Using Science To Evaluate Popular Weight Loss Tips On the Internet

The Internet is flooded with a number of weight loss tips but which tips to trust & follow and which are a complete waste of your time, let’s find out using science.

In the first category, we have the worst tips.

These are worst because they’re ineffective at moving the weight scale one bit and driven mainly by word of mouth and their effectiveness is largely anecdotal, no scientific evidence.

Contestants we have here are – drinking lukewarm water, lemon water, herbs & spice water, apple cider vinegar shots, eating spicy food, use of weight loss supplements, use of caffeine & green tea, not eating post 7 PM, eating smaller meals throughout the day, no fat in the diet, detox drinks, eating organic food, etc.

Though a lot of them are really good habits to adopt from a general health perspective, but weight loss isn’t one of its benefits.

So better not rely on them.

In case, you’ve experienced weight loss with any one of them, that has happened primarily because of creating a negative energy balance, knowingly or unknowingly – maybe you increased your activity along with them or reduced consumption of food.

Negative energy balance is spending more calories (via walking, workouts) than consuming (via food).

Either move more or eat less or both.

If somebody is trying to sell any products that fall under this category, better stay away.

Second category is bad tips, where you see weight loss on the scale but these tips have some foundational mistakes.

These are – crash dieting, eating salads, skipping meals, drinking meal replacement shakes, excessive or empty stomach cardio.

These are primarily based on the principle of negative energy balance – Meaning, amongst the first 4 of them, you’re eating lesser than your requirement or maintenance calories resulting in weight loss.

In the last 2 tips, you’re creating a negative energy balance by spending more calories.

The foundational mistakes here are –

• Driven by a sense of urgency hence not long-term sustainable.
• It will impact your metabolism negatively.
• May result in muscle loss in absence of appropriate protein & weight training.

Amongst the good tips, we have –

Mindful eating. Although, the weight loss results from a 2015 systematic review were inconsistent (1), but, it surely helps in bringing overall positive outcomes for health.

The second is drinking sufficient water or staying hydrated. This has also shown mixed results from a weight loss perspective, however, was effective at reducing 5.15% weight if sufficient water consumed throughout the day, replacing calorie beverages with water, and drinking water before meals according to a 2019 systematic review however, the quality of evidence was low due to short duration of studies (2).

But other potential benefits of hydration demands the inclusion of this transparent beverage in your life more often.

Next is to sleep well. Lack of sleep creates an imbalance between hunger & satiety hormones resulting in binging on salt & sugar-loaded high-calorie foods. Sleep well to wane out unnecessary cravings and save calories (3).

Next up, reduce consumption of processed food & alcohol. Now, both empty calorie foods have minimal to no nutrition to offer but they significantly add up calories.

Just to give you some perspective, a regular McDonald’s Aloo Tikki burger has 367 calories (4), 1 Kingfisher Ultra Beer Pint has 140 calories (5) and a Teacher’s 30ml drink has 76 calories (6).

Fifth tip is to include protein & fiber-rich foods aka complex carbohydrates in diet. Both are proven to increase satiety & help reduce caloric intake (7,8 & 9). Add minimal 1.2g/kg body weight protein to avoid any muscle loss.

Couple this with quantifying food using a scale & tracking on a calorie counting app to consume the desired number of calories according to your goal. A calorie deficit of 300-500 is appropriate for weight loss.

Next is NEAT. In simple words, increase your physical activity – move more, sit less – cycle, walk, run. This is will increase energy expense.

The last good tip is Resistance or weight training because (1) muscle burns more calories than fat, (2) it preserves muscle mass during a calorie deficit, and (3) it gives aesthetically pleasing results from weight loss.

In conclusion, (1) prioritize negative energy balance by eating less calories and spending more calories (2) preserve & build muscle by weight training (3) include sufficient protein & complex carbs to stay satiated for longer and (4) rest well to see great outcomes.

Remember a good weight loss strategy is driven by bringing long-term sustainable changes in lifestyle.

Article research conducted by Sanjana Suresh