1. You can guess on calorie counting or not include the calories if it’s healthy food. If you are serious about losing weight, this is not an accurate statement. When counting calories, you have to make sure you know the right intake for yourself. Taking in fewer calories than your body needs to maintain your current weight will help you lose weight. If you underestimate your intake, even by a small amount of calories, then over time those extra calories you didn't count will add up and pack on those unwanted pounds. You can avoid this by splitting your calorie intake into several small meals with lower calories and that way you can keep better track of how many calories you're taking in.

2. Doesn’t matter what you do if you’re consistently active. This is not true for everyone. If you spend hours cleaning or running errands, you may feel exhausted when you're finished. But, you actually haven't burnt as many calories as you would have in an hour of higher intense exercise. You've probably only burned about 400 calories, which is only 1/10 of a pound. Sure, that's better than sitting around, but in order to burn more calories, shorter periods of more intense exercise is way more effective. If you walk around the mall for an hour, try speeding up the pace every 1 out of 5 minutes to triple your calorie loss.

3. Portion size doesn’t matter if you eat healthy. This isn’t true for everyone. If you eat the healthiest meals, you still may be overeating and getting in too many calories. The best way to control this is by writing down everything you eat. Even if you throw that away after you write it down, it at least makes you more aware of what you're eating and how much you're eating.

4. You should lose the most weight at the beginning of a new program or diet. This is false because everyone is different. Remember that not everyone is going to lose the same amount of weight at the same time, no matter what you're doing. Some people might lose the most weight the first couple weeks, and others may not lose their weight until weeks later. The important thing is to not get frustrated and give up if you haven't seen immediate results or if you're at a standstill. The best way to lose weight is slowly. You're more likely to keep it off that way. So don't try to lose a bunch of weight the first week you're on a diet if that is how much weight your friend lost. Stay on your own pace.

*Remember, losing weight is possible for everyone. Keep in mind, that losing weight and keeping it off is not just a one time challenge, it's a lifestyle change that you have to make for yourself and stay committed to.

Thanks for reading! Have a great day!