Browse the evidence

A blended lifestyle intervention combining one face-to-face session, monthly telephone coaching, and a mobile app (MELINDA) improves weight goal achievement in women with glucose intolerance after gestational diabetes mellitus compared to standard care.

If you had gestational diabetes and currently have high blood sugar levels after birth, this program offers a structured way to lose weight and prevent type 2 diabetes. It involves one initial meeting with a health coach, followed by monthly phone calls and using a specific app to track your diet, activity, and weight. The goal is to lose 5% of your body weight if you were overweight before pregnancy, or return to your pre-pregnancy weight if you were not. This approach is designed to be flexible and address the specific challenges of being a new mother, such as lack of time and childcare issues.

Personalized nutrition delivered via mobile health applications is more effective at improving dietary quality (higher fruit/vegetable intake, lower saturated fat) than generalized 'one-size-fits-all' population-based advice.

Use a mobile app that tracks your food intake to get personalized advice. You do not need to provide genetic or detailed body composition data for the advice to be more effective than generic guidelines. Focus on increasing fruits/vegetables and reducing saturated fats, as the app tailors these targets to your current habits.

Mobile health (m-Health) interventions using push notifications and real-time data capture can significantly increase daily step counts compared to control groups without such interventions.

Use a fitness tracker with push notifications to increase your daily steps. Be aware that while this works for short-term increases in activity, long-term adherence may be difficult without additional support systems like gamification or social features.

Adherence to a Mediterranean Diet, improved through nutritional counseling, significantly improves lipid profiles (lower TC, LDL-C, TG) and reduces BMI in dyslipidemic patients.

Work with a nutritionist to adopt a Mediterranean Diet. This involves eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and olive oil, and less meat and dairy. This approach has been shown to improve cholesterol levels and weight loss in people with high cholesterol.

To maximize muscle hypertrophy, resistance training should utilize a repetition tempo with a total duration between 2 and 8 seconds per repetition, regardless of the specific distribution of time between eccentric and concentric phases.

When performing resistance exercises, aim for each repetition to take between 2 and 8 seconds total. You do not need to obsess over whether the lowering (eccentric) or lifting (concentric) phase is longer, as long as the total time falls within this window. Control the weight, but do not slow down excessively (e.g., 'super slow') as this may be detrimental.

High frequency of self-monitoring (meal logging) and self-management (task completion) in the early stages of a blended-care intervention is positively associated with weight loss at 6 and 12 months, indicating that early adherence drives long-term success.

Start logging your meals and completing your daily tasks immediately. The data shows that this early effort is a strong predictor of weight loss at 6 and 12 months, even if you don't see immediate results.

Resistance training (RT) significantly improves body composition (muscle mass) and grip strength in elderly patients with sarcopenia following hip replacement surgery, regardless of HMB supplementation.

Start resistance training after hip surgery as soon as medically cleared. Begin with lighter weights (60-70% of your max) and gradually increase to heavier weights (80-90%) over 3 months. This builds muscle and strength, which helps prevent falls and improves daily function.

A 12-week telehealth lifestyle intervention combining DASH-style dietary guidance, weight management tools, and weekly dietitian-led motivational interviewing significantly lowers 24-hour systolic blood pressure in patients with overweight/obesity and elevated blood pressure compared to a self-directed web-based approach.

If you have high blood pressure and are overweight, a structured 12-week program using a dietitian-led telehealth approach can help lower your systolic blood pressure. This involves using a food and weight tracking app, following a DASH-style diet (more fruits/veg, less sodium/sugar), aiming for 180 minutes of moderate exercise per week, and attending weekly phone calls with a dietitian who uses motivational interviewing to help you set and achieve goals. This approach is designed to be more effective than using web tools alone.

A 16-week workplace weight-loss program combining group education, individual counseling, and behavioral goal-setting produces significant weight loss (average 5.6%), improved metabolic markers (diastolic blood pressure, blood glucose), and enhanced mental health (depression scores) in overweight and obese healthcare workers.

To lose weight and improve health, join a structured program that offers both group support and one-on-one coaching. Focus on setting small, achievable weekly goals (like walking 10,000 steps or adding one serving of vegetables) rather than just focusing on the scale. Keep in touch with your support system even after the main program ends to prevent regaining the weight.

A 3-month remote culinary coaching intervention significantly improves long-term home cooking habits, nutritional knowledge, and self-efficacy in overweight/obese adults, with effects sustained at 12 months.

To improve your diet, focus on building cooking skills and planning rather than just reading nutrition labels. Commit to a structured program that includes weekly coaching and goal setting. Start with simple recipes and meal prep to overcome the barrier of time and convenience. The key is building confidence and routine, not just knowledge.

Long-term weight loss maintenance is primarily dependent on adherence and consistent implementation of behavioral and lifestyle strategies, rather than the specific type of dietary intervention used.

Focus on building sustainable habits and addressing psychological barriers like emotional eating rather than searching for the 'perfect' diet. Long-term success depends on your ability to adhere to a plan you can maintain, not the specific macronutrient ratio of the diet you choose.

Synchronous online exercise programs reduce environmental barriers (transportation, weather, accessibility) and increase motivation and adherence in community-dwelling older adults compared to asynchronous or in-person formats.

If you are an older adult who struggles with getting to the gym due to driving, parking, or bad weather, try a live online group exercise class. The key is that it is 'synchronous' (live, real-time) with an instructor and other people, which provides accountability and motivation that pre-recorded videos often lack. Ensure you have a stable internet connection and a device (tablet/computer) to join via video call.

Phenotype-guided interventions (tailoring diet, medication, or exercise based on specific metabolic/behavioral traits like satiation or emotional eating) result in greater weight loss compared to non-phenotype-guided standard care.

