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!

Dieting Myth #10: 

Save Your Calories for Dinner

Dr. Freedhoff says:

If you know you've got a big dinner planned, while it might intuitively make sense to try to skimp on your daytime eating, if you show up to your indulgent meal hungry, you're likely to eat back your savings and then some.

The average restaurant appetizer packs between 400-600 calories. Bread baskets beckon before appetizers even arrive. Decadent mains and desserts festoon all menus.  If you show up to a restaurant hungry because you skimped all day long -- between the bread, an appetizer, a more indulgent hunger-influenced main that you're more likely to finish, --  whatever daytime calorie savings you racked up will likely be gone even before your main course arrives.

On the other hand, show up not particularly hungry and suddenly the bread's less tempting, there'll be no need for an appetizer, your main is likely to be less indulgent (and perhaps not finished), and dessert'll be easier to share.

Bottom line for most meals out - if you save your calories for dinner, your overall daily total may well wind up higher than if you don't.