Complete biography of Ben 10

Ben 10 is a cartoon TV series acclaimed American media franchise created by "Man of Action" (a group consisting of Duncan Rouleau, Joe Casey, Joe Kelly, and Steven T. Seagle), and produced by Cartoon Network Studios.

The franchise is about a boy who acquires a watch like alien device called the Omnitrix (later the Ultimatrix) attached to his wrist that allows him to turn into alien creatures.

The Ben 10 franchise has grossed over $2 billion in retail sales in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and has sold 100 million toys worldwide.

Ben 10

Main article: Ben 10 (TV series)

Ten year old Ben Tennyson finds a device out in the woods called the Omnitrix, which allows him to turn into ten different aliens species. Throughout his summer vacation, travelling the entire country in the "Rust Bucket" with his Grandpa Max and his cousin Gwen, Ben fights crime and evil aliens with his new powers, gaining the ability to turn into 5 more aliens along the way.

Alien Force

Main article: Ben 10: Alien Force

Five years after the original series, Ben has apparently taken off the Omnitrix, but when his Grandpa Max goes missing, he puts it back on, which ends up rebooting it, giving him a new set of ten aliens. Also, Ben's old enemy, Kevin Levin, somehow escaped the Null Void, but has become reformed (mostly) and joins Ben's team.

Ultimate Alien

Main article: Ben 10: Ultimate Alien

Several weeks after the end of Alien Force, Ben now has the new watch named Ultimatrix, which allows him to 'evolve' his aliens into more powerful forms. Even though it was advertised that Ben now has all of his old forms, this doesn't really happen until Ben 10,000 Returns.

Omniverse

Main article: Ben 10: Omniverse

A fourth series of the Ben 10 franchise was first announced at Cartoon Network Upfront 2011.The title of the series, Ben 10: Omniverse was later confirmed at the UK Toy Fair 2012. The series is set to premiere around September 2012.Yuri Lowenthal, Greg Cipes and Ashley Johnson will reprise their roles as Ben, Kevin and Gwen from Alien Force and Ultimate Alien.

Others

Ben 10: Ultimate Challenge

A game show titled Ben 10: Ultimate Challenge, developed for television by United Kingdom-based produced company Twenty Twenty, airs on Cartoon Network in the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Italy, Netherlands, Bulgaria and the Nordic region, Hungary, Poland, Germany, Russia, Turkey, Chile and the Middle East. Ultimate Challenge is a trivia show tasking children with answering questions about all three series. Ultimate Challenge is executive produced by Daniel Marlowe and produced by Mandy Morris.

Elements of the franchise

Themes

Characters

Main article: List of Ben 10 characters

The franchise has a variety of kinds of characters: humans, aliens, and also there are magical characters mixed with the alien subject.

The Plumbers

The Plumbers are an intergalactic policing counter-terrorist/black-ops organization, which dealt with extraterrestrial, paranormal, and other situations that many others could not handle by using many high tech alien gadgets and weapons.

The organization is composed with both human and alien members; each one possesses special badges, all badges bear the intergalactic peace symbol, a green hourglass shape. The badges has many features:

•           Are ommunicator devices

•           Creates a holographic map that can pin-point the location of another Plumber's Badge.

•           Is an universal translator.

•           Access to "Extranet", which is an intergalactic version of the Internet.

In the original series, the Earth's Plumbers are thr secret government organization that protects the general public from any alien threat. Their main base is located inside of Mt. Rushmore, where the Null Void projector and the Sub-Energy are stored. Their main adversary was Vilgax. Max was a member in his youth and was ultimately the one who defeated him. Most of the Plumbers had disbanded; however, a few of its members (like Max and his relatives) remain in a semi-active capacity.

