For awhile, many of us have believed the trick to losing weight is simple: consume less calories. However, Tim Spector, a genetics professor at King’s College London, has informed us that myth is just that – a myth. He debunks the diet drama in his new book, The Diet Myth.

According to Professor Spector, the trick to losing weight has less to do with how many calories you consume, and more to do with how you consume them. Diet soda, for instance, may cause you to gain weight, while high fat cheese and Belgian beer can actually aid your weight loss regimen. Here’s why:

There are trillions of microbes – fungi and bacteria – that live in the human gut. Though that might initially seem icky, microbes can actually be a good thing. They help you digest food, boost your immune system, and process the calories you intake. The artificial sweeteners in diet soda can have a harmful effect on these microbes, messing around with your metabolism and causing weight gain. Looks like diet soda isn’t so ‘diet’ after all.

About a third of the population has a high number of these positive microbes in their gut, while the rest of us have depleted them by drinking things like diet soda and taking antibiotics. But the good news is that Spector uncovered these microbes aren’t just beneficial, you can actually replace them, and one of the best sources for replacing them is Belgian beer.

Belgian beer, fatty cheese, coffee and even garlic have the opposite microbial effect as things like diet soda. The beer can increase the number of healthy gut microbes and help you shed the pounds. According the Spector, the more microbes, the better your body might process calories or absorb nutrients.

So instead of fixing yourself a salad and a diet coke, reach for a cheese plate and a frosty glass of Belgian beer.