Consider getting assessed for specific metabolic and behavioral traits (like how you feel after eating, your emotional triggers, or your resting metabolic rate). Tailoring your diet and medication choices to these specific traits may lead to significantly better weight loss results than following a generic plan.

High-level natural bodybuilders optimize muscle hypertrophy during pre-contest preparation by performing approximately 8–17 direct weekly sets per muscle group, training each muscle group 2–3 times per week, and utilizing a primary repetition range of 6–10 reps performed to or near failure.

If you are a natural trainee aiming for muscle growth, aim for 8 to 17 hard sets per muscle group each week. Split these sets across 2 or 3 training sessions for that muscle (e.g., chest on Monday and Thursday). Use weights that allow you to complete your reps with only 0-4 reps left in the tank. This moderate volume is what elite natural competitors use to maximize muscle while managing recovery.

A structured, physiotherapy-led eHealth tier 2 weight management program (12 weeks, 60 mins/week) significantly reduces body weight and BMI in adults with obesity, with effects observed across diverse ethnic and socioeconomic groups.

If you have obesity and are referred to a structured 12-week digital weight management program by your doctor, you can expect to lose an average of 3-4 kg (about 4% of body weight) if you complete the program. The program includes weekly 1-hour online sessions with a physiotherapist, combining exercise and nutrition education. It works for people of all ethnicities and income levels, but you need internet access and a device. The key to success is attending at least 75% of the sessions.

Full-time holistic sports nutrition support utilizing behavior-change techniques and supplemental protein significantly improves within-day protein distribution in provincial academy rugby players, increasing intake at multiple feeding occasions toward recommended thresholds.

If you are an athlete trying to optimize your protein intake, simply buying protein powder isn't enough. You need a structured support system. This study shows that combining education, regular check-ins with a nutritionist, and the availability of supplements helps athletes actually distribute their protein evenly across meals (e.g., breakfast, snacks, post-workout). This behavioral approach successfully shifted intake patterns, even if it didn't immediately change body composition in this short timeframe.

A 12-week telenutrition intervention consisting of weekly registered dietitian support via video and phone, combined with a moderate caloric deficit, significantly increases the proportion of middle-aged and older men with cardiovascular risk factors who achieve clinically significant weight loss (≥5% body weight) compared to enhanced usual care alone.

If you are a man over 40 with excess weight and heart disease risks, you can lose significant weight (over 5% of your body) by following a moderate calorie-reduced diet and getting weekly support from a dietitian via phone or video. You don't necessarily need expensive in-person visits; consistent check-ins and tracking your weight and food intake are key. This approach works well even if you live in a rural area, provided you have internet access.

Energy restriction combined with behavioral modification and exercise (LED) is more effective for weight loss than low-fat, low-carbohydrate, or Mediterranean diets.

For significant weight loss, combine a moderate calorie deficit (approx. 1000-1200 kcal/day) with behavioral strategies (like self-monitoring) and regular exercise. This structured approach was found to be more effective than following specific diets like Low-Fat or Mediterranean diets alone.

Higher frequency of self-weighing via the mobile application is associated with greater weight loss in users of the MetaWell program.

If you use a digital weight loss program, weigh yourself daily using a connected scale. This study found that people who weighed themselves more frequently lost significantly more weight (8.6 kg vs 2.2 kg at 120 days for high vs low users). Make daily weighing a non-negotiable part of your routine, as it is a strong predictor of success.

Engagement with a digital weight management platform (coaching, app use, weight tracking) significantly enhances weight loss outcomes in individuals using GLP-1 or GLP-1/GIP receptor agonists compared to pharmacotherapy alone.

If you are using GLP-1 or GLP-1/GIP medications for weight loss, actively engaging with your digital health platform (attending coaching, using the app, tracking weight) leads to significantly better results than just taking the medication. Aim to participate in coaching sessions, log your weight regularly, and use the app's educational features to maximize your weight loss.

Personalized Nutrition Therapy (PNT) combined with Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) produces significant weight loss and fat mass reduction in overweight/obese individuals with prediabetes, even without explicit weight loss counseling or caloric restriction mandates.

If you have prediabetes and are overweight, try using a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) not just for data, but as a feedback tool. Work with a nutritionist to personalize your diet based on your glucose responses to specific foods, rather than following a generic 'low calorie' or 'low carb' diet. Focus on keeping glucose under 140 mg/dL after meals. This approach can lead to significant weight loss and fat reduction without the stress of strict calorie counting or feeling deprived.

Short-term provision of Healthy Ketogenic Diet Ready-To-Eat (HKD-RTE) meals enhances initial weight loss and adherence compared to HKD counseling alone, leading to sustained greater weight reduction at 6 months despite the RTE intervention ending after one month.

If you struggle with the time and effort of preparing a ketogenic diet, try using ready-to-eat meals that fit your macros for the first month. This study suggests that this short-term convenience can help you establish better habits and lose more weight in the long run (6 months) compared to just getting advice. Focus on getting the first month right with convenient, pre-made meals to build momentum.

Adherence to Healthy Ketogenic Diet Ready-To-Eat (HKD-RTE) meals is positively associated with greater weight loss, with each 1% increase in compliance linked to additional weight loss over 3 months.

Your weight loss is directly tied to how consistently you follow the meal plan. Even small improvements in your compliance (like eating your pre-made meals more often) can lead to extra weight loss. Don't aim for perfection; aim for consistency, as every bit of compliance counts.

Combining High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) with Resistance Training (RT) increases lean muscle mass and reduces visceral fat more effectively than Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training (MICT) alone in postmenopausal women.

If you are a postmenopausal woman looking to lose visceral fat and build muscle, combine short, intense cardio intervals with resistance training 3 times a week instead of just doing steady-state cardio.