Forever Knights

The Forever Knights are a secret British society-paramilitary first formed during the Middle Ages that are dedicating to collect and study alien technology, usually in illegal ways. Any aliens they capture along the way are dissected and studied, and any humans caught with them are immediately deemed worthless and disposed of, their entire organization dresses as if they were knights or mutants. They use a coat of arms over a pair of crossbones as their symbols, the infinity symbol, for the reference to "Forever". Their leader is called the Forever King, though Alien Force reveal there are several pretending to the throne, causing the organization to be divided in splintered groups. At one point in history they called themselves the CIA and were made of royal bloodlines. The Forever Knights are similar to the Nazi Party, a certain notorious political party and paramilitary group (specifically the SS) during the 1930s and '40s and the Ahnenerbe, a rogue think tank group dedicated to collect mystical artifacts to study during the 1930s and hoping to use them for their government's international domination.

It is revealed in Ben 10: Alien Force that the reason for their actions is to destroy an "Immortal Dragon" that been captured a thousand years ago, that is a threat to all mankind it is later revealed that the dragon is actually an Alien Stellar Cartographer whose translator was destroyed when he was attacked by the first forever knights. This led to the acquisition of both human and alien technology in hopes of finding a weapon with which to kill it, meaning everything they did in the original series was for the sole purpose of acquiring weapons they could use to slay the dragon, like the "Sword of Ekchuah", the Omnitrix, the sub-energy, and anything else alien. This dedication is shown to have evolved into an obsession such that they are willing to exterminate an entire planet of dragon-like aliens, transforming it into a genocidal policy toward anything alien. The Forever Knights also arm themselves with a large variety of medieval weapons and alien technology, with swords, lances, "laser lances", laser guns and electro shock rods being their most common ones.

In Ben 10: Ultimate Alien, the Forever Knights became more paramilitary as their arsenal now ranges to tanks.

Anodites

Anodites are a humanoid race of energy beings from the planet "Anodyne".

They are based on a vital energy called "Mana", that is present in all living things and beings throughout the entire universe, known as the life source energy. For Anodites, is a source of power, they have the ability to control it as well like "magic" (which is confirmed to derived from Mana), a key difference is that this form of magic (or at least magical rituals) relies much more on the use of spoken incantations, spell books, charms and talismans, and even celestial events, to achieve the desired magical and mystical effects the caster desires. Anodites manipulate this, able to create pink-and-magenta-colored shields and force fields of varying shapes and sizes for protection and circular magenta shapes or globes that can be thrown to disable enemies.

Anodites are quite free-spirited and most don't take life as seriously as most humans to the point that some Anodites disregard the morality of their actions and would rather satisfy their own personal pleasures, but that doesn't stop them from helping others.

Osmosians

Osmosians (a play on osmosis) are human-like aliens from the planet "Osmos V".

They has a unique ability to absorb matter and energy from nearly anything and use it in various ways. Osmosians can channel energy through their hands to manipulate technology, discharge it as an energy blast or use it to speed up cellular regeneration to increase their strength or recover from injuries at an accelerated rate. Osmosians are able to absorb and synthesize the mass, properties, and chemical makeup of matter to change their body into a living matter in the shape as the Osmosian, the absorbed matter is as durable as the matter used to make it and can enhance their strength and durability. Osmosians can also extend their matter to anything they are touching.

Osmosians can become mentally unstable if they absorb energy and cannot control it. Storing energy for long periods of time will worsen their instability.

Galvans

Galvans (a play on galvanization) are a small bipedal frog-like beings, originally from Galvan Prime; currently they live in Galvan Mark II.

They are naturally extremely intelligent, and can enter complex machines and operate them from the inside. This allows them to understand and operate virtually any machine, even if they've never seen it before.

The Galvan originally had no empire to speak of, instead they were being first kept as pets and then employed by other species as industrial technicians, spies and saboteurs once their intelligence became known. They were smart enough to keep the best secrets for themselves, eventually amassing enough knowledge to build a powerful empire of their own based on the technology they had kept from the rest of the universe, Galvans are very loyal to keeping their research and technology top secret.

