There is a huge amount of misinformation out there when it comes to weight loss, building up, and staying nutritionally healthy. Today, I'm going to set the record straight. Here's the lowdown on what it really takes to lose weight, gain muscle, and stay healthy...

1) If you take in more calories than you expend, you'll gain weight. If you take in less calories than you expend, you'll lose weight. (Here's a calculator to see how calories you need to maintain your weight. Eat 500 calories less a day, and you'll lose a pound a week. Eat 500 calories more a day, and you'll gain a pound a week.) Make sure the calories you do eat have a positive effect on the body. To do this, avoid eating "empty calories." Things like candy bars, popcorn, and essentially all processed foods. Try to eat a diverse collection of foods, meaning meat, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and some bread. Once you do that, you should notice an immediate and positive change in the way your body feels, and your energy level. 2)

Getting the heart pumping will increase your metabolism.

Walking daily, jogging, light swimming, etc. are all good for you and will help keep you in shape. However, to really give you that extra boost in increasing your metabolism and getting fit and strong, throw in some short, hard workouts. That means a couple of times a week, instead of going for a jog or a long walk, try sprinting as fast as you can around the block a few times, or swimming as fast as you can. Do you feel more out of breath than ever? Good, that means it's working.

3) You don't have to eat 6 meals a day to gain weight and muscle.

To gain muscle, you need to workout and you need to eat a lot of nutrient and protein heavy food. You need a large calorie intake, but that doesn't mean your day has to revolve around food. Try waking up to a large, 1500 calorie breakfast since you're most hungry then. (When I was on a weight-gaining track, for breakfast I ate bread and butter, eggs with cottage cheese , a shake with bananas, strawberries, ice-cream, milk, whey protein, and vegetables. With a glass of water, of course.) Then eat a large lunch and supper, and feel free to snack in-between. You'll get in all the protein, calories, and nutrients you need, without having your life revolve exclusively around food.

4) Diversify your diet.

To make sure your body absorbs the food you eat properly, you need to get all the proper nutrients. To do this, eat a variety of different vegetable, fruits, meats, nuts, and some bread. Eating a variety of different foods in moderation will start making you not only look better, but feel better too. Essentially, eating a variety of healthy, natural foods, mostly cutting out junk food from your diet (except for those special occasions), and keeping up a daily routine of physical activity will help ensure that you look and feel great.

[Sometimes, the biggest motivation for staying in shape and eating healthy, is thinking of the things you'll be able to do. Leave a comment here and share with the community about what helps you keep motivated to stay in shape.]