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Need to lose weight? Before you give up thelate night munching and go on a no-fat detox frenzy to kick yoursluggish metabolism into shape, read what the experts have to sayabout these popular dieting myths.

Leading dietician Lyndel Costain says: 'People tend to thinkthey need a low-fat diet to lose weight, but you should still havea third of your calories coming from fat.'
The body needs fat for energy, tissue repair and to transportvitamins A, D, E and K around the body.
Lyndel Costain adds: 'As a guideline, women need 70g of fat a day(95g for men) with 30g as the minimum (40g for men).
'There's no need to follow a fat-free diet. Cutting down onsaturated fats and eating unsaturated fats, found in things likeolive oil and avocados, will help.

This may be true in the short term, but ultimately it can hinderweight loss.
Claire MacEvilly, a nutritionist at the MRC Human NutritionResearch Centre in Cambridge, explains: 'Losing weight over thelong term burns off fat. Crash dieting or fasting not only removesfat but also lean muscle and tissue.'
The loss of lean muscle causes a fall in your basal metabolic rate– the amount of calories your body needs on a daily basis.
This means your body will need fewer calories than it didpreviously, making weight gain more likely once you stopdieting.
It's also why exercise is recommended in any weight-loss plan tobuild muscle and maintain your metabolic rate.
Claire MacEvilly adds: 'Fasting can also make you feel dizzy orweak so it's much better to try long-term weight loss.'

Many diets tell you not to eat after a certain time in theevening. They say the body will store more fat because it is notburned off with any activity.
A study at the Dunn Nutrition Centre in Cambridge suggestsotherwise.
Volunteers were placed in a whole body calorimeter, which measurescalories burned and stored.
They were fed with a large lunch and small evening meal for onetest period, then a small lunch and large evening meal during asecond test period.
The results revealed the large meal eaten late at night did notmake the body store more fat.
It's not when you eat that's important, but the total amount youconsume in a 24-hour period.
Lyndel Costain adds: 'It is true that people who skip meals duringthe day, then eat loads in the evening are more likely to beoverweight than those who eat regularly throughout the day.
'This may be because eating regular meals helps people regulatetheir appetite and overall food intake.'