There is a ton of bad weight loss and health advice on the web. Most of the lies are either unproven and do not work. There are also lies that we tell ourselves about our health goals that aren’t true. The sad thing is that many times we end up believing these lies which leads to many of us giving up on our diet and thinking that we can’t lose the weight or make healthier decisions. The Body Reboot book helps debunk some of these lies and instead offers excellent advice on how to stop believing in the lies and instead, learning how to believe in and apply positive methods that’ll help improve your health. Below are some of the biggest lies and myths that we get fed about weight loss.

I Can’t Afford to Buy Healthy Food

Perhaps one of the lies you’ve been feeding yourself about weight loss is that you can’t afford to buy healthy food or don’t know what to buy. All it takes is a little bit of research in regards to what you should be eating and how to get the best deals. For a keto diet, for example, there are plenty of keto-friendly food items at stores like Costco where you can purchase meat in bulk, save money, and have plenty of meat for future meals. Health also mentions a few other ideas on how to save money:

In reality, people prioritize and spend money on what's important to them, says Amy Goodson, RD, co-author of Swim, Bike, Run—Eat ($17; amazon.com). “You may pay more for some healthy and organic food, but you are getting more nutrient quality for your dollar,” she says. Plus, there are plenty of ways to save. Seasonal, local produce costs less than fruits and veggies shipped from afar—and the more-frugal frozen stuff is just as nutritious as fresh. You can also buy lean meats in bulk when they're on sale and freeze what you don't use for later.

I Have to Cut Calories to Lose Weight

The fantastic thing about a ketogenic diet is that you can feed your body with healthy fats without worrying about overeating. Of course, overindulging yourself isn’t a good idea, but if you eat in moderation, you should be fine. Men’s Journal reveals that when it comes to calories, it’s hard to justify that carbs are okay to eat when you could make a better decision such as eating some wild salmon or a salad with ranch dressing (which is keto friendly)! Also, just as a side note, eating a cheeseburger is more than okay on the keto diet, as long as you skip the bread!

Reality: Not exactly. Total calories do matter, but the quality of those calories is just as important. Washing down a 500-calorie cheeseburger with a 200-calorie soda is a far cry from eating the same number of calories in a handful of almonds, a piece of fruit, and some wild salmon.

I Have to Lose Weight Consistently, or Something Isn’t Working

A common assumption by many is that losing weight is a linear process, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Sometimes you may have more water weight than other times, which can result in temporarily gaining weight, as Healthline reminds us. As long as the ongoing trend of losing weight takes place, then everything should fall into place.

Losing weight is usually not a linear process, like some people think.

Some days and weeks you may lose, while during others you may gain a little bit.

This is not a cause for concern. It is normal for body weight to fluctuate up and down by a few pounds.

For example, you may be carrying more food in your digestive system or your body may be holding on to more water than usual.

This is even more pronounced in women, as water weight can fluctuate quite a bit during the menstrual cycle.

As long as the general trend is going downwards, no matter how much it fluctuates, you will still succeed over the long term.

As Healthline briefly mentioned above, women tend to gain water weight during their period, which women can expect. Women shouldn’t let it get them down because after their cycle ends their weight loss should continue. Obstetrics and Gynecology International Journal reveals how water weight influences a woman’s monthly cycle in the study’s abstract:

We report menstrual and mid-cycle patterns of self-reported “fluid retention” in 765 menstrual cycles in 62 healthy women. Self-reported “fluid retention,” commonly described as bloating, is one element of the clinical assessment and diagnosis of premenstrual symptoms. These daily diary data were collected as part of an observational prospective one-year study of bone changes in healthy women of differing exercise characteristics. Ovulation was documented by quantitative basal temperature analysis, and serum estradiol and progesterone levels were available from initial and final cycles. Fluid retention scores (on a 0–4 scale) peaked on the first day of menstrual flow (mean ± SE : ), were lowest during the mid-follicular period, and gradually increased from  to over the 11 days surrounding ovulation. Mid-cycle, but not premenstrual, fluid scores tended to be lower in anovulatory cycles (ANOVA ), and scores were higher around menstruation than at midcycle (). Neither estradiol nor progesterone levels were significantly associated with fluid retention scores. The peak day of average fluid retention was the first day of flow. There were no significant differences in women's self-perceived fluid retention between ovulatory and anovulatory cycles.

