Make sure these don’t factor into your lifestyle Diet plans

Here's busting that myth, and 6 more that guys believe helps them shed kilos, build muscle. Make sure these don't factor into your lifestyle plans     You may be making some positive changes in your diet and workout programme, but it's important to bear in mind that there are health myths circulating to which you could be falling victim. Here are the top 10.      EGG WHITES ARE A      SMARTER OPTION  The belief is that eggs are too high in cholesterol to be part of a regular diet, but this isn't true.      The fact is that the yolk is the nutrient powerhouse of the egg, containing half its protein. So chucking it out of the diet not only means missing out on a number of vitamins, you're also letting much of the egg's nutritional value go to waste.      Doctors say as long as you don't have any cholesterol issues, it's perfectly fine to include one or two eggs as part of your daily diet. Only if you are consuming more than that, then go for egg whites.  CUTTING CALORIES MAKES YOU LOSE FAT  The calorie restriction diet myth suggests you will win the fight against flab. While losing weight does come down to how many calories you consume, it's the types of foods you eat that will determine how you feel as you lose weight and the kind of weight you will lose. If you have a poorquality diet — counting calories but eating junk food — chances are you'll lose muscle rather than fat, and thus, suffer from slow metabolism.  REAL MEN DON'T DIET  It is not that men don't diet. They just do it differently. They tend to include more saturated fat in their diet, while women tend to completely avoid them. Nutritionists explain, as long as they keep their intake lower than 15 per cent of their total daily fat intake, saturated fat isn't harmful. In fact, small doses of saturated fat can help them avoid testosterone depletion.  MORE PROTEIN MEANS MORE MUSCLE  While it is true that protein is needed to build muscle, fitness experts point out, once you meet your daily requirements, excess protein is not going to lead to extra muscle definition. The body can build only so much muscle each day. Beyond that, any extra protein consumed will either be converted into fat or used as energy.  GET RID OF SALT  Many men shun salt, believing it will do their body harm. In reality, salt is required for vital body functions. However, if you consume high amounts of salt, consume plenty of potassium. This will keep your sodium-potassium levels stable, reducing the harmful effects of a higher salt intake.  MUSCLE MASS LOSS IS INEVITABLE WITH AGE  Think muscle mass loss is something you'll just have to face as you get older? Think again. The primary reason men lose muscle as they age is complacency. If you stay busy with your intense muscle-building workouts, signaling to your body that it needs to keep that tissue intact, your chances of seeing muscle loss are extremely low.      So in addition to a regular strength-training plan, make sure you're eating well, as that's another key factor to maintaining lean muscle tissue.  YOU CAN CATCH UP ON SLEEP ON WEEKENDS  Many men think they can just forgo their eight hours of sleep during the week and catch up on the weekends. They believe that a good 10-hour sleep on Sunday will make up for a few hours during the week.      While it will help, it's not going to eliminate your sleep deprivation. That apart, doing this will throw off your natural sleep-wake cycle so it could end up doing more harm than good. Not only can the right food aid sleep, it works the other way too — better sleep promotes weight loss. Lack of sleep, however, has been found to stimulate production of hunger hormone ghrelin, which makes us overeat.