Research
Energy balance
Combining moderate-intensity aerobic exercise with calorie restriction produces significantly greater initial weight loss and fat mass reduction than calorie restriction alone.
To maximize weight loss, do not rely on diet alone. Combine a moderate calorie deficit (1,200-2,100 kcal/day) with at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week (spread over 5 days). This combination yields significantly more weight and fat loss than dieting by itself.
StrongSupportsHIGH confidence
pooled mean WLs at 6 months in the diet + exercise combined interventions compared with the diet-only controls were 7.8 ± 5.2 vs. 3.7 ± 4.3 kg, respectively... diet + exercise combined interventions were found to result in a mean weight change of -3.6 kg... difference in WL between diet-only and diet + exercise combined interventions being -1.14 kg
Why this rating
Based on multiple meta-analyses and high-quality RCTs (Goodpaster, Foster-Schubert).
Source
Physical activity and obesity: what we know and what we need to know*
Shao-Hua Chin et al. · Obesity Reviews · 2016
DOI 10.1111/obr.12460
narrative_reviewCited 262×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Aerobic exercise alone, without prescribed calorie restriction, produces modest but statistically significant weight loss (approx. 1.6-2.3 kg) in overweight/obese adults over 6-12 months.Good
- High-dose, high-intensity aerobic exercise (600 kcal/session) without dietary restriction can achieve clinically meaningful weight loss (>3-5%) in young, obese adults.Good
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