Being overweight and unfit can be overwhelming and it's no wonder that from time to time we seek out the quick fix and
attractive options and are therefore wide open to marketing opportunists.

I don't have to tell you how hard it is to lose weight and get fit. Being overweight and unfit can be overwhelming and it's no wonder that from time to time we seek out the quick fix and attractive options and are therefore wide open to marketing opportunists. Here are some hints to avoid 3 of the worst fat loss hoaxes.

1. Firstly, beware of health food.

Food that you think must be good for you because it says so on the packet or bottle. Prime offenders are health food bars that while low fat are packed with sugars and carbs that convert rapidly to fat when we are not active enough to burn them off.

Where I live, a major pretender is known innocently enough as the muesli bar. North Americans know it as the granola bar, I believe. I'm sure there is a version lurking in a supermarket near you. Don't touch them if you seriously want to lose fat. They are not going to help you.

Protein bars are a much better option. They give you a long term feeling of satisfied fullness. They also give you long term energy to complete your daily exercise routine or to get through the long dark workday afternoon without caving in to an energy slump. Protein bars help block the absorption of fats in your body, so they work really hard to help you lose fat and get fit . Health bars by contrast are often healthy in name only.

2. Likewise, careful with the healthy sounding muffin.

Muffin equals muffin top if we are talking the high rise, flour filled, cakie type muffin. The type that deludes you with such healthful ingredients as blueberries, sultanas, honey and bran.

This muffin looks like a cake for one simple reason. It is a cake. A delightfully yummy cake with lots and lots of simple carbs and sugar to give you instant gratification, an energy spike and a serve and a half of fat to slather across your dimpled thighs. If you must think muffins, think English style toasted bread type muffin, preferably without lashings of butter or margarine.

3. Energy drinks are not all what they are cracked up to be either.

Some energy drinks, like protein shakes, are fantastic for your weight control diet because they are nutritionally sound. Lots of protein to increase your metabolism and energy levels. They also help your body to burn fat. Drink them with skim milk or water and you have a fat loss hero, not a hoax.

To spot a liquid hoax, check out the details on bottles of fizzy energy boosters, sports drinks and "sports waters" - you know the popular brands around your neck of the woods. Sugar levels are often highly elevated in these drinks. That's where the energy comes from - you'll get an energy rush short term that will be followed a little while later with a crash that leaves you empty and desperately seeking sustenance - unable to contemplate any type of rigorous exercise that you need if you are going to lose fat and get fit.

To lose fat, you have to eat well and exercise regularly. It's difficult enough to lose fat and get fit without being taken for a ride by fat loss hoaxes. Be wary of any product being touted as a health product and approach it with stealth, alert and alarmed.

Make it a priority to become informed and you will avoid all the fat loss hoaxes out there.