Browse the evidence

Fatmax training (FMT) performed for 8-20 weeks significantly reduces body weight, fat mass, and waist circumference in obese individuals without altering fat-free mass.

To lose fat without losing muscle, train at your specific 'Fatmax' intensity (where your body burns the most fat) for 8-20 weeks, 3-5 times a week. This intensity is usually moderate (40-50% of your max oxygen uptake). Do not combine this with a strict diet, as the study showed fat loss occurred even without caloric restriction. This approach preserves muscle mass while reducing total and abdominal fat.

Interval training (HIIT and SIT) produces significantly greater reductions in total body fat percentage compared to moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) and non-exercise control (CON) in apparently healthy adults.

If you want to lose body fat, interval training (HIIT or SIT) is more effective than steady-state cardio (MICT) or no exercise. You don't need to do long sessions; even low-volume HIIT (under 15 minutes of high-intensity work per session) can be superior. This is especially true if you have overweight or obesity, or if you stick with the program for at least 12 weeks.

The Football Fans in Training (FFIT) weight management programme, delivered through professional football clubs, produces significant long-term weight loss (mean 2.90 kg) and sustained improvements in physical activity, diet, and psychological well-being in men aged 35-65, with effects persisting up to 3.5 years post-intervention.

If you are a man interested in football, joining a structured weight loss program delivered through a local football club can help you lose weight and keep it off. The FFIT program uses your team loyalty to motivate you to make small, sustainable changes to your physical activity and diet, leading to significant long-term health benefits.

A very-low-calorie diet (VLCD, ≤800 kcal/day) produces significantly greater weight loss and more pronounced improvements in hyperandrogenemia (Free Androgen Index) and metabolic markers compared to a moderate energy deficit diet in obese women with PCOS over an 8-week period.

For obese women with PCOS seeking rapid hormonal and weight improvement, a medically supervised VLCD (800 kcal/day) for 8 weeks is significantly more effective than standard moderate dieting. It achieves nearly triple the weight loss and can induce biochemical remission of PCOS symptoms, which moderate dieting failed to do in this trial. This requires strict adherence to meal replacements and medical oversight.

Tirzepatide significantly reduces body weight, BMI, and waist circumference in overweight or obese adults without diabetes compared to placebo.

If you are overweight or obese and do not have diabetes, tirzepatide is a highly effective prescription medication for significant weight loss. It is taken once a week by injection. While it causes side effects like nausea and vomiting in many people, the weight loss benefits are substantial. You should discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor and start with a low dose to minimize side effects.

Supplementation with the herbal blend LI85008F (900 mg/day) significantly reduces body weight, BMI, and visceral adiposity in healthy overweight adults compared to placebo when combined with modest caloric restriction and exercise.

Take 900mg of LI85008F daily (split into two 450mg doses) alongside a modest calorie-restricted diet (around 1800 kcal) and regular walking. This combination has been shown in a 16-week clinical trial to significantly reduce body weight and BMI in overweight adults compared to placebo.

An energy-reduced anti-inflammatory diet significantly improves hepatic status indices (NAFLD-FLS, FLI, FIB-4) and reduces inflammatory biomarkers in younger adults with obesity compared to a standard isocaloric diet.

To improve liver health and reduce inflammation, focus on an energy-reduced diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish, and olive oil. This approach was shown to significantly improve liver fat scores and reduce inflammatory markers in adults with obesity over 6 months, outperforming a standard weight loss diet in some inflammatory markers.

Whey protein supplementation combined with resistance training significantly improves lean mass, fat mass, and muscular strength in healthy individuals, but fails to produce these benefits in individuals with pathological conditions.

If you are healthy and under 40, adding whey protein to your resistance training routine will likely help you gain lean mass and lose fat. However, if you are older or have a chronic health condition, whey protein alone during training may not provide these specific benefits, and you might need to look into multi-nutrient supplementation strategies instead.

