-I know that for some people, exercise isn't an option( for reasons of health conditions or restricted mobility) But let's say you decide to cut your calorie intake instead of doing any exercise -can this still result in weight loss?  The answer is yes, provided you are tracking your calorie intake accurately and creating a calorie deficit for example using more calories as you consume..

-However, by trying to focus only on reducing your food intake, you may need to adjust your expectations of how quickly you will lose weight, but that depends on how much weight you want to lose. Cutting calories from food intake alone could require quite a drastic and unwarranted reduction, leading to hunger, low daily caloric intake, and difficulty continuing... I recommend choosing the level you find sustainable for you it will last a little more time, but constant progress will lead you to the desired goal. I can't tell you a minimum calorie level for weight loss, but that depends on your goal and activity level. Too low will be extremely challenging and is not recommended because you are not getting the proper nutrients to keep your body healthy and support your daily activity level.

-The answer depends on the type of training or exercises you focus on, how frequently, and how many calories you burn. The challenge is that the more you train the more you burn calories and it makes you feel hungry. This is a natural response by our body to replace used calories if you are trying to use the exercise to create a calorie deficit, it is important to control the number of calories you are eating back to ensure that you have not eliminated the deficit. This is the easiest way and generally recommended to try it is one of the principles of weight loss; -which is to create a calorie deficit through eating less AND exercising more.

-That said, some research has found that intermittent fasting can result in:

1. Increased insulin sensitivity

2. Reduced blood pressure

3. Reduced bad cholesterol levels

4. Better blood sugar control

5. Improved appetite hormone regulation

6. Increased growth hormone secretion

-Many of these factors will reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

-The health benefits of intermittent fasting in humans aren't yet concrete, there's little evidence to suggest it could be particularly harmful if conducted sensibly. So if a particular fasting approach suits you and your lifestyle, by all means, give it a try and potentially you could benefit your health in multiple ways too!

5:2 fast.....the original and very well known approach to intermittent fasting requires to eat normally for 5 days and restrict calories on 2 days each week for women was suggested restriction to 500 calories on fasting days and men at 600 calories.

However, this has been revised in recent years to recommend 800 calories on fasting days. There is also a 'rapid weight loss' phase to this diet, which recommends having just 800 calories per day for 2-12 weeks. This should only be done under the guidance and approval of a professional

6:8 fast....this approach requires you to fast for 16 hours a day and only eat during an 8 hour window. So for example, eat your evening meal by 7pm then don't eat anything else until 11am the following day.

Alternate day fasting....– this requires you to fasting every other day for an entire day. Some versions allow 500 calories to be consumed on the fasting days, while others require a complete fast.

Warrior diet ....–this approach suggests eating raw fruit and veg during the day, then eating a huge meal in the evening during a 4-hour window.

-There is research that supports the idea of ​​eating earlier in the day and gradually reducing your intake until the early evening. One study found that women who ate their largest meal at the beginning of the day lost twice as much weight as those who ate their largest meal at the end. This is thought to be due to our body's natural circadian rhythm, probably the best time to ingest (eating more calories earlier in the day). This shows that our metabolism is most likely much more active in the first part of the day.

-On top of this, research involving prediabetic men found that if they ate all their calories within an eight-hour window (between 7 am and 3 pm), their blood pressure reduced and insulin sensitivity increased – when compared to eating the same amount over 12 hours.

These findings suggest the importance of meal timing and general dietary patterns for maintaining good health and weight loss.

1. You are constantly hungry:....🥪

-The first major sign that the calorie deficit is too severe is persistent hunger. It may seem obvious, right? Leptin is one of the hormones that make us feel full. When our caloric intake drops too much, leptin levels drop. At the same time, the hormone that tells us we're hungry (called ghrelin) increases. This is often what leads to an all-too-frequent cycle in people trying to lose weight—restricting too much during the week and then throwing in the towel and bingeing on the weekend.

2. Your energy levels are at an all-time low....🥱

-Another sign that you're not eating enough is low energy levels. Calories are the units of energy that the body uses to function. In a mild deficit, our body can use its fat stores over time to meet its energy needs, but if we don't feed it enough through our diets to perform even basic functions, we can't expect it to function at normal capacity... So, if in the morning you wake up tired and all the time during the day, there is that state of sleepiness but, you have to do your work, exhausted at the end of each day, especially after physical activity, it could be a warning your caloric deficit is too drastic.

3. You are irritable and snappy....🥴

-You've probably heard the term "hangover" - used to describe the seemingly irrational irritation we can feel before our morning coffee and a bite to eat. But there is actually science behind this answer! Cortisol and adrenaline are hormones associated with anger and anxiety stress responses due to their role in the fight or flight mechanism. These two hormones are triggered by low blood sugar, so the less we eat, the more likely we are to trigger the brain's fight-or-flight centers, leading to feelings of stress, anger, and anxiety.

Because circulating adrenaline levels are higher, malnutrition has also been associated with sleep problems, which can perpetuate feelings of anxiety and the dreaded "hangover."

4. You are constipated...😬

-If you're not putting as much food into your body, you'll probably have less coming out of your body. It's a less-than-pleasant subject, but constipation can be extremely uncomfortable and shouldn't go untreated. You're also less likely to not eat enough fiber, which could contribute to a blockage in your digestive system. You may also consume less water through both food and drink, water normally helps keep everything moving.

Remember, 30g per day is your daily fiber target. It can be a challenge for most people, even when they're not following a low-calorie diet.

