5 Diet Myths That Sabotage Weight Loss

Every January, women everywhere commit to eating better and exercising more. And every year, most of those resolutions fizzle out by February. It’s not because women lack willpower. It’s because the advice they’ve been given is often outdated, ineffective, and in some cases, harmful.

In this post, I’m breaking down five common diet myths that sabotage weight loss and keep women stuck in endless cycles of restriction, frustration, and rebound weight gain and what actually works instead.

Why So Many Diets Still Fail Women

In January, it seems like everyone resolved to eat better and exercise more. We all seem to agree that vegetables and fruit are good for us and that we need to exercise. Beyond that, there are so many differing opinions.

Later in the year, despite your best efforts, not much has changed.

Recently, I was sitting in the coffee shop with my surgeon friend. He operates on a daily basis and he literally sees what people’s bodies look like on the inside.

It’s not pretty but by the time a patient gets to him, he described bodies full of fat. He blamed this fat on people eating too much fat and too many calories. I tried to share what I believed but he was stuck on his beliefs.

However, despite being a surgeon who operates on people who are too fat, he believed it was because people didn’t have willpower. The irony that he was also fat, did nothing to dissuade him of the idea that losing weight was not just about willpower and cutting calories.

The way we eat, wrecks not only the outside of our bodies; it wrecks the insides too.

It’s obvious when you look around that what we are doing to lose weight is NOT working for the majority of people.

That’s because the same tired old advice is still being given and taken. Even doctors who should be on the cutting edge of the effects of nutrition are still spouting out the mostly USELESS and quite often HARMFUL advice.

There is good information available. There are doctors and dedicated researchers who are studying the effects of food on our bodies and writing about it.

Over the years, as I’ve read and studied nutrition myself, I have come to believe that there are 5 diet lies that make you fat.

Myth #1: Diets Work

Looking at the food you eat, only through the lens of getting thinner, is short-sighted and ultimately and counter-intuitively going to keep you from your goal of getting thinner and fitter.

Your body doesn’t strictly care about what you weigh. It doesn’t care if you can fit into the jeans you could fit into in high school or before you had a baby or two.

So, when that is your goal, you may actually be working against your body.

To achieve lasting (and what other kind of change should you be looking for) weight loss and a healthy fit body, you have to work with your body.

This means feeding it in a way that works with its natural systems rather than against them.

I see old information everywhere online. Yes, calorie restriction or a calorie deficit can cause you to lose weight. But just losing weight isn’t a good enough goal. Most of us want to lose fat and keep our muscle strength and bone density.

However, diets or any method you use that only focuses on scale weight may not be healthy overall for you.

Most diets don’t give you enough food, of the right kind, at the right times, in the right amounts.

While dieting seems like it makes sense—it doesn’t. It may work in the short term but it rarely is sustainable for the long term.

Eating real food, in real amounts is what you need.

Myth #2: Fat Makes You Fat

Over and over, I see in recommendations to still use low-fat products and eat lean meats. My friends, the low-fat diet is dangerous! (unless you must for certain health conditions.)

Fat doesn’t make you fat. The idea that fat makes you fat, has been debunked. Fat is a crucial nutrient for health and survival.

On the surface, it would seem reasonable to think that eating fat would indeed make you fat.

But it doesn’t. During the hey day of low carb eating, it was proven again and again that fat does NOT make you fat.

For the record, I do not advocate very low carb diets at all! But they did demonstrate that eating fat, does not in itself, make a person fat.

Fat is an ESSENTIAL nutrient in the health of our body and eating plenty of fat can actually help us lose weight. Fat makes food taste good, provides a feeling of satiety, delivers nutrition, and helps us eat less.

Healthy fats are fats such as coconut oil, olive oil, nut oils, some animal fat, butter/ghee, and avocados. You can also eat other fats and oils but these are especially tasty.

Where fats get their bad reputation is when they are combined with processed, high carb food.

That’s why food such as a hamburger with a bun or pizza are considered fattening. It’s true. When you combine that kind of fat with processed food such as bread, you have a highly fattening food!

However, a roast chicken with its skin on, combined with veggies topped with butter will not be fattening in the same way.

This is because, it is elevated levels of sugar and insulin in your system that make you fat, not fat itself. I explain this in several posts that might be helpful for you to read. (Read why fat is so important here)

Myth #3: Moderation Works for Everyone

We have all heard, at times, we can eat whatever we want, as long as we eat in a moderate way.

Strictly speaking, I guess this could be true. However, we all have foods, unique to us, that are difficult for us to consume in moderation.

For example, if I buy potato chips, I have a hard time eating only a small serving. I will go back for more and more until the bag is empty or until I throw it away. For other people, it may be cookies, or mac and cheese, or French fries.

We all have THAT food.

These are foods that are almost impossible for us to eat in moderation.

That’s because modern foods are designed to make us eat more and to override our natural hunger. They are designed to make us over eat!

Seriously, there are labs and scientists, who are devoted to figuring out the perfect proportion of fat, sugar, and salt to make you overeat that food, turn off your satiety signal, and make you crave it more.

