Browse the evidence

A 3-month low energy diet (800-900 kcal/d) combined with professional dietitian support and subsequent exercise intervention produces significant, sustained weight loss and improves cardiometabolic markers in adults with obesity and chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages G1-G3b.

If you have obesity and early-stage kidney disease, a structured low-calorie diet (800-900 calories) using meal replacements, supported by a dietitian and exercise professional, is a safe and effective way to lose significant weight (approx. 9kg over 6 months) and improve blood pressure and waist size. It requires professional oversight to manage blood sugar and kidney markers, but it does not inherently harm kidney function or muscle strength when monitored.

A peer-supported, WhatsApp-assisted lifestyle modification intervention significantly reduces daily calorie intake and leads to modest weight loss in adults with overweight/obesity in low-resource urban settings.

To lose weight in a resource-limited setting, focus on reducing daily calorie intake by approximately 386 kcal through portion control and healthier food choices. Use a peer-support model where a family member helps you stay accountable via regular check-ins (e.g., WhatsApp). While physical activity is beneficial, this study suggests that dietary changes were the primary driver of the observed weight loss (2.2 kg over 1 year). Consistency through monthly reviews and peer encouragement is key to maintaining these habits.

Higher training volume (moderate to high) is associated with higher responder rates for muscle hypertrophy compared to low volume, although intensity can compensate for low volume.

If you have time to train, moderate to high volume (8-24 sets per muscle group per week) is likely to yield better hypertrophy results than very low volume. However, if you are time-crunched, high-intensity low-volume training can still be effective. Prioritize consistency and intensity over sheer volume if necessary.

Muscle strength responsiveness is influenced by training intensity and specificity of the test, with higher loads generally leading to greater strength gains, and test specificity affecting the observed response.

To maximize strength gains, prioritize higher loads (e.g., 70-90% 1RM) over very light weights. Ensure your training intensity matches the goal of strength. If you are new to training, start with moderate loads and progressively increase intensity.

Weight loss is significantly associated with greater HbA1c reduction in patients following a carbohydrate-reduced diet.

Losing weight will significantly improve your blood sugar levels. For every kilogram you lose, your HbA1c is expected to drop by approximately 0.56 mmol/mol. Focus on sustainable weight loss through the carbohydrate-reduced diet and health coaching.

A structured weight management program using Total Diet Replacement (TDR) with a hypocaloric formula diet (approx. 850 kcal/day) for 3-5 months induces significant weight loss and Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) remission in South Asian populations, comparable to outcomes in white European cohorts.

For South Asians with recent Type 2 Diabetes, a strict, short-term (3-5 month) program using a ~850 kcal/day formula diet can reverse the disease. This involves replacing all food with formula, stopping diabetes meds under supervision, and then slowly reintroducing real food. It works similarly for South Asians as it does for white Europeans, primarily by reducing liver fat through significant weight loss.

Combining time-restricted eating (TRE) with calorie restriction (CR) significantly reduces body weight, fat mass, and waist circumference compared to calorie restriction alone in overweight or obese adults.

If you are overweight or obese, combining a moderate calorie deficit with time-restricted eating (eating within a specific window of the day) will help you lose more weight and fat than just counting calories alone. However, do not expect this combination to significantly improve your blood pressure, blood sugar, or cholesterol levels beyond what you would get from calorie restriction alone.

Intermittent fasting 5:2 plus (30% energy on 2 fasting days, 70% on 5 non-fasting days) produces superior short-term weight loss compared to daily calorie restriction (70% energy daily) in Chinese adults with overweight or obesity.

If you have overweight or obesity, try an Intermittent Fasting 5:2 Plus program for 12 weeks. Eat about 30% of your normal calories on 2 non-consecutive days a week, and 70% on the other 5 days. Combine this with 150-300 minutes of moderate exercise weekly and behavioral tips like self-weighing. This approach led to significantly more weight loss than eating 70% of your calories every day in this study.

Time-restricted eating (TRE) without calorie restriction significantly reduces body weight, BMI, and whole-body fat mass in adults.

Adopt a 16:8 eating window (e.g., 12pm-8pm) for daily food intake. Do not restrict calories intentionally; simply stop eating after your chosen window. Expect modest weight loss (~1.6kg) and fat reduction over time, especially if you have metabolic risk factors.

Preoperative dietitian-led Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD) of 800-1000 kcal/day for 2-12 weeks significantly reduces weight and waist circumference in obese adults undergoing elective surgery without causing unfavorable lean body mass loss.

If you are scheduled for elective surgery and have obesity, ask your surgeon or care team about a preoperative dietitian-led Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD). This involves consuming 800-1000 calories daily, primarily through meal replacements, for 2-12 weeks before your operation. Crucially, a dietitian must monitor your protein intake to ensure you do not lose muscle mass, which can complicate surgery and recovery. This approach has been shown to significantly reduce weight and waist circumference, potentially making the surgery technically easier and reducing complications.

A 16-week Tabata training program significantly reduces body fat percentage, fat mass, BMI, and waist circumference in healthy inactive women.

If you are a healthy woman with a sedentary job, performing Tabata-style high-intensity intervals (20 seconds hard work, 10 seconds rest) for about 20 minutes, 4 times a week, for 4 months, can significantly reduce your body fat and waist size without needing to change your diet drastically.

HIIT is more time-efficient than MICT for achieving similar fat loss outcomes, primarily due to excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) and appetite regulation.

If you are short on time, HIIT can provide similar fat loss benefits to longer cardio sessions in less time, thanks to increased calorie burn after exercise.

