Diet Myth #5:

Skipping Meals Helps You Lose Weight

"One of the reasons that Americans are getting to be as big as Sumo wrestlers is because we actually eat like them," notes Hyman. "The Sumo diet causes ordinary people to gain extraordinary amounts of weight. They skip breakfast, train for five hours (working up an appetite), eat a huge meal, nap for several hours, eat dinner and go to sleep." Check your eating habits: Do you skip breakfast and eat a large meal just before sleep? Contrary to popular belief, skipping meals is a recipe for diet disaster, so make sure you're eating at regular intervals.