Dieting Myth #3: 

Dieting Must be Difficult

Dr. Freedhoff says:

Simply put, weight lost through suffering comes back.

While there's no doubt that weight management and healthful living require effort, if the efforts required include regularly facing off with hunger, blindly denying yourself foods you enjoy, or following a dietary regime that doesn't fit your tastes, they're not going to last.

Whatever program or diet you undertake, the most important predictor of your likelihood of long-term success is being able to answer, "yes" to the question, "could you happily live this way for the rest of your life", with the key word there being, "happily".

Dieting Myth #4: 

Don't Eat Unless You're Hungry

Dr. Freedhoff says:

For those who struggle with dietary control I can't imagine a more dangerous piece of advice than, "you should wait until you're hungry to eat".

Hunger influences choice. Shop at the supermarket hungry and you'll see that influence in action. Sit down to a meal hungry and while you're not shopping from an aisle, instead you'll be shopping from your fridge, cupboard, plate or a menu and no doubt, your choices will be different.

On the other hand, organize your eating so that you're not hungry, and then you've got a shot, as "willpower", when it comes to dietary choice, is often simply the absence of hunger.

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.