Transports

Each series has featured with some kind of main transportation. The wheeled motor vehicles, even appearing like normal cars, they are equipped with several Plumbers' technology, like a turbo engine, laser guns and also an autopilot. And they often are destroyed during the series.

The Rust Bucket, is an old RV owned by Max Tennyson. And despise being old, and even have been destroyed a few times, Max has a great affection for it.

Kevin's car is a Muscle car also armed with Plumber technology as well as other various alien tech, including guns and offroad capabilities. As it is damaged and/or destroyed a lot, mainly during fights or chase scenes, and Kevin constantly repairs it, has become a running gag in the series.

Ship is a Galvanic Mechamorph (Upgrade's species) alien that has the ability to transform himself into fully operational technology he's once touched. And he merged with the Forever Knights spaceship, from this event, he became the space transportation for Ben's team during the season 3 of Ben 10: Alien Force. He was replaced by the Rust Bucket III, a Plumbers' jet that Kevin has upgraded with alien tech.

Allusions

The series often makes references and parodies to the popular culture, by the episode titles, lines, characters, events, and other ways:

•           Ben 10

•           Ben 10: Alien Force

•           Ben 10: Ultimate Alien

Technologies

The advanced technologies shown are both alien and from earth. In the series, they are divided in levels of complication, danger or sophistication. The levels known thus far are 1-20, although some technology is confirmed to be higher than Level 20. Any tech above the allowed level, used on this planet, is considered illegal.

Earth is a level 2 planet, something that is considered very inferior for other aliens, as stated once that Earth is at least 500 years away from being level 3.

Dwayne McDuffie describes some levels:

•           Level 1 includes use and construction of simple tools.

•           Level 2 includes remedial energy Manipulation, the use of Fire and/or the use of simple machines.

•           Level 3 includes intermediate tool use and industrial organization combined with intermediate energy manipulation. Often information management technologies develop at Level 3. This is also the level at which many species accidentally kill themselves.

•           Level 5 includes remedial manipulation of the fundamental force.

Complete Detail about Chhota Bheem

Chhota Bheem is a children's animation series, focusing on the adventures of a small boy named Bheem in the fictional city of Dholakpur. The series was launched in 2008. As of 2012 it has aired over 120 episodes. It was created by Rajiv Chilaka the CEO of Green Gold Animation and is broadcast on Pogo TV channel. The series quickly became popular and soon emerged as the number one Indian animation show in all of India.

The success of the series has spun off into a number of short animation films over the years and a full length feature film titled named Chhota Bheem and the Curse of Damyaan which was released in 2012.

Plot

The protagonist Bheem lives in a fictional town called Dholakpur set in rural India or Village. The series revolves around Bheem, a nine year old boy, who is brave, strong and intelligent. Bheem's rival is Kalia Pahelwan, a jealous eleven year old bully, who is envious of Bheem's popularity. Kalia, along with his sidekicks Dholu and Bholu, always plots to embarrass and defeat Bheem but he never succeeds and Krishna helps Bheem whenever he needs in the most difficult circumstances and in fighting demons like Kirmada . The story revolves around Bheem and his friends and their rivalry with Kalia and his friends. All the children of Dholakpur look up to Bheem, as he solves everyone's problems . . He also defeated some enemies in and around Dholakpur like the evil demon Kirmada , Kichak & Mangal Singh. The Raja Indravarma and his daughter Indumati trust Bheem than any one else for a major task.

