What are effective ways to lose weight?
The combination of eating fewer calories and exercising for more than 250 minutes per week is the most proven effective approach; add behavioural support if sustaining it proves difficult, and discuss medications or surgery with your doctor if lifestyle changes alone are not producing sufficient results.
The strongest evidence supports the combination of eating less and moving more. Diet plus exercise produces greater weight loss than exercise alone, and this effect has been demonstrated in multiple studies and is broadly endorsed by international guidelines. The composition of the diet (low carbohydrate, low fat, high protein) matters less than the total calorie deficit: as long as you consume less than you burn, you will lose weight.
How much you exercise makes a concrete difference. The standard physical activity guideline of 150 minutes of moderate activity per week improves your fitness and heart health, but without changes to your diet it is not enough to achieve clinically meaningful weight loss. Only above 250 minutes per week do you also see a clear result on the scale, and that higher level also helps to keep lost weight off afterwards. Strength training has a different effect: you build muscle mass and lose fat mass, but the number on the scale usually does not go down as a result. It does, however, improve your health risks.
A well-supported diet-and-exercise programme is the Mediterranean diet combined with physical activity. In a large randomised trial, this led to weight loss and an improvement in cardiovascular risk factors after one year.
Behaviour change is the third pillar. Cognitive behavioural therapy, which focuses on thoughts and habits around eating, helps people sustain the necessary changes and prevent weight regain.
If lifestyle changes produce insufficient results, there are two options with stronger evidence. Approved weight-loss medications (such as liraglutide, orlistat, or naltrexone/bupropion) can support the process, but are a supplement to diet and exercise, not a replacement, and require medical supervision because of side effects. For severe obesity, bariatric surgery (such as a sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass) is the most effective long-term intervention: the weight loss is substantial and the risk of mortality decreases. It is a major surgical procedure with associated risks, and is suitable only for specific groups of patients.
This answer is based on multiple reviews and international guidelines, as well as a large randomised trial (PREDIMED-Plus). The combination of diet and exercise and the role of bariatric surgery are the most strongly supported. For exercise as a standalone intervention, the evidence is more observational in nature, meaning that cause and effect can be established with somewhat less certainty. The conclusions regarding behavioural therapy and medications are based on smaller or less consistent bodies of research.
Does drinking water help with weight loss?
Drinking water probably helps with weight loss, especially when done before meals or when used to replace sugar-containing drinks. The effect is modest and works best as part of a broader diet.
I am overweight -- what will losing weight do for me?
Losing weight delivers measurable health gains from as little as 5% weight loss: better blood sugar, lower blood pressure and less pressure on your knees. Combine diet with strength training to preserve muscle mass and reduce the risk of weight regain.
Does metformin help with weight loss?
Metformin helps with weight loss, but the effect is modest: expect a few kilograms, not a dramatic transformation. Lifestyle changes work better in the short term, but weight loss with metformin remains stable over the long term. Discuss it with your doctor if you want to know whether it suits your situation.
Does berberine help with weight loss?
Berberine leads to modest weight loss in some studies, but a large well-designed study found no effect on visceral fat. It is not a powerful slimming agent, but may offer additional benefits for people with elevated cholesterol or type 2 diabetes.
Why is it harder for me to lose weight than it used to be?
Ageing lowers your energy expenditure through muscle loss and a slower metabolism, making weight loss objectively harder. Strength training two to three times per week is the best-supported way to slow that process and support weight loss, ideally with professional guidance.
Does Ozempic help with weight loss and how does it work?
Semaglutide demonstrably helps with weight loss: an average of 15% of starting body weight after just over a year. It works by suppressing hunger through both the brain and the gastrointestinal tract, but nausea is a well-known side effect that should be taken seriously.