5. Your weight loss is stalling.....🤨

-Can eating less make it harder to lose weight?! It may seem counter-intuitive, but it's true. Eating too little can affect your metabolic rate long-term and is likely to make it harder to maintain lean tissue, so while you may initially see a lower number on the scale, this will represent both fat loss and muscle loss. Because muscle tissue uses more calories daily than fat, people with leaner tissue will have a higher metabolic rate. A higher metabolic rate means more calories burned. So losing muscle tissue isn't ideal when you're losing weight because your metabolic rate will drop, making further weight loss more difficult.

-Severely reducing caloric intake for a prolonged period could also prompt the body to actively lower its metabolic rate in an attempt to conserve energy. The scientific name for this is adaptive thermogenesis, but it is also called metabolic slowing. Research is ongoing to improve our understanding of the mechanisms that trigger and promote the slowing of metabolism, but all we know for now is that exaggerating the calorie deficit could be more of a hindrance than a help when it comes to weight loss.

Cardio – This is the best choice for most people who want to use exercise for weight loss – this includes running, spin classes, cycling, swimming (using a trainer), rowing, and walking. Each of these activities will burn a decent number of calories (the more you weigh, the more you'll burn). The "best" thing to do is, the one you enjoy the most and, will therefore do regularly. Start at an intensity that, matches your fitness level - the great thing about cardio is that, you can progress quite quickly and it's really motivating you .... when you can feel your fitness level improving!

-Walking... is great for beginners, because, it's low impact and less intense than, say.. running - and because, it's less intense, you can usually keep going for longer, making it a good fat burner calories. 

-Running.... is good for burning calories, in a shorter amount of time. 

-Cycling.... is also a great calorie burner and, better for those who, need a low-impact activity.

-Most forms of cardio activity burn more or less a similar number of calories, except walking, which is a much lower-intensity activity. So it comes down to personal preference when choosing your cardio exercises.

-Strength training-his type of exercise is often overlooked, especially by women concerned that lifting heavy weights will result in big muscles. Strength training (or "resistance") training is now extremely popular as people have become aware and have a better understanding of the significant benefits it provides. While lifting weights doesn't burn as many calories in an hour as running, the benefits of this type of workout last beyond the workout session itself.

-Regular strength training builds lean muscle mass, which helps increase your metabolic rate – so ultimately, the more muscle mass you have, the more calories your body burns each day. This means that, in the long run, strength training is excellent for promoting weight loss and fat burning. Lifting weights can also lead to an "afterburn" effect, where your metabolic rate is slightly increased in the hours following exercise. So while you may burn about 200 calories while lifting weights, you can continue to burn another 100 calories throughout the day during recovery.

-High-intensity interval training or 'HIIT':– a buzzword at the moment, HIIT has become very popular in recent years. It consists of performing short periods of intense exercise followed by short periods of rest. Typical HIIT workouts last around 20-30 minutes or a little longer (as they are very intense and for much longer durations would be a great challenge). The great thing about HIIT is that you can get a lot done in a short amount of time - great for anyone with time!

-Another benefit of HIIT is the afterburn effect – which can be even greater than strength training. This means your metabolic rate stays much higher for hours following a HIIT workout, making it a fantastic calorie burner.

Bottom line: -if your goal is weight loss, a combination of cardio, strength training, and a HIIT session can help burn some calories while leading to various fitness gains. It's also better to mix up our exercises to prevent boredom, so having a variety of styles in your program is a great idea. 

-The UK's exercise recommendations are as follows: -do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week (moderate intensity means you should feel a little out of breath, your heart rate should be up and you can keep a conversation but not sing a song). ). The recommendation is to spread your 150 minutes of exercise over at least 4/5 days - so aiming for 30 minutes 5 days a week is a great goal. It is also recommended to include at least 2 strength training sessions per week for good overall health. If you feel you are not up to it then seek professional help to understand better.

-Doing moderate-intensity cardio such as walking, swimming, or jogging for 30 minutes two to three times a week, along with two 30-minute strength-based sessions such as weight training, activity physical activity, or weight lifting, will generally help you reach the recommended health guideline. However, if you have a specific fitness goal, such as increasing strength or improving cardiovascular fitness, then adjust your exercise routine to reflect this, placing more emphasis on weight training or higher-intensity cardio. When it comes to weight maintenance, it's all about keeping calories out equal to calories in – so keep in mind, that the more you exercise, the more calories you'll need to eat to avoid weight loss when you don't intend to.

-Just a note! Any type of exercise that gets you moving more and gets your blood pumping is great for your overall health, but the most important thing is to choose an activity you enjoy doing. If you find something you really like, then you're much more likely to stick with it, and the key to successful weight maintenance is to be consistently active – how you do that is up to you!

-Gain weight- To gain weight, you need to be in a calorie surplus, so doing hours and hours of cardio could be counterproductive. That being said, some cardio is important for our overall good health. It's good to include walking or cycling (if you enjoy it) – meeting the physical activity guidelines for general health (150 minutes a week) is suitable for everyone – even if you're trying to gain weight.

-Additionally, if you want to increase the number on the scale, your main focus should be strength training. Many people aiming to gain weight, want to build muscle first - so lifting weights is the answer. It's important to follow an appropriate training program that suits your needs and likely you'll need the advice of a professional help to make sure you're on track to achieve your goals. If you enjoy running or high-impact HIIT, for example, it's still good to continue these forms of exercise to help increase your fitness levels, but you'll need to increase your calorie intake to compensate for the extra calories burned to avoid weight loss.

-Summary: -In the end, all exercise is good because it's about moving your body more. Whether your goal is to lose, gain, or maintain, the key is to choose a form of exercise that you enjoy doing—because that's the one you're likely to stick with! That said, prioritising certain types of activity can be helpful if you have a specific goal in mind, so keep that in mind when setting your training goals.