1. EATING THE BAR

The high-kilojoule content of energy bars mean you burn the bar first, not your fat cells.

Solution: "Eat a low-kilojoule meal like an apple and a low-fat yoghurt before hand," says sports nutritionist Ben Jones.

2. RUNNING ON EMPTY

This doesn't mean you start burning fat tissue instead; it just means you haven't got the energy to do effective cardio.

Solution: "Eat an hour before training, then you'll have digested enough to give you energy and start burning fat," says nutrition consultant Ellen Coleman.

3. LAYERED WORKOUTS

Any weight lost due to working out beneath multiple layers is merely dehydration.

Solution: "Do high-intensity cardio in loose clothing at room temperature," says personal trainer Dan Fivey.

4. KEEP ON RUNNING

Low-intensity workouts don't test your cardiovascular system.

Solution: Interval training "Alternating sprints and walks is one of the best heart rate raising cardio moves," says Fivey. "It'll burn, on average, 668 kilojoules in 10 minutes at high intensity.