If you’re feeling stuck in your weight loss goals, there could be a reason why you’ve plateaued. And while it can be frustrating to feel like it’s your fault that you’re stopped losing, the flipside is that it is wholly in your control. Even though it’s hard, you have the power to change your habits and build a healthier lifestyle. Check out this list of misconceptions to make sure you’re not falling prey to common fat loss myths that are keeping you from reaching your goals.

Myth #1 – Exercise is a good way to lose weight

Contrary to popular belief, exercise doesn’t actually burn that many calories at all. Fat loss is always driven by dietary changes, rather than doing more exercise. Exercise is certainly good for you for a variety of reasons. But as the old adage says, you can’t out run your fork. Many fall into the common pitfall of upping their activity levels, becoming more hungry as a result, and then eating more (without even realizing) to compensate.

Myth #2 – Eating too little causes you to gain weight

It’s certainly unhealthy to eat too little for a variety of reasons. Not to mention, vastly undereating causes cravings and extreme hunger that will almost surely lead to overeating later on. This overeating completely negates the caloric deficit you had attained. But there is simply no evidence that eating too little can cause you to actually gain weight. This would break the laws of physics. Starvation is a real thing that many around the world experience, but the mythical “starvation mode” that causes your metabolism to stop simply doesn’t exist.

Myth #3 – Your metabolism is the reason you’re not losing weight

Many believe that they just have a “slow metabolism,” unlike their naturally skinny friends. But often, those “naturally skinny” people that you see eating cheeseburgers don’t actually eat like that all the time. Think about how much time you spend with your closest friends – and then think about how much time you don’t see them. If your skinny friends eat high-calorie foods every time you see them, that’s probably because many social activities in our society revolve around food. Your skinny friends probably ate less for the rest of the week to compensate.

Studies have shown that the difference in metabolism between individuals only varies by about 5-8%. Meaning that someone with a “fast metabolism” really only burns about 200 more calories than someone with a “slow metabolism.” 200 calories is about a spoonful of peanut butter, a large apple, or half a slice of pizza. Not very much at all.

The good news is, there are actually ways to boost your metabolism. The most effective way is to gain more muscle. That’s because muscle requires more calories just to maintain itself than fat does. So if you have a higher ratio of muscle overall, you’ll burn more calories just by existing. Our muscle hacks section has tips for building muscle quickly.

Myth #4 – Eating too much protein causes weight gain

Excess calories are the only thing that causes weight gain. Sure, you can eat too many calories on a diet consisting primarily of protein-rich food. But it is a myth that excess protein gets stored as fat. It’s generally not too harmful to consume slightly over the recommended daily intake of protein based on your lifestyle, but there is, of course, a limit.

The best way to consume adequate protein while sticking to your caloric goals is to eat a varied diet consisting of lean meats paired with leafy greens and fiber-rich complex carbohydrates. Our diet strategies section contains recipes and lists of high-protein meal and snack ideas.