Want to lose weight? Head to the grocery store checkout line. Not for the candy bar display, but the racks and racks of diet and exercise magazines promising fabulous results for minimal effort. So do these magazines, touting rapid weight-loss schemes, offer any valuable fitness information? Check out what these experts say about some of the claims. ¨

Size is all that matters. Order any restaurant meal you want and don't gain weight just by keeping portion sizes small. This theory works if you're eating out occasionally, says Maria London, a registered dietician at WellStar Health System in Georgia. By cutting down on calorically dense food, ordering a side of fettucini alfredo rather that an entrée-sized order, you are making a big difference in your intake of calories and fat. But if all your food choices are high in fat, you certainly won't lose weight, and could find yourself gaining over time.

"All foods fit into a healthy diet, but first a healthy diet must be established," London said. ¨ Nuts are a miracle weight-loss food. False. But they can be a part of a weight loss plan when eaten in moderation, London says. The good news is that nuts are rich in unsaturated fats, help reduce the risk of heart disease and lower cholesterol levels. But because they're so calorically dense, it's best to savor a small amount rather than polish off a whole jar. ¨

Plants and carbs. A plant-based diet high in carbohydrates speeds up your metabolism. Eating nutritious foods in general will put your metabolism in motion. But neither an all plant-based nor an all protein-based diet will burn calories any faster. ¨ Positive vs. negative reinforcement. Sticking a fat photo of yourself on the fridge will help you avoid overindulging. But the negative focus could trigger a downward spiral for those with a poor self-image. Pasting a good-looking photo of when you were at your healthiest will probably be more inspirational. ¨ Squats, lunges, stretches.

Tone your legs in a month by spending just 3 minutes a day doing lunges, stretches, and squats. It's absolutely impossible, says Laura Cascaddan, a personal trainer and aerobics instructor in Florida. "It would take you three minutes just to get through one exercise," Cascaddan said. A more realistic schedule would be 20 minutes, twice a week, of lunging, stretching and squatting for up to six to eight weeks. ¨

Intense workouts. To lose weight, all you have to do is eight weeks of aerobics and strength training for an hour, five times a week. That is a solid claim. But for serious weight loss, Cascaddan recommends dividing the routine into 3 days of cardiovascular exercise and two days of weight training. ¨ Posture. Sit up straight for a flatter belly. "You are definitely appear leaner when you sit or stand up straight," Cascaddan said. But good posture doesn't make the abdominal muscles more toned. Crunches and curls do the trick.