That’s why moderation of modern food doesn’t always work. Smart people have created foods that you will want to overeat and in fact believe that you can’t resist them.

I say, that knowing this, it makes sense to avoid these foods almost completely. Moderation is not going to work with all foods. And by overeating these foods, you increase your cravings and desire to eat even more of these types of foods.

That doesn’t mean you can’t have treats. I keep ice-cream and chocolates in the house at all times but I rarely eat them. Occasionally I’ll have a small serving. Moderation works for these. I’m just more careful to not keep foods that are a problem for me in the house.

Myth #4: A Calorie is a Calorie

There are quite a few people who believe it doesn’t matter what you eat, as long as you stay within a certain number of calories. And I know that to some extent this works for some time.

But all food is not created equal and calorie counting only works for a while.

The problem with focusing on calories rather than actual food and nutrition is that in an effort to reduce calories, dieters often restrict nutrition as well.

I remember my experience with Weight Watchers. As my points decreased, so did my ability to eat REAL food in sufficient quantities to keep me comfortable and nourished.

I white-knuckled it through many days and lost weight. But eventually, I just couldn’t sustain that deficit in calories. I gained all the weight plus more back. Not fun. Not fair.

Food is more than just calories!

When counting calories, food becomes an enemy. Food that has fat and substance becomes something to be avoided.

Counting calories can cause you to avoid nutritious, good-for-you food and eat lower calorie stuff that is lacking in nutrition.

Basing food choices on calories is not helpful. It’s better to base your choices on what your body needs.

Your body needs so many things! It needs protein, carbohydrates (think veggies and fruit, not pasta and bread), and fats/oils. It needs enough of these foods to run all the many processes going on in your body.

Feed your body well now—and you’ll look and feel better for a much longer time.

Myth #5: Exercising Harder Makes You Thin

I love to exercise and try to work activity into my daily life. Walking is my favorite form of exercise but I also do stretching, toning, and some higher intensity workouts. It’s fun and feels good to move my body.

That being said, I’m not an elite athlete, nor do I have a “bikini body.” I like to move because it makes me feel and look better and it relieves some stress.

Often on my walks, I see people running that are obviously not enjoying it. If you love it—go for it. But if you don’t—don’t sweat it. You don’t have to run or do exercise you hate to be in shape.

I do think exercise is helpful in living your best life. I love the definition in my shoulders and legs. Exercise definitely makes me look better. However, I have a pretty laid back approach to it.

• I hate gyms—so I don’t go
• I feel like running hurts—so I don’t run
• Cross fit looks like torture—so I avoid it

Yet, I’ve found enough types of exercise that I DO like, that I am able to consistently work out almost every day.

• I love walking—so I make time almost daily for a walk outside
• I love to stretch—so I have found home workouts that get all the kinks out
• I love to see some muscle definition—so I do some strength training (Sara Style)

Experiment with different types of exercise. I use a combination of walking with strength that I describe in this post. I share the stretchy/strength exercise routines I use here. Explore on YouTube. Try walking. Dance. Whatever.

Exercise is most effective if you do it often, consistently, and with intention. That’s what makes it work for you. You don’t have to do difficult, painful, and potentially harmful exercise to lose or maintain your weight.

Exercise helps your heart, your brain, your muscles, your bones, and your mood. It’s definitely worth the time and effort to fit it into your day.

Why This Topic Still Matters

I know in writing; I sound like I am militant in my eating. I’m not. I do eat the way I write about most of the time.

I will admit to being passionate about eating this way though. Since I’ve started eating primarily just real food, I’ve totally changed the way I look and feel.

Some things I discovered on my own. Others I’ve learned from reading and participating in online forums. I don’t believe any one things is perfect for everyone.

Yet, so many people dismiss eating real food because they believe it would be too hard to give up some types of food.

All I can say, is that I was overweight for almost 10 years. About 4 years ago I began eating only real food and over 2 years ago, I lost 25 pounds and I have kept it off ever since. If you are interested in my story, here’s the story.

How to Move Forward (Without Dieting)

It’s my wish that everyone can feel comfortable in their body and happy with food. This is what has worked for me for a significant period of time.

On the few occasions when I have dieted, I always gained my weight back within a year. I’m now into year 10 of maintaining a weight loss and it is without struggle, eating food I enjoy.

These are the diet myths that sabotage weight loss. I know many of you  are struggling to lose pounds and that’s why I keep promoting diets made up of real food.

The best way I can help is by working with you one-on-one. This way, you can custom design your own eating plan incrementally, while learning to manage your brain around losing weight.

If you’ve been caught in the cycle of dieting, frustration, and rebound, you’re not alone—and it’s not your fault. These myths have been repeated for decades, and they keep smart women stuck.

The good news is that real, lasting change doesn’t come from more restriction. It comes from working with your body, not against it, and making small, sustainable changes over time.

If you’re ready to stop chasing diets and start creating a way of eating that actually works for your life, I’d love to help. Schedule a free coaching consult here and let’s talk about what’s possible for you