Important
150 min/week.
CostFree
Time150 min/wk
EnergyChallenging
ImpactExtremely high
Read more →
Goal
How to lose fat
The ones that hold up are unglamorous and cheap. Protein and walking outrank everything you can buy.
7 scored on impact, energy, cost and time — the same formula the whole site runs on. How the scoring works.
- Important
- Important
2–3x/week.
Cost$0–60/moTime3–4 hrs/wkEnergyChallengingImpactExtremely highRead more →
- Nice to have
04 Protein
1.791g per lb of target bodyweight.
Cost$150+/moTimeMeal planningEnergyModerateImpactVery highRead more →
- Nice to have
In the only tightly controlled feeding trial, adults offered an ultra-processed diet passively ate ~500 kcal/day more and gained 0.9 kg in two weeks, and an 8-week free-living RCT found roughly double the weight loss on a minimally processed diet — that is the causal core, and it covers intake and short-term weight only. The larger claims (mortality +21%, diabetes +12%, depression) come from cohorts and are associations, not proof. Start with the worst offenders — sugary drinks, processed meats, packaged snacks — and shift toward short-ingredient-list foods, mostly by cooking more of your own meals.
CostGroceries run ~40% more per calorieTimeShared with cooking at homeEnergySustained swaps vs cheap defaultsImpactRCT: intake and short-term weightRead more →
- Nice to have
12–14 hour eating window.
CostFreeTime-EnergyModerateImpactModerateRead more →
- Nice to have
07 Cook at home
1.45The one lever that controls everything else you eat — it usually saves money, but it costs you 30–60 minutes a day, most days.
CostSaves moneyTime30–60 min/dayEnergyPlan, shop, cook, cleanImpactHighRead more →