Browse the evidence

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.

Post-bariatric exercise training yields approximately 1.94 kg of additional weight loss compared to surgery alone, with aerobic-resistance combinations and starting exercise ≥1 year post-surgery producing the greatest effects.

If you have had bariatric surgery, adding exercise to your routine will help you lose more weight and improve your physical function compared to relying on surgery and diet alone. For the best results, wait at least one year after surgery to start a structured exercise program, and combine aerobic activities (like walking or cycling) with resistance training (weight lifting). Aim for 1.3 to 4 hours of exercise per week, spread over 2-3 sessions.

Alternate day fasting (ADF) combined with a low-carbohydrate diet (30% carbs) produces significant weight loss and improves metabolic risk factors (LDL, blood pressure, fasting insulin) in adults with obesity.

To lose weight and improve metabolic health using this method, alternate days of strict 600-kcal fasting (using meal replacements) with 1000-kcal feast days (using meal replacements plus low-carb food). Ensure your diet is low in carbohydrates (30% of calories) on both types of days. This protocol was shown to reduce weight by ~6% and improve LDL, blood pressure, and insulin over 6 months in obese adults.

Distributing a fixed caloric deficit with higher energy intake in the morning (breakfast, morning snack, lunch) compared to the evening (afternoon snack, dinner) results in significantly greater fat loss and improved insulin sensitivity than an equal-calorie diet with more evening intake.

To maximize fat loss, shift the majority of your daily calories to the morning. If you are eating a fixed number of calories for weight loss, make breakfast, morning snack, and lunch account for about 70% of those calories, and save only 30% for afternoon snack and dinner. This timing strategy has been shown to improve fat loss and insulin sensitivity compared to eating more in the evening, even if total calories are the same. Start by making your breakfast substantial and gradually adjust your evening portions to fit this ratio.

Combining a reducing diet, physical activity, and behavior change techniques produces superior long-term weight loss in men compared to any single component or control.

For men seeking weight loss, do not rely on exercise alone. The most effective approach combines a calorie-reducing diet with regular physical activity and structured behavior change techniques (like goal setting and self-monitoring). Group-based programs delivered in settings men find comfortable (like sports clubs) can be highly effective if they are tailored to be direct, factual, and flexible.

A 4-week non-calorie-restricted ketogenic diet significantly reduces body weight, BMI, and abdominal adiposity (waist circumference) in overweight/obese young females without impairing cardiorespiratory fitness.

If you are an overweight young woman, switching to a ketogenic diet for 4 weeks can help you lose weight and reduce belly fat without needing to count calories or exercise more. You will eat less carbs and more fat, but keep your energy levels for daily activities. Expect to lose about 3kg and reduce your waist size by 4cm. Monitor your ketones to ensure you are in ketosis.

Combined exercise and low carbohydrate ketogenic diet interventions significantly reduce waist circumference and triglycerides in overweight and obese individuals compared to control groups.

If you are overweight or obese, combining regular moderate-to-vigorous exercise (about 4 times a week for an hour) with a low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet (less than 50g carbs, high fat) can help reduce your waist size and triglyceride levels. You do not need to restrict calories, which might make it easier to stick with. While other body composition metrics like total weight or BMI might not change significantly, the reduction in waist circumference is a clinically meaningful improvement for chronic disease risk.

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.

An 8-week Very Low-Calorie Ketogenic Diet (VLCKD) significantly reduces liver fat accumulation (measured by CAP and FLI) and improves metabolic biomarkers in overweight/obese subjects with NAFLD.

To improve liver health, follow an 8-week VLCKD protocol strictly. Consume under 800 calories daily with only 20-50g of carbs. Use meal replacements initially, then transition to one real protein meal. Ensure you take micronutrient supplements and drink at least 2 liters of water daily. This approach targets liver fat directly.

A multiphasic very-low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD) program significantly reduces body weight, waist circumference, and cardiometabolic risk markers (including insulin resistance, blood pressure, and lipid profiles) in women with overweight or obesity when implemented in a real-world outpatient setting.

For women with overweight or obesity, a structured, medically supervised very-low-calorie ketogenic diet program over 24 weeks can significantly reduce body weight, waist size, and improve key health markers like insulin resistance and blood pressure. The program uses specific meal replacements and supplements, divided into active and stabilization phases. While strict adherence is challenging and some individuals may see an increase in LDL cholesterol, the overall cardiovascular risk profile tends to improve. Regular monitoring of liver, kidney, and lipid functions is recommended to ensure safety and tailor the approach.

An energy-restricted high-protein diet (30% protein, 40% carbohydrate, 30% fat) produces significantly greater weight loss and fat mass reduction than a traditional energy-restricted control diet (15% protein, 55% carbohydrate, 30% fat) in obese men over 8 weeks.

If you are an obese man looking to lose weight, switching to a diet with higher protein (30% of calories) and lower carbohydrates (40%) while keeping fat moderate (30%) and maintaining a calorie deficit will likely result in faster and greater weight loss than a standard low-fat, high-carb diet over an 8-week period.

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.

