Research
Energy balance
Combining a caloric deficit (500–750 kcal/day) with moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise (150–420 min/week) is significantly more effective for weight loss than either diet or exercise alone.
To lose significant weight, you must change your diet. Exercise alone rarely leads to major weight loss. Combine a daily caloric deficit of 500-750 calories with 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week for the best results. Aim for 225-420 minutes of exercise weekly if you want to keep the weight off.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Past studies have shown that the most effective way to lose a significant amount of weight is a combination of diet, exercise and behavioural changes compared with each of these tools alone.
Why this rating
Supported by systematic reviews and multiple clinical trials cited in the text.
Source
Review on obesity management: diet, exercise and pharmacotherapy
Katya Peri et al. · BMJ Public Health · 2024
DOI 10.1136/bmjph-2023-000246
narrative_reviewCited 7×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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