Characters

• Bheem : Bheem is an adventurous and fun-loving 9-year-old who is gifted with extraordinary strength. This power is a boon for Dholakpur, Bheem's village, which is constantly beset by all kinds of perils. This child has a big heart and he always uses his strength to help those who are wronged or needy and nabs culprits, robbers and is seen as a Guardian of the innocent and poor people and also the animals. He wants to be a protector of the world. Bheem loves food and  has a certain craving for laddoos, which in fact, give him a surge of energy (like popey eating spinach) and make him even stronger than he normally is. These laddoos are often offered by Chutki. He has three main friends called Chutki, Jaggu (a monkey) and Raju .
• Chutki : Chutki is a seven -year-old girl. She is Bheem's closest friend, and assists Bheem on their adventures. While she is responsible about her household chores and gentle towards all creatures of the forest, she can be tough too, when the situation demands it. Surprisingly, she is seen greedy for taking gold in the episode "The Curse of Bramhbhatt-Part 2". She has a soft spot for Bheem as can be seen in episodes like the Magic Doll etc. She also has many ideas or tricks to help Bheem in many of his adventures as seen in the episodes "Pirates on the ship", "Hercules",etc.
• Raju : Raju is a cute and courageous five-year-old, whose role model is Bheem. Raju’s size belies his courage, which he gets from his father, the Senapati of the King’s army. Raju also wants to be the Senapati of the Army. (seen in the episode "Chutki's Wish"). He is very good in archery and won the "Arjuna Cup". He appears as the protagonist in the movie "Mighty Raju"
• Kalia: Kalia or Kalia Pehalwan, is a 11 year old bully. He is also very greedy and tries to become rich by cheating. Kalia has two silly followers, Dholu and Bholu, who sometimes help him in his plans and at other times completely abandon him. However, at times he is seen helping Bheem in common causes or in attempts to save Dholakpur.
• Jaggu: Jaggu is a talking monkey. Jaggu has his own special way of solving problems, using tricks and his amazing sense of humour. Jaggu and Bheem always have fun together, be it exploring forests or helping people with their chores. From him, Bheem learns useful techniques like swinging from trees. Whenever they are really hungry, it’s Jaggu who assists Bheem in stealing laddoos. He also loves playing tricks on Dholu, Bholu and Kalia. He wants to be the Protector of all animals in the jungle (seen in the episode "Chutki's Wish")
• Dholu and Bholu: Dholu and Bholu are identical twins and followers of Kalia Pahelwan. Though they are not strong themselves, they bask in Kalia’s strength and are arrogant with the other kids. Occasionally, they allow themselves to be easily bribed by Bheem and Chutki and are therefore not always loyal to Kalia.
• Kichak: Kichak is a wrestler from Pehelwanpur. He is later introduced in the series. He is jealous of Bheem, since Bheem is more popular than he is. But, he is defeated in all four occasions when he challenged Bheem for a bull race, cricket match, in a contest for champions,in a hockey match and in a football match. He has a couple of friends & sidekicks like Chipru, Manna, Motu & Birju etc. who aids him but also gets the punishment with him. He then was noticed helping and advising a participant in the episode "Girls versus Girls", but later escaped. Unsurprisingly, he was seen helping Bheem in the movie Bheem vs Aliens."
• Indraverma & Indumati: The King of Dholakpur is Raja Indraverma. Though a valiant warrior, he is also hinted to be a coward at times, as he relies on Bheem for every crisis in the kingdom. He is also shown thoughtful is some occasions. His enemy was Chandravarma. His daughter is Indumati. She is a nice, caring princess. She also won the trophy along with Chutki in the episode "Girls versus Girls".
• Daku Mangal Singh: Mangal Singh is a daku (dacoit) who used to terrorize Dholakpur when he was free. But he was caught by Bheem when he went to take some plants to cure Indumati (as she was ill) and nabbed him. Soon, he escaped with the help of his followers & kidnapped the princess, but again he was caught by Bheem. In the episode "Old Enemies", he returned and robbed the Treasury but was later caught by Bheem. He, then became a small thief in the episode of "Greed".
• Dhooni Baba: Dhooni Baba is a sage who lives in a cave. In the former episodes, he has a body smeared with ash and seen meditating on some needles. Later, his body has no ash smeared and he walks with a walking stick. He is described as a sage who knows almost everything. He gives advice and also solution to Bheem & his friends. In the episode "Superheroes" he had granted Bheem & Raju to be superheroes for a day. He has helped Bheem in various occasions like in the episodes "Curse of Bramhbhatt", "Chhota Bheem Aur Krishna", "Daku mangal Singh" and "King Chandravarma" etc.
• Tun-Tun Mausi: Tun-Tun is the mother of Chutki. She owns a laddu shop where she sells laddoos. She stays mostly angry with Bheem as he steals laddoos from her shop. She usually gets angry with bheem and hit him with belan.
• Professor Dhoom Ke Too: An Inventor A Scientist. He often ends up getting problems with his Inventions, like getting his inventions stolen , or malfunctioning. His inventions include a time machine, a hot air balloon, a super fast bicycle etc.many of his inventions were misused by raju.
• Shivani: Bheem's foster sister is Shivani. She lives in Pehelwanpur and a runs a vaishno dhaba there named "Shivani ka Dhaba". Her father is imprisoned, and to free him she needs 500 coins. But the pehalwan Dabbu tries to take over the Dhaba. Bheem comes to her rescue and even frees her father from jail. In the episode of "20-20 Cricket", she has been seen supporting Bheem's team.

