The daily food intake of Turkish Taekwondo fighter and Olympic hopeful Nur Tatar, 20, is pictured in Ankara
The daily food intake of Turkish Taekwondo fighter and Olympic hopeful Nur Tatar, 20, is pictured in Ankara Reuters/Umit Bektas

When people go on a diet, they usually set only short-term goals, which also explain why they either end up starving themselves or gaining back all the weight they have lost. The more practical approach is to establish healthy eating habits and embark on a diet that they can stick to for life. Here are some weight loss myths to unveil.

1. Myth 1: Snacking will slow down weight loss

The big mistake that people commit is snacking on the wrong items. Instead of eating a bag of chips or donuts when people get hungry, they should instead munch on nutritional snacks, such as carrot or celery sticks, an apple or a low-fat oatmeal bar. These contain very few calories and help people stave off hunger, according to weight loss myths experts.

2. Myth 2: Eating at night causes weight gain

The basic approach is to consume less than the total calories burnt each day. People should get their food from the right sources and eat these at any time during the day or night. There is no truth behind the myth that eating at night makes people more predisposed to weight gain. As long as people keep their caloric intake low, they are set to lose weight. A study on monkeys was conducted at the Oregon National Primate Research Center, revealing that calorie intake has the same effects whether done during the day or at night.

3. Myth 3: Drinking a lot of water leads to weight gain

Individuals can easily get rid of water when they perform regular daily tasks or sweat. Contrary to weight loss myths, people who do not drink a lot of water while on a diet only end up getting dehydrated. Various systems in the body also do not work optimally when people are dehydrated. The wrong approach is drinking sugary drinks like soda and juices as these contain a lot of unnecessary calories.

4. Myth 4: Starving is the fastest way to lose weight

When people starve themselves, the amount of leptin in the body, which is essential in weight loss, actually goes down. As a result, people will find it more difficult to get rid of the extra weight. The body will also save fat when using energy and burn hard-earned lean muscle instead. The Minnesota Starvation Experiment as published on ZoeHarcombe.com showed that eating less and doing more does not result to effective weight loss.

5. Myth 5: Only choose foods that are labeled "low-fat" or "sugar-free"

Many products actually contain preservatives and alternative ingredients that are still high in sugar, calories and fat. Weight loss myths critics advise that people read the labels carefully and avoid misleading statements. Choose natural products over those that contain ingredients that will stall weight loss or even cause disease.