While most of these misconceptions exist among men, they are more common with women. Most of these weight gain and loss myths come about from the advertising media, fitness fads, crash diets and women’s magazines.

First determine if you really need to lose weight. You can do this by calculating your BMI. This is a simple formula which gives you an indication of whether you are overweight, underweight or at a healthy weight for your height.

To find your BMI Take your height in inches and square the number (i.e. multiply the number of inches by the same number of inches).

Divide your weight in pounds by the second figure (your height in inches squared).

Multiply that answer by 703. The answer is your Body Mass Index.

Judge your personal BMI result against the following scale:

A BMI of less than 18 means you are under weight.

 A BMI of less than 18.5 indicates you are thin for your height.

A BMI between 18.6 and 24.9 indicates you are at a healthy weight.

A BMI between 25 and 29.9 suggests you are overweight for your height.

A BMI of 30 or greater indicates obesity. If you are obese, try consulting a doctor or losing weight.

I Need To Lose Weight

The biggest misconception about losing weight is losing actual weight does not necessarily mean losing body fat. Losing body fat is the goal concentrate on not your weight. Just because your actual weight is down that does not mean you lost any body fat. Use a exercise routine made up of cardio and weight training You will end up with a more toned physique. This will increase muscle while eliminating body fat. You will greatly improve your appearance, endurance and at the same time eliminate unwanted body fat. All the while you will be maintaining a constant weight. That being said your body weight could stay the same or even increase in the short term. To track progress use body fat measurements and also use the mirror

I Gained Five Pounds!

Again, don’t worry about every pound or two on the scale. There are many factors that could make it seem as though you are gaining weight. If you must weigh your self make sure to do it at the same time everyday. Like first thing in the morning, or right before bed. Water weight can also be a reason for fluctuations in weight

I'm Going On The ____ Diet. To many women, the word diet means if I can stick to this diet for x number of weeks I will be all set. The problem with that is if you do stick to the diet once you lose a few pounds you feel its over and, many women gain back even more weight/fat than before they started the diet. This is because the eating binges start, and last longer than they should. There has been no real change in lifestyle.

Develop healthy eating habits instead of relying diets. Eat quality foods in small portions more frequently. This will help you feel satisfied and make it easier to enjoy the food you really want to eat. This method will start to help stop you from over eating. Also avoid all diet pills, unless you are prescribed something from your doctor. Remember the problems with people taking ephedra. Diet pills affect the body by increasing your metabolism this can put extra strain on vital functions and organs such as the heart.

The truth about salads

Salads can be great if they are low in saturated fat and simple carbohydrates. Avoid salads drenched with dressing, bacon bits, and croutons. These items are loaded with fat and calories If you want a healthy salad, focus on high nutrient low-calorie ingredients such as tomatoes, spinach, and broccoli. Include some proteins in the form of beans, nuts. Always use low fat cheeses for flavor. If you prefer salads full of dressing, bacon bits, and croutons with lettuce mixed in, you might as well have some pizza or a burger cause its basically the same thing

Don’t Skip Breakfast. Women who eat a complete breakfast lose more weight than those who skip this meal. While you sleep, your metabolism is slowed to a crawl. Breakfast gets your body's metabolic rate up to burn calories for the entire day. Skipping breakfast sets you up to consume more calories throughout the day when the choice of foods probably aren't as plentiful or healthy. Breakfast can be as simple as a low-fat yogurt with a piece of fruit, so don’t get the "I don't have time for breakfast" excuse. Breakfast prevents overeating later in the day.

I Can Just Do Sit-ups To Get Rid Of My Belly Fat You cannot get rid of body fat in one area of your body. You can isolate a particular muscle which will strengthen and tone that muscles. Body fat can only be reduced by burning more calories than consumed. This is why if you do sit-ups and fat crunches and nothing else it does not work. So it does not matter if the goal is tighter arms, a small waistline, or a toned backside trying to target the fat in that area is a losing proposition.

Lifting Will Make Me Really Muscular.

 Lifting weights is the biggest misconception about losing weight for women out there. A large number of women avoid the weight rooms of l gyms and health clubs. They believe that weight training will result in a bulky muscular physique. Yes, regular weight training will result in increased muscle mass. However, there is a certain type of training necessary to achieve those gains in size. Your weight training should consist of lighter weight and higher repetitions for a cardiovascular effect. Think of a long distance runner and a sprinter. The long distance runner is like the person training with light weight and more reps. The result is a thin body. The sprinter is the heavy lifter as a result the sprinter has muscular legs and body. Weight train like a long distance runner and you will notice tone, not bulk.

This misconception stems from the fact that nearly all men gain muscle mass after beginning a weight training routine. Most guys that weight train are looking for size and bulk and train accordingly

The Box Says Reduced-Fat. 

Don’t get tricked by product labels "Reduced fat" is a relative term just because a product is labeled that way does not mean that it is low in calories. Look at absolute values like how many grams of fat, carbohydrates, protein, etc. are consumed. Instead of terms like "50% less fat." Reducing body fat is about calorie intake. More body fat will be gained by eating 500 calories of a low-fat item than by eating 100 calories of a high-fat item.

Keep these things in mind when planning your fitness goals. Fitness should really be a lifestyle and not something that has a end point.