Film Adaptations

After several short films, a full length feature film adaptation titled "Chhota Bheem And The Curse Of Damyaan" was released in 18^th May 2012 and was a surprise success at the box office grossing over 2 crore net in its first week despite having a limited release and even beating Amitabh Bachchan and Sanjay Dutt starrer Department

6 Early Warning Signs of Vision Loss

6 Early Warning Signs of Vision Loss

Symptoms of Fading Eyesight
Eyesight tends to disappear more gradually than suddenly. In fact, the warning signs of vision loss in adults can be so subtle that you don't even notice them until a "nuisance" complaint, like trouble focusing or irritation, sends you for an overdue eye exam. That's when an unrelated but more serious vision robber, like glaucoma, may be discovered.
"That's why a baseline exam at age 40 is important," says San Francisco ophthalmologist Andrew Iwach, a spokesman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. "You may not have major symptoms, yet have a major problem."
Certain warning signs of vision loss, however, can be seen right under -- er, over our noses.
Vision is clear one minute, fuzzy a few hours later
Might be: Diabetic retinopathy. Fluctuating clarity -- sometimes you see fine, sometimes everything's blurry -- may mean that you have a chronic condition such as uncontrolled type 2 diabetes or uncontrolled high blood pressure that can damage the fine blood vessels of the retina, causing vision damage.
Watch for: Changes in visual clarity that happen throughout the day. Some people find it difficult to continue to do close tasks, such as reading or sewing. Pay attention to whether you have other possible signs of diabetes or high blood pressure. If you're diagnosed with one of these conditions, take special care to have regular eye exams. The odds of developing retinal damage increase the longer you have diabetes.

You've had a recent and inexplicable traffic accident

Might be: Glaucoma. Admittedly, a million things can cause a fender-bender. But a loss of peripheral (side-to-side) vision is a key warning sign of glaucoma, a silent disease in which building pressure on the optic nerve begins to obscure vision because images can't be fully transmitted to the brain. Several studies have found that drivers with glaucoma have an increased risk of accidents, according to a 2011 Review of Ophthalmology report. A 2008 study paired glaucoma patients with a driving instructor and found they needed six times as many interventions from the instructor than age-matched control drivers did.
Watch for: Bumping into things or people is another indicator of losing side vision. Noticing behaviors is useful, Iwach says. The reason: "People don't usually recognize when they lose side vision because it happens slowly and the eye is designed so well that it compensates for changes until late in the disease." Because it's essentially symptomless, most glaucoma is caught during routine exams.

A dark or empty patch at the center of your vision

Might be: Age-related macular degeneration. AMD is the leading cause of severe vision loss in people over age 50, according to the American Optometric Association. Changes to macula, part of the retina, cause this incurable sight-stealer. (A less common form, called "wet macular degeneration," can be treated with lasers.)
Watch for: Look at a straight line and it may appear wavy. Sometimes people with macular degeneration bob their heads a bit as they try to see "around" the smudgy patch. People with AMD may have trouble reading street signs, or they may give up reading or other close work, such as needlework. There may also be changes to color perception -- everything looks a little washed out.

