Diet Secrets That Really Dont Work: What Your Fitness Guru Might Be Telling You Might Be Wrong

Some of the most common weight loss myths are just that: myth. These secrets, often touted as the end all, be all of the weight loss world may work in some instances but are typically not effective across the board and in other cases may actually lead to weight gain. The problem with most of these tips and tricks are that they are very general, often working for only a small handful of people as opposed to a larger number. These are the tips that are typically listed in diet magazines and web sites as ways to help people "kick" off their weight loss efforts, but may lead to more frustration and sadly, weight gain.

One of the most common of these diet "secrets" is the concept of eating a small meal every two to three hours every day. The theory behind it is to keep the metabolism working at a constant and even pace, preventing the sudden crashes and feelings of starvation that you might get with larger meals eaten farther apart. However, the problem with this tip is that it leaves some people paying more attention to the clock rather than to how they are feeling. They may eat at a time when they are not really hungry simply because it was what they were advised to do.

In reality, very few people can "train" their metabolism to work on a schedule like this, instead they imagine that they are hungry because it is the normal time that they eat. In other words, they are trained to the clock, not hunger. Mindful eating, or eating that focuses on how you are feeling and what your body needs can be more effective, especially for weight loss.

Another common tip suggests that you stop eating at seven or eight pm while others say no more eating after four. Still another diet plan tells you that you can't eat fruit after 2 pm. Again, this might be another tip that puts too much stock in the theory that your body knows what time it is and gains weight accordingly. A number of studies dispute this tip saying that in most cases it is not what time you are eating but rather what you are choosing to eat and how much of it. Mindless eating in front of the television is most often done in the evening hours, so if a cut off time works to curb that, then by all means do so. But remember: if you are not eating during the evening and you are starving, your sleep will be disrupted and you are likely to overeat in response when you wake the next day.

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