Whey protein supplementation combined with resistance training significantly improves body composition (lean mass gain and fat mass loss) and muscular strength specifically in individuals under 40 years of age, but not in older individuals.

If you are under 40, whey protein after resistance training is a proven strategy to build muscle and lose fat. If you are over 40, this specific combination may not yield the same results, and you should consider discussing multi-nutrient options (like vitamin D and leucine-enriched whey) with a professional.

Intermittent fasting (IF) significantly reduces body weight, BMI, fat mass, and triglycerides compared to regular diet in overweight/obese adults aged 40+ without metabolic disease, without causing significant loss of lean body mass.

If you are over 40 and overweight, trying intermittent fasting (like time-restricted eating or alternate-day fasting) can help you lose fat and weight without losing muscle, compared to just eating normally. Stick to a 2-6 week trial to see if it works for you.

Intermittent fasting significantly reduces fat mass in overweight/obese adults aged 40+ without metabolic disease, with greater efficacy in those with lower BMI (overweight to mild obesity) and with Time-Restricted Eating (TRF) protocols.

If you use Time-Restricted Eating (TRF), you may see better weight loss results, especially if your BMI is under 32.5.

Lowering dietary energy density (ED) significantly reduces total energy intake in both children and adults without requiring portion size reduction.

To reduce calories without feeling hungry, focus on lowering the energy density of your meals. This means increasing the proportion of water-rich foods (like vegetables) and decreasing energy-dense components (like fats and sugars). You can eat the same amount of food by weight, or even more, while consuming significantly fewer calories.

Time-restricted eating (TRE) with an 8-hour or shorter eating window significantly reduces body fat percentage, fat mass, lean mass, body mass, BMI, and waist circumference in adults with overweight and obesity compared to control groups.

If you are overweight or obese, try limiting your daily eating window to 8 hours or less (e.g., eating only between 12 PM and 8 PM). This approach has been shown to significantly reduce body fat, waist size, and overall weight compared to unrestricted eating. While you may lose some lean muscle mass, the overall health benefits for fat loss are significant. If you prefer a 10-12 hour window, you may not see the same level of fat loss.

A comprehensive, blended-learning lifestyle intervention (Individual Health Management) produces significantly greater weight loss and metabolic improvements than standard written advice in overweight/obese adults over 12 months.

To lose significant weight, you need more than just a pamphlet. Engage in a structured program that combines education, regular coaching, and self-monitoring tools. Choose a dietary approach (fasting, calorie counting, or meal replacements) that you can stick to, and use technology to track your progress. Consistency over 12 months is key to maintaining the loss.

Energy-restricted dietary interventions (specifically very-low-calorie diets of 600-853 kcal/day) can induce remission of type 2 diabetes (HbA1c <6.5% without medication), with remission rates strongly correlated with the magnitude of weight loss and inversely correlated with the duration of diabetes.

If you have recently been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, aggressive calorie restriction (often via meal replacements around 600-850 kcal/day for a few months) under medical supervision can potentially put your diabetes into remission. The key factors are losing a significant amount of weight (often >10% of body weight) and acting early in the diagnosis. This is not just about weight loss for aesthetics, but a medical intervention to restore metabolic health.

Initiating supervised exercise immediately at the start of a weight loss program (0-3 months) yields significantly greater weight loss and waist circumference reduction compared to delaying exercise until 6-9 months, with benefits persisting at 24 months.

If you are starting a weight loss journey, begin supervised exercise immediately, not after you have lost some weight. This study shows that starting circuit training (light weights, high heart rate) within the first 3 months leads to significantly more weight loss and waist reduction than starting it later. The early exercise acts as a motivator to keep you on track.

Intermittent Energy Restriction (IER) using a 5:2 diet pattern is equally effective as Continuous Energy Restriction (CER) for reducing body weight and blood pressure in overweight and obese patients with hypertension over a 6-month period.