Your eyelid looks funny

Might be: Skin cancer. Not all harbingers of vision loss involve vision. Changes in the appearance of the eye itself, including the eyelid, can foretell problems. The thin, delicate tissue of the eyelid is one of the most common sites for basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas. While these types of cancer are rarely fatal, they often cause serious damage and blindness, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.
Watch for: Eyelids that look droopy or asymmetrical, a lump or bump, persistent bleeding or irritation that doesn't go away, or a dark spot on the lid. "Any change in the appearance of the eye itself warrants getting checked out," ophthalmologist Andrew Iwach says.

A brownish tint to your vision

Might be: Cataracts. A clouding of the lens that can affect vision in just one or both eyes, cataracts are so common that by age 80, more than half of all Americans will either have cataracts or have had surgery to correct the condition, according to the National Eye Institute.
Watch for: Generally blurred vision, as clumps of protein reduce the sharpness of the image reaching the retina. This happens so slowly that people are seldom aware of it in the early stages. As damage increases with age (usually not until the 60s but sometimes as early as the 40s), the lens takes on a brownish or yellowish tinge rather than being clear. This can cause vision to be dulled, cloudy, and slightly "dirty." Color perception can become distorted -- socks that look black to you are actually more vivid purple ones, for example. Other symptoms include being irritated by the glare of sun or lights, seeing halos around lights, and poor night vision.

A flurry of "flashes" and "floaters."

Might be: Impending retinal detachment. Usually a sudden event, it's considered an emergency requiring immediate care (usually surgical reattachment). But many people experience a period of increasing flashes before a retinal tear occurs.
Watch for: A greater-than-usual number of little spots and light bits seeming to float before your eyes, and with increasing frequency. Seeing some flashes and floaters is common -- they're images of particles floating in the vitreous fluid of your eye. The red flags are increased amount and frequency, as well as an increase in seeing flashes of light.
"Any difference in what's normal for you merits a call and probably an exam," Iwach says. "The older we get, the busier we get taking care of our families -- and, unfortunately, the less likely we are to take care of ourselves."

Top 10 Lies Men Tell Women

The average dude fabricates something six times a day-that's twice as often as women-and with #LiesMenTellWomen trending on Twitter right now, some dudes are being called out. To try to get why guys are so crafty, we reached out to male relationship experts. Here are the most common whoppers men tell their girlfriends and wives-and what the real deal is behind each.

By Robin Hilmantel

Lie # 10: "I'm Stuck in Traffic"
"He figures it's much easier to just say this than to try to explain the real reason he's running late," says John Amodeo, author of The Authentic Heart. "Remember, men aren't as good at communicating as women are." The funny thing is, a guy will toss this line out even if what held him up is perfectly legitimate. Still, you shouldn't let it slide - it's a lie nonetheless.

Lie # 9: "It Wasn't That Expensive"
"Men like toys, and they don't like sensing your disapproval, even if you don't share a bank account," Amodeo says. He could also be dropping this fib to try to prove he's responsible with money, says Barton Goldsmith, author of Emotional Fitness for Intimacy. "He doesn't want you to think that if you do share funds down the line, he's going to blow them all on things like plasma TVs."

Related: 10 Ways to Get Over an Ex

Lie # 8: "I'm on My Way"
Guys usually throw you this line when you're making them meet you at some event they don't want to attend - like, say, your family reunion. He's stalling, but he's also being pouty. Consider: He can't exactly refuse to go without enduring serious repercussions from you, and he can't very well throw a temper tantrum in front of your pop-pop. So saying this and then showing up late is his way of gaining a wee amount of control.

