The truth about common weight loss myths

When it comes to losing weight and getting in shape, it seems that everyone has a piece of advice to offer about the best—or quickest—way to do it. These often unsolicited pearls of wisdom may come from well-meaning folks, but they can be wrong—and sometimes even dangerous. Below, I've mapped out the real deal on some common weight loss myths.

Myth: You must cut tons of calories to pass a plateau.
The real deal: If you dip below 1,500 calories per day, you probably won't be providing your body with the energy required to keep your metabolism up. Cutting as little as 100 calories per day from your diet or slightly increasing the intensity of your workouts is often what it takes to get you past a plateau.

Myth: The more crunches you do, the better your abs.
The real deal: Perform a good series of abdominal crunches daily (or close to it), and you'll definitely get strong abs—but it may not be enough to give you those glistening, six-pack abs that you see in magazines. That's because many people have layers of body fat hiding their abdominal muscles. The only way to expose the muscle is to lose fat. Crunches alone won't give you toned abs; you'll also have to lose weight to be able to see the muscles underneath.

Myth: Cardio is the best way to burn calories.
The real deal: You need cardio and strength workouts. Aerobic workouts promote the production of the enzymes that boost oxygen consumption, and therefore, the burning of calories. Weight training helps maintain and build muscle; muscle tissue burns more calories than fat, which means the more muscle you have, the more calories your body will naturally burn. Now there's a formula for success!