If you have high blood pressure and are overweight, trying a 5:2 diet (eating very little, around 500-600 calories, on two non-consecutive days a week and eating normally the other five days) can lower your blood pressure and help you lose weight just as well as eating slightly less every single day. You should consult your doctor to adjust any blood pressure or diabetes medications, as your needs may change with weight loss.

A 6-month low-calorie, high-protein diet (35% of total calories from protein) improves glucose metabolism, body composition, and cardiometabolic profiles in subjects with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes and overweight/obesity, regardless of whether the protein source is primarily animal or plant-based.

If you have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes and are overweight, switching to a diet where 35% of your calories come from protein (whether from meat, fish, eggs, beans, nuts, or soy) and restricting your total calories by 30% can significantly improve your blood sugar, weight, and heart health markers. It does not matter if you choose animal or plant proteins; the key is the high-protein, low-calorie pattern itself. Stick to this for at least 6 months for best results.

Alternate-day modified fasting (ADMF) produces greater weight loss and BMI reduction compared to daily calorie restriction (CR) in overweight/obese women over 8 weeks.

If you are an overweight woman looking to lose weight, try Alternate-Day Modified Fasting. On fasting days, eat only 25% of your calculated daily calories (mostly lunch). On feeding days, eat 100% of your daily calories. Keep your macronutrient ratio at 15% protein, 30% fat, and 55% carbs. This method may help you lose more weight and stick to the diet better than eating less every day.

An intensive start with combined diet and supervised circuit weight training (0-3 months) significantly enhances long-term waist circumference reduction compared to delayed exercise or behavioral modification alone.

If you are starting a weight loss journey, especially if you have obesity, start with an intensive program that includes both diet and supervised exercise from day one. This study suggests that adding structured exercise (like circuit training) in the first 3 months leads to significantly better long-term reduction in waist circumference than starting exercise later or doing diet alone. The early success helps maintain motivation and adherence over the next few years.

Intensive behavioral modification (diet and counseling) alone results in clinically significant long-term weight loss and maintenance, even without added exercise.

You can achieve significant long-term weight loss through intensive behavioral modification alone, without needing to add structured exercise. This involves regular counseling, self-monitoring with food/activity diaries, and a moderate caloric deficit (500-1000 kcal/day). This approach resulted in an average 6.8% weight loss maintained over 3 years.

Intermittent fasting significantly reduces body weight and BMI in overweight and obese adults compared to control diets, with alternate-day fasting showing superior weight loss effects compared to time-restricted eating.

Intermittent fasting is an effective strategy for weight loss in overweight and obese individuals. Alternate-day fasting appears to offer greater weight loss benefits than time-restricted eating. To implement, choose a method (like ADF, TRE, or 5:2) that fits your lifestyle, ensuring you maintain a caloric deficit during fasting periods. Consistency over 12+ weeks yields the best results for body composition.

A eucaloric ketogenic diet (KD) induces significant weight loss primarily through visceral fat reduction while preserving muscle and bone mass, without adverse metabolic changes, over a period of up to three months.

If you are overweight or even normal weight, a ketogenic diet can help you lose fat without losing muscle, provided you eat enough to maintain your weight (eucaloric) and monitor your ketone levels to ensure you are in ketosis. This approach also appears to improve quality of life and reduce fatigue, particularly in those with overweight. You should aim for very low carbohydrate intake (around 33-35g/day) and monitor blood ketones to confirm adherence.

Combining time-restricted eating (8-hour window) with concurrent aerobic and resistance training significantly improves body weight, BMI, fat mass, and functional capacity in overweight/obese women compared to control or TRE-only groups, with no significant difference between early (4pm-8am) and late (12pm-8pm) eating windows.

To lose weight and improve fitness, combine an 8-hour eating window with 3 days per week of exercise (mix of cardio and weights). You can choose to eat early (e.g., 8am-4pm) or late (e.g., 12pm-8pm); both work equally well when you exercise. Ensure you eat enough calories (1200-1500 kcal) within that window and do not snack outside it. Consistency in both diet timing and exercise is key.