Lie # 7:"I Didn't Have Too Much to Drink"
This lie could point to a serious problem - and we're not just talking about your relationship. If he says it often he could have an alcohol issue, Goldsmith says. You need to talk to him about how concerned you are, but watch the timing. "That's definitely a conversation you need to have when he's sober," Amodeo adds.

Related: 9 Relationship Screw-Ups to Avoid on Twitter

Lie # 6: "Sorry, I Missed Your Call,"
Lie # 5: "My Battery Died," and
Lie # 4: "I Had No Signal"
These three lines all mean the same thing: I screened your call. Why? "Often men will feed you these lies because they're afraid to tell you to back off a bit, that they need a little alone time," Amodeo says. You might want to ease up on the checking in and let him miss you more.

Lie # 3: "No, Your Butt Doesn't Look Big in That"
Look, if you assail him with the question in the first place, you're really just asking to be thrown this all-purpose mollifier. "Every guy has a buddy who's told him, 'I answered this question wrong once, and my girlfriend wouldn't have sex with me for a year,' " Goldsmith says. This is the one safe response he knows, so there's no way he's going to risk the worst by straying from it. If you want an honest opinion, go ask one of your girls instead.

Related: 9 Cheap Dates You Have to Try

Lie # 2:"This Will Be My Last Beer"
Our experts say this man-lie delivered over the phone means he wants to get you off ASAP so he can spend more time with his buddies. The thing is, even if he says it three times in a night, each time he believes it, Goldsmith says. It's like when you vow this will be your last cookie…five times in a row.

Lie # 1: "Nothing's Wrong, I'm Fine"
A whopping 52 percent of men have told their girlfriend this line. According to experts, this go-to fib is all about avoiding drama and protecting male pride. Men know they're not as good with articulating what's happening or how they're feeling, so it's easier for them to just keep you out of the situation. Next time he uses this line, give him a couple days and then ask him again if he is still bummed…and why. By then he may have figured things out.

The 10 Most Misunderstood Diet and Fitness Strategies

Top experts separate the fact from myth once and for all--and reveal some surprises in the process!

Good news for you late-night snackers: Eating at night doesn't make …Myth 1: Eating at Night Makes You Fat:
FACT: If your overall calorie intake is appropriate for weight loss or maintenance, it may benefit you to eat something after dinner, says Joni Rampolla, RD, Director of Nutrition and Wellness for Medifast.

Late-night calories will ultimately get used the next day (and even while you sleep). To keep your energy levels up, it is better to spread your calories out during the day when your body needs fuel. Aim to eat something every two or three hours. This will stabilize blood sugar levels and help you feel full and energized all day.
If you do need a late-night snack, consider keeping it to 200 calories or less. Check out some of our favorite post-dinner bites here.
Does hunger always mean you need food?Myth 2: Hunger is a sign you need food:
FACT: The body commonly sends cues of hunger when it is dehydrated, sleep deprived, or sensing psychological hunger. If you're not drinking enough water or getting enough sleep, this alone can cause you to sense hunger, even though you're full, Rampolla says.

Losing weight doesn't mean you can give in to your cravings all the …
Myth 3: Losing weight is harder than keeping it off:
FACT: More than 90 percent of dieters regain the weight they lost (or more) once they "finish" their plan, Rampolla says. If you resume eating the foods you ate before losing weight, you will gain the weight back-and maybe a few extra pounds. Here's why: After weight loss, your slimmer body requires fewer calories to function. Plus, if your weight-loss plan does not include enough protein, you might lose muscle mass, in addition to excess fat. Why that's bad: Muscle burns more calories than fat does, so losing muscle will lower your metabolism.
Every day, make a positive decision to stay on track with your new healthy lifestyle. Maintaining healthy eating habits is a lifelong commitment and takes persistence, Rampolla says.
Exercise makes you tired...or does it?Myth 4: Exercise makes you tired:
FACT: As the body gets in better shape, most people feel exercising gives them more energy than before. Regular exercise can also help fight fatigue, improve your sleep, and manage your stress, says Gina Crome, MS, MPH, RD, and Top 10 FitOrbit.com trainer.

