Myth #6: Cut out desserts
Fact: Don’t deprive yourself sweets
Deprivation is the downfall of all diets. You can have a small portion of dessert to satisfy your sweet tooth and still stick to your diet. You just don’t want to eat a large portion, or more! Food is pleasurable for many people. So, treat yourself but don’t overindulge. You can create a diet that lets you eat a sweet once a day or once a week. Dieters who deprive themselves tend to go overboard when they have candy, cake, or cookies. So make a good choice of what you include in your diet. Maybe you can have a small dessert after dinner or lunch.

Myth #7: Don’t worry about dieting — just exercise
Fact: Exercising alone is not enough
You probably won’t be able to work out enough to make up for eating a huge meal. Exercise just does not burn enough calories. If you eat a slice of apple pie a la mode that is 500 calories, you’ll have to walk briskly for two hours to burn those calories. So, you won’t lose weight unless you also cut calories.  

Myth #8: Don’t weigh yourself
Fact: Get on that scale!
You really need to weigh yourself to keep your weight in check. Sure, you can notice if your belt is getting tighter — or looser — but chances are you don’t have an accurate assessment of your weight. Weigh yourself at least once a week. If you don’t have a scale at home, go to your doctor or health club and weigh yourself. Weighing yourself shouldn’t be seen as punishment. It’s just a way to keep an eye on your weight. And your scale doesn’t always have to tell you bad news. You may not have noticed that you lost two pounds the other week.

You can weigh yourself once a day or once a week. But don’t weigh yourself more than once a day. (That means you’re obsessing about your weight.) Get on the scale the same time every day, so you have some consistency. You can record how much you weigh, but it’s not necessary; you probably won’t forget the number.

Myth #9 Never eat at night
Fact: Calories don’t know time
What’s important is how many calories you consume; not when you eat them. Many successful dieters save 200 to 300 calories to eat at night. Sure, eating a big steak before you go to bed may give you some indigestion, but it won’t ruin your diet. Eating at night may be the best time for you. You’re at home, the kids are in bed, and you have time to enjoy your food. Oprah says she doesn’t eat after dinner, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t have a late snack and still stick to your diet.

Myth #10 No snacking between meals
Fact: Calories are calories
Snacks aren’t the culprit; calories are. You can have a small container of yogurt for breakfast and a piece of fruit for a snack before lunch. Some dieters prefer to have more structure and limit themselves to three meals a the day and no in-between-meal snacks. Others are more comfortable having small, low-calorie snacks between their main meals. What counts is the total number of calories.

Dieter’s tip: Reduce calories
The best way to think of cutting calories is to go backwards. Add up your daily calories. If you eat 500 fewer calories a day, you can expect to lose a pound a week, which is considered to be fairly fast weight loss. If you cut out 250 calories a day, you will lose two pounds a month. Of course, this depends on your body type, age, health, gender, and level of physical activity. Men typically need to eat from 1,600 to 1,800 calories to lose weight; women need 1,400 to 1,600. If you want to lose weight at a faster — or slower — rate, you can adjust your calories.

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