How To Lose Weight
Weight loss requires one thing: a sustained calorie deficit. Every diet that works — keto, low-carb, intermittent fasting, low-fat, Mediterranean — works because it reduces calorie intake below expenditure. There is no metabolic magic; there are only different tools to create the same deficit.
The Math
One pound of fat stores approximately 3,500 calories of energy. A daily deficit of 500 calories produces ~1 lb/week loss. A deficit of 250 calories produces ~0.5 lb/week — slower, but easier to maintain. The formula: weight loss = (calories in) − (calories out), sustained over weeks and months.
Calorie Tracking vs. Food Rules
Both approaches work. Calorie tracking gives precision (apps like MyFitnessPal show ~85% accuracy when users weigh food). Food rules (no processed food, no sugar, no eating after 8pm) work by restricting food choices — fewer options = fewer calories consumed. Choose the approach you will actually maintain long-term.
Common Failure Modes
Most diet failures fall into three categories: underestimating calories (restaurant meals average 2.5× the stated calories), overcompensating with exercise (people unconsciously eat back calories burned), and unsustainable restriction (crash diets trigger rebound eating). A modest, consistent deficit beats an aggressive unsustainable one.