Working out doesn't have to take up all your time. Myth 5: Working out is a big time commitment:
FACT: To maintain a healthy weight, you can work out as little as 20 to 40 minutes most days of the week. If your goal is to lose weight , it's advised that you aim for about 45 to 60 minutes each day, Crome says.
The best part: You don't need to fit it all into one session. Most of us can find five to 10 minutes to spare at different points in the day. Using these spare minutes throughout the day to be active adds up quickly and eventually becomes a regular part of your healthy lifestyle.

While you can build lean muscle, you can't spot reduce. Myth 6: Lower-body workouts will give you lean legs faster:
FACT: The type of exercise you do does not affect the number of fat cells in a specific area, Crome says. Even if you do 100 abs exercises every day, without proper nutrition, quality sleep, and a well-rounded fitness routine, you might never achieve the toned, flat stomach you want. You will help develop the muscles in that area, but that doesn't equate to fat loss.
When the body loses fat, it does so in a systemic fashion-all over the body at the same time. Aside from surgical procedures such as liposuction, there is no way to direct or influence the elimination of fat from specific areas, Crome says.
It's OK to snack on carbs even when you're not active. Myth 7: You should only eat carbs when you're active:
FACT: This myth is based on the belief that since carbs are the body's preferred energy source, you shouldn't eat them when you're inactive-like most people are in the evening. However, many individuals have atypical schedules or regularly exercise after work. These people benefit from consuming appropriate amounts of carbohydrates in the evening to fuel their lifestyle, says John Bosse, RD and Member of the Research & Development team for USANA Health Sciences.
For someone who is sedentary in the evening, a small, high-protein snack such as 2/3 cup of full-fat cottage cheese or a protein shake can actually help you stay slim. Research shows that eating high-quality protein at regular intervals promotes better body composition, and since a lot of time passes between dinner and breakfast, this small snack is a smart, strategic move.
Lifting heavy weights will NOT make you bulk up. Myth 8: Heavy weights will make you bulky:
FACT: Unless you're taking in substances that alter your hormone profile (anabolic steroids), it is highly unlikely that you will gain large amounts of muscle, Bosse says. Doing a high number of reps (20+) using light weights and stopping each set well before the point of muscular failure certainly helps improve fitness and burn calories, but it's not the best way to get a lean, toned body. What is? Integrate periods of heavier training (six to 10 reps) with some sets taken to muscular failure. The ability to build muscle is very different for men and women and should not be confused, Bosse says.

Your body has its own way of detoxing. Myth 9: You should do a juice cleanse to detox:
FACT: Our bodies are extremely smart and have built-in processes for detoxing every day, says Kristen Carlucci, RD, registered dietitian and nutrition expert for Pitney Bowes Inc.
Yes, people lose weight on juice cleanses, but not because of any miracle ingredient or because your body is cleared of toxins that are slowing down your metabolism. Weight lost during a cleanse is most likely a result of taking in far fewer calories than usual. While filling up on fruits and vegetables is a positive thing, the problem with juice cleanses is that they are a temporary fix. They don't teach you the balanced nutrition habits you should be forming in order to lose weight and keep it off for good, Carlucci says.
Carbs are good for you, if you pick the right kind. Myth 10: Carbs are the enemy:
FACT: With the onset of the low-carb diet craze, many people deny themselves this major food group. This concept is misunderstood because it's not the carbohydrates themselves that cause weight gain, it's the fact that for many of us, it's difficult to control the portion sizes, Carlucci says.
Instead of cutting out carbs altogether (which does not sound fun at all!), focus on choosing the right carbs in the proper portions. Stick with whole-grain pastas and breads (each slice should have 100 calories or less and should contain at least 3 grams of fiber), and try to fill no more than 1/4 of your plate with starch.