Lets face it every regime has its own supply of useless folklore and half-truths that get passed on down the line from person to person. But I'd put weight loss up against any of them for what has to be the most time wasting and even the most dangerous myths out there.

There is a ton of free advice seen in the media these days and if it is taken seriously, can really set you back on your weight loss endeavours. This can lead to the kind of frustration that makes people think they are "destined to remain fat for the rest of their life".

This in not true, Have a look at the Weight loss myths below and draw your own conclusions.

Exercise on an empty stomach and burn more fat.

Effective weight loss is the total amount of calories burned during the day, not how or why they were burned. It doesn't matter if it is night or morning, so exercise early in the day has no advantage to exercise later in the day.

Studies show that increased metabolism induced by anaerobic exercise is actually less after a large meal. Which probably means that more energy is being used for digestion than what is being used to repair muscle.

More exercise is better.

Every exercise session is beneficial to each individual, however more is not always better. It depends on what is trying to be achieved. There is a level and frequency required to achieve results.

After this level is reached, additional exercise can have the opposite effect, not allowing the body to recuperate and adapt to the stress induced by the exercise, which can be detrimental to your results.

After stopping exercise muscle will turn to fat.

This in not possible, Muscle and fat are two different types of tissues in the body and you cannot convert one into the other. This is like trying to turn water into oil.

If you stop training, the muscles will shrink in size but they will not disappear. The more calories taken in that are not burned off will be deposited as fat.

If you're not sweating, you're not working hard enough.

Sweating is the body's way of cooling itself down. Many factors contribute to body temperature, including room temperature, types of exercise done, body-fat levels, clothing, and exercise intensity.

The intensity for exercise can't be judged by the amount you sweat. A well-trained person will often sweat a lot because their body can more efficiently regulate heat.

Taking sugar before exercise raises energy levels.

Ingestion of sugar will lead to a rapid rise in blood sugar levels. This rapid rise stimulates a release of insulin, which quickly removes the excess sugar from the blood system, often causing your blood sugar levels to drop, sometimes below the level that it started at, leading to faster exhaustion.

Gaining weight is just a part of getting older.

Getting older is not an excuse for gaining weight! As we age and begin a more sedentary lifestyle we start to lose muscle mass.

The efficiency of your metabolism is directly linked to how much muscle you have on your body. The most efficient way of maintaining your body's muscle mass and keeping your metabolism from dropping is by doing a high intensity strength- training workout once a week.

If it's fat free I can have as much as I want.

Unfortunately fat free doesn't mean calorie free. The word fat free is misleading because if you overeat on anything, even fat free foods and you don't burn off those calories; your body will store the excess as fat.

Don't drink water when you exercise or you will get cramps.

By drinking litres of icy cold water in one go while exercising you will probably suffer from cramps. This is why it is important to drink water continuously before, during and after exercising to replace the fluid you've lost and avoid any discomfort.

By not having a personal trainer I wont make gains.

Hiring a personal trainer is one way you can use to reach your goals, but you are an adult capable of making decisions and setting your own goals once you have the knowledge of how to go about it.

Following a good exercise program and eating plan does not require someone standing over you and telling you how to do it.

By exercising my abs I will lose my potbelly.

Exercising your abdominals will help to tone and firm the abdominal region, but it will not reduce fat deposits that are responsible for a potbelly. Fat reduction comes from burning more calories than you take in. Fat is reduced uniformly throughout the body there is no such thing as spot reduction.

Your next step? To take what you have just learned and the next time you hear a weight loss myth evaluate it scientifically.

Gary Matthews is the author of the popular fitness eBooks Maximum Weight Loss and Maximum Weight Gain. Please visit http://www.maximumfitness.com right now for your 'free' weight loss e-course.

About the author:

Gary Matthews is the author of the popular fitness eBooks Maximum Weight Loss and Maximum Weight Gain. Please visit http://www.maximumfitness.com right now for your 'free' weight loss e-course.