A plain-English handbook for losing weight and getting healthy.
The major diets, the science behind them, and step-by-step guides for the parts that are actually hard. We don't sell anything, so we can just tell you what the evidence says.
72 guides
8 topics
15 diets compared
4 calculators
0 things for sale
The whole handbook
Weight Loss Basics
How weight loss really works, how fast to expect it, and what to do when the scale stops cooperating.
- How Weight Loss Actually Works
- How Fast Should You Lose Weight?
- How Many Calories Do You Actually Need?
- Why the Scale Jumps Around
- Weight-Loss Plateaus: Why They Happen and What to Do
- How to Keep the Weight Off
Diets, Reviewed
The major eating styles, reviewed the same way: what you eat, what the evidence says, and who should skip it.
- How to Choose a Diet That'll Actually Work for You
- Mediterranean Diet: The Best-Studied Way to Eat
- DASH Diet: Built to Lower Blood Pressure
- Low-Carb Diets: What They Are and How They Compare
- Keto Diet: Benefits, Risks and What the Evidence Says
- Intermittent Fasting: 16:8, 5:2 and What Actually Happens
Nutrition
Protein, fiber, fats, carbs, sugar and the rest, explained without the panic.
- Protein: How Much You Need and How to Get It
- Fiber: The Nutrient Most People Are Missing
- Carbs: Which Ones to Eat and How Much
- Fats: Good, Bad and Confusing
- Sugar: How Much Is Too Much?
- Ultra-Processed Foods: What They Are and Why They Matter
Meals & Planning
The practical part: what to put on the plate, how to shop, and how to eat out without starting over on Monday.
- The Plate Method: Eat Better With No Counting
- Meal Prep for People Who Hate Meal Prep
- Eating Healthy on a Tight Budget
- How to Eat Out Without Wrecking Your Progress
- Snacks That Actually Keep You Full
- A Sample Week of Eating (About 1,600 to 1,800 Calories)
Movement & Exercise
Walking plans, beginner strength training, and what exercise can and can't do for your weight.
- What Exercise Can and Can't Do for Your Weight
- A 12-Week Walking Plan for Complete Beginners
- Strength Training for Beginners
- A No-Equipment Home Workout, at Three Levels
- Everyday Movement: Why Your Steps Matter More Than Your Workout
- Exercising With Joint Pain or a Larger Body
Sleep, Stress & Habits
The things that decide whether any plan survives real life: sleep, stress, cravings and your relationship with food.
- Sleep and Weight: The Most Overlooked Part of the Plan
- Stress and Weight: What's Really Going On
- Emotional Eating: How to Tell and What to Do
- Cravings: Why You Get Them and How to Handle Them
- How to Build Habits That Actually Stick
- You Fell Off. Here's How to Get Back On.
Conditions & Treatment
Weight-loss medication, surgery, and how weight interacts with diabetes, blood pressure, PCOS, thyroid and more.
- How to Talk to Your Doctor About Weight
- Weight-Loss Medications: GLP-1s and the Rest, Explained
- Weight-Loss Surgery: What to Know Before You Decide
- Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes: What Weight Loss Can Do
- High Blood Pressure and Weight
- Cholesterol: What Your Numbers Mean and What Moves Them
Life Stages
What changes after 50, through menopause, after having a baby, and when the person you're worried about is a child.
- Losing Weight Over 50: What Changes and What to Do
- Menopause and Weight: Why It Shifts and What Helps
- Losing Weight After Having a Baby
- Kids, Teens and Weight: A Guide for Parents
You've probably heard this
“Your metabolism crashes at 40.”
A study of more than 6,000 people found metabolism holds roughly steady from age 20 to 60 once you account for body size. Midlife gain has more to do with muscle, activity and sleep.
“Skipping breakfast slows your metabolism.”
Randomized trials don't back this up. Eat breakfast if it keeps you from getting ravenous later. Skip it if it doesn't.
“Lose weight slowly or it all comes back.”
In a randomized trial, people who lost weight quickly regained at about the same rate as people who lost it slowly. What you do afterward matters more.
Which diet is best?
The honest answer is whichever one you can keep doing. We reviewed 15 of them the same way so you can compare.
| Diet | Restriction | Counting | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mediterranean Diet | No | Strong | |
| Keto Diet | Yes, carbs closely | Moderate | |
| Intermittent Fasting | No, just the clock | Moderate | |
| Calorie Counting | Yes | Strong | |
| Plant-Based Diets | No | Moderate |
How we work
Nothing to sell
No supplements, no programs, no affiliate links. No recommendation here earns us anything.
Sources on every guide
Each guide lists where its claims come from, mostly public health agencies and clinical trials, so you can check.
Honest about the limits
Where the evidence is weak or mixed we say so. Where you need a clinician rather than a website, we say that too.
New guides by email
Plain-English guides, and what new research means for you, whenever there's something worth reading.