrition that you would get from a healthy meal. You are much better off eating a healthy low calorie meal that can be filling, nutritious and tasty. Diet supplements and meal replacements are a multibillion-dollar industry that survives on gullible individuals. Always keep in mind that there are no shortcut pills or supplements for losing weight.

Myth #10 - You don't need to exercise as long as you stick to your diet.

It is extremely difficult to lose weight if you don't exercise. It is true that to lose weight you simply have to consume fewer calories than you burn. Yet if you are not active, then it would be extremely difficult to burn more calories than you consume. It as been documented, that the most successful people at losing weight on a permanent basis, exercise on a daily basis.

Exercise is also important for health reasons. Even if you perform a minimal amount of exercise, you will gain tremendously in improved health benefits. Exercise can improve your cardiovascular health and can greatly decrease your risk of heart disease and diabetes. Doctors have stated that you are better off being fit and slightly overweight, rather than being unfit and thin. This fact should prove to you that exercise should be part of your weight loss program.