An 8-week very low carbohydrate diet (VLCD) with <20g carbohydrate/day and <800 kcal/day significantly reduces body weight, visceral and subcutaneous fat, liver fat, and improves insulin sensitivity and beta-cell function in obese subjects.

For obese individuals, an 8-week very low carbohydrate diet (under 20g carbs, under 800 calories) can significantly reduce body weight, visceral fat, and liver fat while improving insulin sensitivity. This approach preserves or even increases skeletal muscle mass percentage compared to fat loss. It requires strict adherence and medical supervision due to the severity of caloric restriction.

A 12-week low-carbohydrate, high-fat (LCHF) diet improves metabolic health outcomes (specifically triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, and glucose) and yields greater weight loss compared to a conventional high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet in overweight military personnel.

Adopt a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet for 12 weeks, focusing on whole foods like non-starchy vegetables, meat, and healthy fats, while limiting processed foods, grains, and sugars. Monitor your adherence and expect improvements in metabolic markers like triglycerides and HDL, along with weight loss, even if LDL cholesterol increases slightly.

Post-bariatric surgery success (defined as >50% excess weight loss) is significantly associated with maintaining carbohydrate intake below 173g/day and fat intake below 52.5g/day at 12 months, alongside a total caloric intake under 1523 kcal/day.

After bariatric surgery, hitting your weight loss goals depends heavily on what you eat, not just how much. At one year, aim for less than 1523 calories, keep carbs under 173 grams, and fat under 52.5 grams. Crucially, ensure you are eating more than 86.5 grams of protein daily. This specific balance of macros is what separates successful long-term weight loss from failure.

Intermittent fasting during Ramadan leads to significant reductions in body weight, BMI, fat mass, and waist circumference in healthy young men, primarily driven by negative energy balance.

If you fast from sunrise to sunset for a month, you will likely lose weight and body fat, provided you don't overeat during non-fasting hours. This study showed a modest but significant drop in weight and fat mass, driven by eating less overall.

A 16-week community-based weight loss program combining cognitive-behavioral strategies, increased physical activity (targeting 10,000 steps/day), and increased low-fat dairy consumption (targeting 3 servings/day) produces significant weight loss (mean 6.0 kg) and metabolic improvements in overweight adults.

Join a structured weight loss program that focuses on behavior change rather than just willpower. Track your fat intake, aim for 3 servings of low-fat dairy daily, and gradually increase your walking to 10,000 steps a day. Expect to lose about 6 kg over 4 months if you stick with it.

A multidisciplinary outpatient obesity treatment program utilizing a very-low-energy diet (VLED) followed by long-term maintenance and pharmacotherapy achieves clinically significant weight loss (mean 3.5% at 3 years) and improves retention rates compared to lifestyle methods alone.

For severe obesity, relying on willpower and standard dieting often leads to weight regain. A structured medical approach using a very-low-energy diet (around 550-800 calories) for initial loss, followed by regular check-ins and potentially appetite-suppressing medication, can help maintain a clinically meaningful weight loss (around 3.5%) over three years. This approach addresses the physiological drive to regain weight.

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.

Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD) is highly effective for weight loss, producing a mean difference of -4.50 kg compared to eucaloric diet.

VLCD is a highly effective intervention for weight loss, producing a mean loss of 4.5 kg more than eucaloric diet. It should be undertaken with medical supervision due to its intensity.

A hybrid digital health weight loss program combining a mobile application, wireless scale, and meal replacement biscuits achieves clinically significant short- and midterm weight loss (average 5.4 kg at 120 days) without face-to-face interaction.

To lose weight using this method, you need a smartphone, a compatible wireless scale, and access to the specific meal replacement biscuits (Yufit) recommended by the MetaWell app. The core mechanism is a caloric deficit achieved by replacing some meals with these low-calorie biscuits (up to 3 daily) while following the app's personalized meal plan. You must weigh yourself daily using the scale and log it in the app. The program is designed to be remote, so you do not need to see a doctor or nutritionist in person. If your BMI drops below 22, the program switches to maintenance mode.

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.

Low-intensity endurance training targeted at maximal lipid oxidation (LIPOXmax) maintains significant weight loss over 3 years, whereas low-fat diet alone fails to sustain weight loss after 1 year.

To lose weight and keep it off long-term, try low-intensity endurance exercise (like cycling or walking) where you can still hold a conversation but are working hard enough to burn fat. Aim for about 45 minutes, 3 times a week. Don't worry about burning massive calories; the key is training your body to use fat efficiently and potentially reducing your appetite. Consistency and regular check-ins with a professional are crucial for maintaining these habits over years.

A remote digital health intervention combining mobile applications, wireless scales, and low-calorie meal replacement biscuits produces clinically significant weight loss (mean 14 kg, 13% total body weight loss) in severely obese individuals (BMI ≥35 kg/m2) over 120 days.

If you have severe obesity (BMI ≥35), a structured digital program using meal replacement biscuits and daily self-weighing can lead to significant weight loss (around 13% of body weight over 4 months). The key is consistency: weigh yourself daily using a connected scale and follow the prescribed meal plan. This approach is designed to be accessible and scalable, offering a viable alternative to more invasive or expensive treatments for those who can adhere to the protocol.