WEIGHT LOSS

THE SCIENCE

Despite what Argos’s January dumbbell sales might suggest, simply working up a sweat isn’t the most efficient way to shed excess fat. Weight loss happens when your body requires more energy and calories than you’re putting in, and so is forced to break down the molecules in your fat cells for fuel. ‘Start by writing down what you’re eating during a regular day, only using a calorie counting app if that works for you,’ suggests sports dietitian Kathryn Stewart (@edible_evidence). ‘If that amount is keeping your weight stable, then reducing it by about 10% to 15% will help create a calorie deficit – that might be one fewer snack per day or just slightly smaller portions.’ She notes that the best daily diet for weight loss is one you can stick to, and swerving quick-fix fads and diets that require you to ditch whole food groups is wise for both your body and your mind.

Of course, exercise can help you reach this deficit, as well as delivering ample benefits beyond fat burn. Stewart recommends incorporating strength training to build lean muscle, which, in turn, will increase your basal metabolic rate, supporting you with your weight-loss endeavours without need for excessive dietary restriction. As well as your scheduled workouts, Stewart advises boosting your non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) – essentially any movement that isn’t part of your structured training plan, such as walking to the shops, cleaning the house or running around after your dependants. Youtube dumbbell workouts are all well and good, but if you spend the next 72 hours mostly on your backside, the aggregate effects on your activity levels are not going to be positive.

As for keeping it all going? Research suggests that people who form good fitness habits along with switching up their diets are much more likely to stick to their plans.

Think less about burning fat and more about bulking up your willpower.

THE WINNER Calories count, but they don’t count for everything. The scales are steady: it’s a tie.