Top five common myths about losing weight

With so many diets and eating trends out there, it can be difficult to know how to lose weight.

"To lose weight, you should avoid bread and pasta"
False. It's absolutely OK to eat those carbs. The weight gain happens when you add too much fat to them. So, instead of adding cheese and meatballs, go for a tomato sauce.

See also: The best low-calorie foods to fill you up

"It's best to use sweeteners instead of sugar"
False. Research shows that people who use sweeteners instead of sugar are significantly more likely to crave sugary foods, which can possibly lead to overeating.

See also: Seven diet myths that are keeping you fat

"Eating certain foods can help burn fat"
False. According to popular belief, foods such as celery can burn off fat. This is false. While some foods work by speeding up the metabolism temporarily, but this doesn't mean they burn off fat.

"Olive oil is not fattening"
False. Olive oil is good for us, because it has mono unsaturated fats - but just one tablespoon of it takes up 120 calories. So it should be used sparingly.

"You can eat as many low fat foods as you like"
False. These foods may be low in fat, but they often have more calories than regular food.

"You should eat a balanced and varied diet of fruits, legumes, grains and vegetables and increase your physical activity"
True. Yes, you knew that already - and yes, this advice really does work.