Health Watch: 3-On Your Side Busts Diet Myths

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- On the Health Watch, diet myths. Those popular misconceptions about what it takes to lose weight and keep it off. 3-On Your Side is busting those myths to help make your diet more successful.

Fat will make you fat, and so will chocolate and carbs. The diet no-no list is long.

"I love chocolate, but who doesn't," said Elena Mergner, from New Jersey.

"Potato chips, sour cream and onion. They're a diet buster," said Morraye Berrios, from Philadelphia.

"I do love some bread. I love me some bread," said Sabrina Welsch, from Drexel Hill.

Okay, go ahead and have some bread, pasta too.

"Carbs isn't the enemy. Carbs can be our friend," said Sally Eisenberg, a Philadelphia Nutritionist. She says as long as they're whole wheat or complex carbs, which take longer to digest and help stabilize sugar, so you feel fuller longer. She also says another diet myth is that you have to give up chocolate completely.

WEB EXTRA: Sally Eisenberg's Tasty Smoothie

"It gives us that dopamine affect. So it's a feel good affect. It actually helps with your metabolism," said Sally.

A faster metabolism, means faster weight loss. So a small chocolate treat could help your diet.

"I'm all for it," said Sabrina.

And you've probably heard that you have to eat less to lose weight.

"I'd say that's probably a good thing to do," said Misty Lebreton, who is visiting Philadelphia. Another myth, says Sally. With the right food choices you can and should eat more on a diet.

"People just think I've got to starve myself so that I can fit into these jeans, and it's just really not the case," said Sally.

23-year-old Nicole Sabella has jeans that are too big now, after loosing eight pounds with Sally's help.

"What's different is just feeling more confident in the choices that I make," said Nicole. She's a dancer, who has had a life long struggle with weight. Now instead of starving and avoiding all fats, two diet myths busted, Nicole doesn't feel deprived.

"I love guacamole. I don't feel guilty using olive oil or eating olive oil or peanut butter because those are some of the good fats that help me metabolize," said Nicole.

Two other popular weight loss myths include working out in the morning is best, and you have to exercise for 20 minutes to burn fat. The experts say any exercise, anytime is beneficial.

Watch the video...

RELATED LINK:

Nourish Ur Life with Sally Eisenberg

Reported By Stephanie Stahl, CBS 3