Weight Loss
Readers usually arrive here with a number in mind, most often 1,500 calories a day. The 1,500-calorie meal plan gives seven days in grams, a three-meal version and, first of all, who that number suits and who it leaves short; there is also a Mediterranean version if that is how you like to cook.
Eating less is only half the job; the other half is not being hungry all day. Satiating foods explains the four traits that make a food filling, high protein, fibre, water and low calorie density, and which everyday foods have them. The rebound effect looks at why so much lost weight comes back after restrictive diets, with the studies behind it, and what helps keep it off.
All of them start from the same place: a calorie deficit you can keep up. Yours depends on your weight, height, age and how much you move.
1800 calorie meal plan: a 7-day menu in grams, a 3-meal version and who it is for (men and women)
An 1800 calorie meal plan for 7 days, in grams and added up with USDA data (1797-1814 kcal and 124-136 g of protein a day), plus a 3-meal version.
1300 calorie meal plan: a 7-day high-protein menu in grams, and who it is (and is not) for
A 1300 calorie meal plan for 7 days, in grams and added up with USDA data (1284-1309 kcal and 107-114 g of protein a day), plus who it does not suit.
1500 calorie Mediterranean diet: full weekly meal plan
A ~1500 kcal Mediterranean weekly meal plan with legumes, fish and measured olive oil. What the trials show and how to adapt it to your calories.
September reset: how to lose the summer weight without a crash diet
September is the second January. How to lose vacation weight for real: a gentle deficit, protein, meal prep and photo logging — the realistic plan.
Losing weight as a man: where the fat goes and why the gym alone won't do it
Why male fat goes to the belly, why your energy expenditure doesn't drop with age, and why training without touching your food gets you little. No hype.
Walking for weight loss: how many steps a day do you really need?
Walking helps you lose weight, but not by magic: it works because it adds to your calorie deficit. The 10,000-step target is a marketing myth.
1200-calorie meal plan: free weekly menu, who it is for (and who it is not) and how much weight you lose
Free 1200-calorie weekly meal plan in grams, a 3-meal version, how much weight you can lose and who 1200 kcal a day is safe for (and who it is not).
Visceral fat: what it is, why it is dangerous and how to reduce it
Visceral fat wraps around your organs and is the most dangerous for your health. What sets it apart from subcutaneous fat.
1500 calorie meal plan: a 7-day menu in grams, a 3-meal version and who it is (and is not) for
A 1500 calorie meal plan for 7 days, in grams and added up with USDA data (1483-1513 kcal and 111-128 g of protein a day), plus a 3-meal version.
Losing weight fast: what is safe and what is a trap
How much weight you can lose fast without gaining it back: the safe rate according to the evidence, why crash diets rebound and how to speed up fat loss…
Losing weight after 40: what changes and how to do it
Why losing weight gets harder after 40-50: muscle, hormones and lifestyle — and the plan that works at this age: strength training, protein.
Losing weight as a woman: why it is different
Why women lose weight differently from men: metabolism, hormones, cycle and menopause. And how to slim down healthily without extreme diets that throw.
Ozempic and GLP-1 drugs: how to eat during treatment
How to eat on Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro (GLP-1): protein to protect muscle, small meals, hydration, and what to do about nausea.
BMI: what it is, how to calculate it, and why it does not tell the whole story
What body mass index (BMI) is, how to calculate and interpret it, and its limits: why it does not distinguish fat from muscle or where fat is stored.
How to speed up your metabolism: what works and what is a lie
Slow metabolism? A kilo of muscle burns about 13 kcal a day at rest, not 50-70. What really raises your energy expenditure and which myths to drop.
How to lose belly fat: what the studies show works (and why crunches do not)
Six weeks of crunches did not shrink waist size or belly fat. What really reduces visceral fat, and how to measure it at home with a tape measure.
The Rebound Effect: Why You Regain Weight and How to Really Avoid It
Five years after a diet, more than 80% of the lost weight is regained on average. Why restrictive diets fail, and what people who keep it off actually do.
Satiating Foods: How to Lose Weight Without Going Hungry
The foods that fill you up most with fewest calories and why they work. Protein, fibre, water and volume: the key to sustaining a calorie deficit.
Beyond the Scale: How to Measure Your Progress for Real
The scale lies. Learn to measure progress with the weekly trend, measurements, photos, strength and how your clothes fit — not with a single day's number.
Alcohol and Weight Loss: Calories in Every Drink, Whether It Slows Fat Burning and How Much You Can Drink
Calories per drink from USDA data: a small beer has 86 kcal, a gin and tonic 179, a rum and cola 196. Plus whether alcohol slows fat loss and how much to drink.
Weight Loss Plateau: Why You Stop Losing Weight and How to Break It
Why weight loss stalls: keeping off 10% of your weight can cut daily energy burn by 20–25%. How to spot a real plateau and break it without extreme diets.
How to lose weight: the definitive science-based guide (2026)
How to lose weight in 5 steps: a 300-550 kcal daily deficit, 1.6 g/kg of protein, strength training and sleep. Worked numbers and checked studies.
Caloric deficit: the only real way to lose weight (explained simply)
To lose 0.5 kg a week you need about 550 kcal/day below YOUR maintenance (500 for 1 lb). Worked examples, a table by pace, why 1,500 kcal is not a deficit.
Start eating better today
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