Deep down, through all the cabbage soup diets and the vibrating tables, we’ve known all along that reducing energy in and increasing energy out creates an energy deficit that leads to weight loss. It’s basic maths. It’s almost too simple.
So much so that, year in, year out, we have been repeatedly romanced and seduced by the idea that something more complicated must deliver better results.
So we devised crack-pot schemes to ‘trick’ our bodies into shedding pounds, as though our fat cells had their own hidden agenda. We went low carb, high protein, liquid, powdered, fat-free, dairy-free, wheat-free, food-free. We tried fit-flops, caffeine tights, and body-stockings made of clingfilm, but to no avail.
And all of this was in an attempt to avoid doing the two things that would guarantee results: eating less and moving more.
But now, finally, the effectiveness of this simple approach has been proven (as if it were needed) by a scientific study.
Scientists at Harvard University in Boston, US, conducted a study in 4,000 obese adults, and found that those who cut their fat intake and exercised more than usual were more likely to shed body weight than those following a ‘fad’ weight loss plan such as a liquid diet, dietary supplements or a popular slimming regime.
It should not come as a shock, but in a way, it does. After years of looking for something else, it turns out we should have just taken the common sense approach all along.
After all, going for a jog a few times a week can’t be any harder than living off a mixture of a syrup, lemon juice, water and cayenne pepper, can it?
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