A structured 12-week calorie-restricted dietary intervention starting with a 6-week Very Low-Calorie Diet (VLCD) phase (800-1200 kcal/day) followed by a 6-week maintenance phase significantly reduces body weight and improves postprandial glycemic response in Korean adults with early type 2 diabetes and obesity.

For Korean adults with early type 2 diabetes and obesity, a structured 12-week program starting with a 6-week very low-calorie diet (800-1200 kcal/day, with meals provided) followed by a 6-week self-managed maintenance phase can lead to significant weight loss (approx. 7-8%) and improved blood sugar control. The key is the structured, phased approach and meal provision to ensure adherence.

Nutritional guidance that dynamically adjusts energy intake based on regular measurements of Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) and physical activity effectively reduces body weight in patients with obesity without triggering metabolic adaptation (REE reduction) or increasing hunger.

To lose weight without triggering your body's survival mechanisms (slowed metabolism and intense hunger), you must tailor your calorie intake to your specific energy burn. This involves measuring your Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) and tracking physical activity, then adjusting your daily calorie target regularly (e.g., weekly) as your body changes. Use technology like meal-tracking apps to ensure you are hitting these dynamic targets. This personalized approach allows for significant weight loss (approx. 5% in 24 weeks) while keeping your metabolism and hunger levels stable.

Both 5:2 and 16:8 intermittent fasting protocols produce statistically significant weight loss in overweight and obese individuals over a 6-week period, with no statistically significant difference in efficacy between the two methods.

If you are overweight or obese, you can choose either the 5:2 method (eating very little on 2 days a week) or the 16:8 method (eating within an 8-hour window daily) to lose weight. Both work significantly over 6 weeks, and neither is proven to be better than the other. Pick the one you can stick with consistently.

Structured calorie-restricted diets (800-1,800 kcal) can induce diabetes remission in obese Korean adults with early-onset Type 2 Diabetes, with remission rates up to 75%.

If you have recently been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and are obese, a structured diet starting at 800 calories and moving to 1,200-1,800 calories can potentially put your diabetes into remission, especially if you stop other medications under doctor supervision.

Both volumetric dieting (energy density ≤ 1.5 kcal/g) and time-restricted eating (8-hour window) produce equivalent reductions in body weight and fat mass while preserving lean body mass in middle-aged, physically active adults over 12 weeks.

If you want to lose fat and keep muscle without changing your exercise routine, you can choose either to eat lower-energy-density foods (more volume, fewer calories per gram) or to eat all your calories within an 8-hour window. Both methods worked equally well in this study. Choose the one you can stick to consistently, as adherence was higher for the time-restricted eating group.

Wearable activity trackers lead to improvements in body composition, specifically bodyweight and waist circumference, with large effect sizes for bodyweight reduction.

Using a wearable activity tracker can help you lose weight, with an average reduction of 0.5 to 1.5 kg. This benefit is seen in both healthy adults and those with chronic conditions like diabetes or heart disease. The weight loss is a result of the increased physical activity driven by the tracker.

Bariatric surgery induces a significant decrease in Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) and metabolic adaptation at 8 weeks post-intervention, but this metabolic suppression is reversed by 52 weeks, coinciding with a sustained increase in free-living physical activity.

If you have had bariatric surgery, expect your energy expenditure to drop significantly in the first two months as your body adjusts to its new size. This 'metabolic adaptation' is normal but not necessarily permanent. The key to long-term success appears to be increasing your daily physical activity, which may help counteract this drop in energy expenditure and allow your metabolism to normalize over the course of a year.

Acute carbohydrate ingestion significantly increases total resistance training session volume, but this ergogenic benefit is conditional on session duration exceeding 45 minutes and/or a pre-exercise fast duration of 8 hours or more.

If your resistance training session lasts longer than 45 minutes, or if you train fasted for 8+ hours (e.g., early morning), consume carbohydrates before or during the workout to increase the total volume you can complete. For short sessions (<45 min) or well-fed states, carbohydrate ingestion provides no significant performance benefit. The specific dose is less important than the total number of maximal effort sets performed.

Carbohydrate ingestion elevates post-exercise blood lactate and glucose levels, but this metabolic response may come at the cost of extended recovery time due to the increased training volume performed.

Expect higher blood lactate and glucose after carb-fueled workouts. This is normal and reflects the higher volume you completed. Be aware that this increased volume may lead to longer recovery times, so adjust your training frequency or intensity accordingly.

Sustained remission of type 2 diabetes (via weight loss or bariatric surgery) reduces the risk of microvascular and macrovascular complications compared to standard care.

Achieving remission through sustained weight loss or surgery not only normalizes blood sugar but also significantly reduces your risk of heart disease, kidney damage, and eye problems over the long term. This benefit is likely greater than just controlling blood sugar with medication alone.

Time-restricted eating (16/8) with ad libitum intake reduces body weight and improves lipid profiles (total cholesterol and LDL-C) in overweight females, but does not significantly reduce body fat percentage or improve diet quality compared to energy-restricted diets.

If you are an overweight female looking to lose weight and improve cholesterol, a 16/8 fasting window is effective for weight loss and lipid improvement. However, do not expect it to significantly reduce body fat percentage or improve your overall diet quality compared to a structured calorie-restricted diet. You must maintain your current activity level.

Energy-restricted diets (ERD) are superior to Time-Restricted Eating (TRE) for improving diet quality and reducing body fat percentage in overweight females, despite both interventions yielding similar weight loss.

If your primary goal is to lose body fat and improve your diet quality, a structured energy-restricted diet is more effective than time-restricted eating. Calculate your maintenance calories, subtract 500, and follow a balanced macronutrient distribution. This approach will yield better body composition results than simply restricting your eating window without counting calories.