Last reviewed: 25-02-2026
How to Lose Weight
We all struggle with losing extra weight sometimes. Not being able to lose the fat on your abs or thighs even after an extensive diet and exercise regimen can be a massive blow to your motivation. The truth is that some body fat stores are harder to "burn off" than others, and these vary by individual. The first point to note however, is that exercising a particular muscle or body paFor instance, countless sit-ups will not automatically burn abdominal fat.
The key to using the bodys fat stores is through consistent, correctly targeted, aerobic exercise. This will use fat stores from the next readily available source. Whilst not being able to target fat stored in a particular body part can be frustrating, you will eventually see results across your whole body and always look "in proportion".
Effective Ways of Reducing Weight
Weight-loss journeys by necessity are long and therefore require tenacity, but the result is always fruitful. However, not everyone's journey is the same; hence, it cannot be compared. There are many methods available to you; but the basic principle is that you need to be in a minor calorific deficit in order to lose body fat. Simple but not easy.
Moreover, following fad diets only produces a short-term result, which has a yo-yo effect and leads to extra weight gain after returning to a previous (or elevated) food intake. Such yo-yo dieting not only leads to physical problems, but can also create psychological issues hindering your future progress.
Education and understanding some core principles will help you achieve your goal. Whilst it will not cause you to lose fat, understanding the why as well as knowing the what can often help.
Never Skip Breakfast
Although a calorie deficit is the go-to way for weight loss, it doesn't call for skipping breakfast. The day's first meal is the most important; it helps raise your metabolism and provides much-needed fuel for your workout. Given that you will be awake and active during the day, eating calories in breakfast means you have the best opportunity to burn them off (rather than store them as future fuel, otherwise known as fat).
Moreover, eating breakfast will prevent you from binge-eating during lunchtime and excessively grazing during the morning.
Say No to Food Past 9
Get into the habit of not overeating at night. Most people hinder their weight loss journey by snacking excessively at night. Although it is not practical to lock your kitchen past nine, you can brush your teeth well before bedtime as a mental cue to help prevent snacking.
Alternatively, you can begin to get in the habit of sleeping early. Quality and quantity of sleep also has a role to play in weight loss, a topic I will explore in a different post.
However the key point to note at this stage is that our metabolism slows down when we are asleep and therefore our requirement for calories (energy) is reduced. Eating close to bedtime, or consuming large quantities of calories near bed time means that you will be unlikely to burn them and therefore they will be stored as body fat.
A further point for another post is the mix of macro-nutrients that are appropriate at different points in the day. When we sleep, our bodies take the opportunity to regenerate, or repair, themselves. Protein has an important role in this and therefore it is often suggested that eating protein food near the end of the day is helpful.
When we sleep our bodies repair / regenerate. As part of your fitness plan, sleep is vital. When you exercise you create microtares in muscle tissue. These are fixed during sleep (and rest days). During this repair process our bodies also take the opportunity to adapt. And that is the point at which you gain fitness or strength.
Increase your Intake of Fruits and Vegetables
If you want to lose weight without gaining muscle, an excellent method is to increase your intake of fruits and vegetables. Fruits are a natural source of sugar that will help you satisfy many peoples natural craving for sugary foods.
More importantly, fruits are relatively low in calories, so for some people seeing a larger volume of food can be helpful. Do however remember that friut does still have calories so this is not a so called hack. Also the sugar intake as a cost to your teeth.