When it comes to weight loss, what works for everyone universally?

[Ella]

I always see different advice, diets, tips, and ways to lose weight but a lot of it seems to be dependent on certain factors. I want to know what has been proven to work for everyone and no matter what, so long as you do said thing(s), you will see results. So when it comes to losing weight, what is one thing that is proven to work for everyone no matter their size, sex, age, or whether or not they have an illness? 

[James]

The secret. It sounds so simple which is why people do not think it works. It is all about diet and exercise. 

Burn more calories then you consume (if you want to lose weight) and do this consistently. It really is that easy. 

[Sophia]

The best advice I ever heard was to invest in a kitchen scale. Why? You can track all of your calories accurately and see how much you are consuming. Exercise helps but won't do much if you are already overeating. You figure out what your resting metabolism rate is (based on age, sex, and height) and then you adjust in your activity level. So say you burn 1,500 calories laying in bed all day doing thing, you would then add on your calories burned depending on your activity level. 

Examples:

Not active: 100 calories // Slightly active : 200 calories // Moderately active: 300 calories // Very active : 400 calories Extremely active : 500 calories 

So for someone who is not active, they would burn 1600 calories a day and someone who is extremely active, they would burn 2,000 calories a day. These are just examples to show you, you need to know your numbers though and adjust accordingly. It is recommended to lower your daily calories intake by 500 from the point where you are no longer gaining weight but never going below 1,200 for adult women and 1,400 for adult men. This will give you a 1 pound weight loss each week. If you want to speed it up more, cut out more calories (not going lower than the stated numbers) or exercise more. If you cut 500 and burn 500, that will be 2 pounds a week. 

 

[Mila]

As mentioned, calorie counting works. It is the safest and easiest way to guarantee weight loss. It doesn't matter what you choose to eat, but rather the amount. Obviously if you want to be healthy about it, eating better food should factor in but it is no necessary to lose weight. My sister went from 165lbs down to 110lbs just by counting calories for 6 months. That is 55 pounds in 6 months, roughly just over 2 pounds a week. She even ate fast food! She just managed her calorie intake every 24 hours. 

[Emma]

Eat less, move more! You don't have to eat 100% healthy to lose weight and you don't even need to "work out". You just need to focus on eating less than you do, taking smaller portions and spacing out means as well as just generally moving more. I have seen friends of mine drop 20 or 30 pounds in just a few months because they became busier in life. One moved into her first place so she had to clean every day and the other one started a new job.

[Justin89]

I wouldn't say that diet and exercise works for everyone. Some people make have to make other life changes and do other things. As well, I'm aware some people have conditions that cause weight gain and make it tough to lose weight, even with dieting and exercise. 

For the most part though, a diet low in calories and working out, is the ideal way to lose weight. It may not be for all, but for most it would be enough I think.