We’ve all heard the saying, “You can fool some of the people all of the time and you can fool all of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.” When it comes to weight loss, it seems that most of us have been fooled most of the time. Talk to your colleagues and friends and you’ll find a lot of frustrated people struggling to find the elusive secret of losing weight. It’s important to realize that the secret to success is: KNOWLEDGE! Weight loss is a science, easily conquered if you have the correct information.

Misconceptions about fat loss abound. Here are a few of the prevalent ones.

“Overweight people eat too much.” In my thousands of consultations with clients over the last 30 years, the vast majority have told me they eat only one or two meager meals per day. The result: weight gain, because their metabolism has slowed down.

“I inherited a fat body.” Sadly, we live in a society where it is easier to blame someone else than take responsibility for our lives. One of the easiest places to lay blame is at the feet of our parents. However, science has shown that our fitness is only about 35 percent genetic. Sixty-five percent is our daily habits. This means you can recondition your mind to learn healthy habits and compensate for your genes. While there is a small portion of our population with metabolic issues related to their genetic make-up (only about 1 percent of us), most obesity is caused by learned compulsive behaviors, poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyles.

“All I need is a diet pill.” Nearly all slimming aids are bogus. The only thing they lighten is your wallet! Most contain a disclaimer: “For best results use in conjunction with a regular exercise program and a reduced calorie diet.” This is an age-old marketing technique: Sell a pill with a promising outcome, but in the fine print, admit that to achieve desired results, the consumer must modify his or her behavior. Any thinking person would ask themselves, “If the regimen works, do I really need the pills?”

“Cardio is the way to go.” According to a University of Southern Maine study, a half-hour of weight training will burn as many calories as running at a six-minute-per-mile pace for the same duration. Pumping iron has two other benefits cardio does not afford. It helps build muscle, which

in turn burns more calories. It also boosts metabolism for as long as 39 hours, during the recovery and

rebuilding period.

If you’d like to learn more about fitness and weight loss, let me invite you to a seminar at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday at Coop's Health & Fitness, 219 Brown Road, Anderson. The session is free for readers of the

Independent-Mail, but you must reserve a seat in advance. Call (864) 222-2667. If you can’t attend,

e-mail me and I’ll send you a gift certificate for a consultation with a professional trainer.

John DeFendis is Director of Personal Training at Coop’s Health & Fitness in Anderson and Greenville and TNT Family Fitness in Port St. Lucie, Fla. A former Mr. USA and a personal trainer for more than 30 years, he was recently inducted into the International Fitness and Sports Hall of Fame. You may e-mail your questions to him at defendis@aol.com or visit his Web site at www.defendis.com.