Weight loss and fitness are two of the most confusing subjects out there! You will often find one group of people who say that you must do things their way if you want to be successful, and then an entirely different group of “experts” will make the opposite claim! So how do you decipher all of the misleading information out there? It’s just a start, but keep an eye out for these four myths.

Weight loss depends solely upon cardio exercise. While cardio certainly does burn fat, the real secret to weight loss is burning more calories than you consume. You don’t need to run for an hour each day (unless of course you’re consuming too many calories). A combination of some cardio plus some muscle-building strength training is best. That means you can alternate days, if you want, so that you don’t have to do cardio every day.

You have to be a slave to your alarm clock. Yes, it might be easier to get exercise out of the way first thing in the morning, but it doesn’t work that way for everyone. Some people are just not morning people! The best time to schedule a workout is when you will actually follow through and do it!

You can’t be healthy and fit, if you don’t look like a model. Some fitness models are very healthy individuals. Others are actually pursuing unhealthy diets and dangerous levels of exercise to look the way that they do. Don’t compare yourself to those images (which are digitally altered, anyway). Do you feel more energetic since you started working out? Are you losing weight? Are you getting health problems under control? Then you’re succeeding!

You have to suffer in order to see results. If your workouts are hurting you, you might be overdoing it. A little bit of muscle soreness is normal, but you shouldn’t find yourself unable to walk. Don’t risk an injury that could sideline you for weeks and cause a major backslide on your weight loss journey.