I Worked Out, So I Can Eat Junk Food

While it may be tempting to eat a bowl of ice cream or snack on french fries after a long workout, a better decision would be to feed your body with some grilled children and veggies instead. Don’t allow your mind to feed you the lies because over time they may threaten to take over and sabotage your weight loss efforts and that’s precisely what Health mentions too.  

No amount of exercise will overcome a high-calorie diet, says Dr. Quebbemann. Consider that walking for an hour at 4 mph (a very brisk pace) burns approximately 360 calories. A mere half-cup of Ben & Jerry's vanilla ice cream contains 230 calories. A real-life serving of ice cream is typically double that, clocking in at 460 calories. That means you'd take in 100 calories more than you burned.

I Have to Exercise More and Eat Less

Healthline also debunks another lie which is you have to exercise more and eat less to lose weight. Exercise is certainly something that’s beneficial to one’s health, but you don’t necessarily have to exercise more to lose weight. In fact, on the keto diet, many people have lost weight without exercising! The best way to lose weight is to make healthy decisions and find a balance between eating the right amount of food and working out.

Body fat is simply stored energy (calories).

To lose fat, more calories need to be leaving your fat cells than entering them.

In other words, if calories out surpass calories in, fat loss occurs. That is a fact.

For this reason, it seems only logical that “eating less and moving more” would cause weight loss. It works on both sides of the calorie equation.

However, this is really terrible advice for those with a serious weight problem. Most people who follow this advice end up gaining it back, and there are physiological and biochemical reasons for this.

A major and sustained change in perspective and behavior is needed to lose weight with diet and exercise. Simply telling people to eat less and move more isn't enough.

Telling someone with obesity to just “eat less, move more” is like telling someone with depression to cheer up, or someone with alcoholism to just drink less.

It's ridiculous and ineffective, period.

It's Necessary to Use Willpower to Lose Weight

Dr. Spencer also says that eating less and working out more is a fallacy, as well as thinking you have to have the willpower to say no to everything. Instead, he offers suggestions as to how to make weight loss and to stay healthy successful:

Are you really going to willpower your way to weight loss success? I am not a psychiatrist or substance abuse specialist, but I know better than telling someone who is depressed to “cheer up” and an alcoholic to just “drink less” and it didn’t take my medical school degree to figure that out. If this is the case, then WHY are people still trying to tell those with obesity to just eat less and move more? Yes these situations are slightly different, but they are also very similar.

Improved lifestyle – Yes it’s true that eating less is part of the equation and potentially moving more. That’s just the tip of the iceberg though as doing it effectively and maintaining it is a whole different beast.

Joining a support group – It’s hard to do it alone. One thing that may help is a group of others going through the same process.  

Hiring a coach – When you aren’t succeeding while doing it alone and your peers in the support group aren’t helping, there is evidence that a coach can help in not only the initial weight loss, but also the maintenance. In fact, I think most people should have a coach.

Feeding ourselves with lies is common, so you should feel comforted knowing you’re not alone. However, it’s how we debunk these lies and refuse to believe in them is how we will stay on track to reach our weight loss goals. At the time of writing this post, we're giving away free copies of the Body Reboot book. To learn real health truths about yourself and how to make your weight loss a success check out our book. If you help us cover the cost of shipping, we’ll send you a FREE book. Go over to this page to see if there are any remaining copies.

Sources: Health, Men’s Journal, Healthline, Obstetrics and Gynecology International, Dr. Spencer