We are convinced that the main reason weight loss is so difficult for countless people is mainly because they are full of misinformation on how to lose fat. The following are some of the most damaging weight loss myths that you should be aware of right away.

Myth: Eating 6 meals a day will keep my metabolism strong and help me lose weight.

TRUE: This myth is based on the idea that your metabolism will speed up every time you take food into your body; therefore, you burn a lot more calories throughout the day by constantly reactivating your digestive system. Although there is some truth to this theory, the amount of additional calories burned is inconsequential. It is possible to lose weight while eating six meals every day, as long as your daily calorie intake is less than what your body uses each day. For many people, eating six meals a day makes it much more difficult to achieve their daily calorie goals, not to mention a hassle trying to prepare six meals every day. Staying below your daily calorie goal is much more important than how often you eat when it comes to fat loss.

Myth: Long, slow cardio workouts are the best way to burn calories and burn fat.

TRUE: Long, slow cardio routines (like running on the treadmill for an hour) burn calories, but sooner or later they will wear out your muscles. Carb cravings are also increased because your muscles are completely depleted of glycogen. Eating carbs immediately tells your body to stop burning fat—the more you eat, the fewer net calories you’ll lose in the hour you spend running. Oh, and long, slow cardio exercises consume a tremendous amount of time and substantially increase the likelihood of injury. There is a much better way. It’s called high intensity interval training (HIIT). HIIT is far superior to long, slow cardio and recent reports prove it. A new study has just been published showing that participants who used HIIT burned twice as much fat as those who only used long, slow cardio. HIIT works simply because it causes your body to increase HGH levels, which releases fat cells into the bloodstream to be used for energy. It won’t lead to muscle loss mainly because your body won’t release the stress hormone cortisol, it takes less time than long cardio workouts, and it can be done almost anywhere.

Myth: You need to follow a low-fat diet to lose weight

TRUE: This is a common mistake that can really inhibit your weight loss. People believe that since they want to lose a few pounds, they should not eat fat. You could not be more wrong. The best way to lose fat would be to stop eating carbs, not fat! As mentioned above, whenever your body realizes that carbohydrates are entering your system, it releases insulin which prevents your body from burning fat to ensure that it will use the energy from carbohydrates first. Meanwhile, any excess carbs your body doesn’t need are stored as extra fat. Fat, by contrast, has little to no effect on your insulin levels, and therefore your body continues to use fat as its primary source of energy. A much more efficient diet would be to reduce carbohydrates to less than 100 grams per day so that your body quickly uses up all the energy from carbohydrates, then it will choose to burn stored fat throughout the day.

Myth: You need the latest piece of fitness equipment to burn fat

TRUE: You can start losing weight today with zero equipment. The truth is, probably the most effective weight loss program out there uses only your individual body weight. Weight reduction is a huge industry that makes money and there are many people trying to take advantage of it. Unfortunately, most items are basically created to take your money without adding any real value to your health or fitness goals. When you really want to lose weight, you’ll start to educate yourself on healthy dietary habits, find a weight loss program that works with your lifestyle, and make fitness a habit to ensure your fat loss gains are sustainable.

Avoid these important fat loss myths and you’ll be well on your way to reaching your goal weight.