5 Healthy Ways to Lose Weight and Keep It Off

Updated: August 2026

Losing weight can sound simple: eat less and move more.

In real life, it is rarely that straightforward.

Body weight is influenced by what we eat and how active we are, but also by sleep, genetics, medicines, health conditions, stress, food availability, work patterns and the environment around us.

That is why extreme diets and “quick weight-loss” solutions often disappoint.

A better goal is to make changes you can realistically maintain.

Here are five evidence-based ways to approach weight loss without relying on detox drinks, starvation diets or unproven supplements.

First, Do You Actually Need to Lose Weight?

Not everyone needs to lose weight.

For adults, body mass index (BMI) is commonly used as a screening measure. It is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in metres squared.

WHO generally classifies:

BMI	Classification
Below 18.5	Underweight
18.5 to 24.9	Healthy weight range
25.0 to 29.9	Overweight
30.0 and above	Obesity

BMI is useful, but it is not a perfect measurement of body fat or individual health.

Waist circumference, blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol, existing medical conditions and overall fitness can provide additional information.

The objective should therefore not simply be to achieve the lowest possible number on the weighing scale.

It should be to improve health, fitness and long-term wellbeing.

1. Improve What You Eat, Not Just How Much You Eat

Weight loss generally requires consuming less energy than the body uses over time.

But that does not mean you need to survive on tiny portions of food.

The quality of your diet matters.

Build more meals around foods such as:

• vegetables

• whole fruits

• beans and other legumes

• whole grains

• nuts and seeds

• fish

• eggs

• lean sources of protein

• minimally processed foods

WHO recommends increasing consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and nuts while limiting foods high in free sugars and unhealthy fats. (World Health Organization)

For someone eating a typical Nigerian diet, healthy eating does not require abandoning familiar foods.

Beans, moi moi, vegetables, fish, eggs, yam, sweet potatoes, whole grains, fruits and reasonable portions of rice can all form part of a healthy diet.

The bigger issue is often portion size and what accompanies the food.

A large serving of rice combined with fried foods and a sugary drink can contain considerably more energy than a moderate serving of rice with beans, vegetables and water.

Watch liquid calories

Sugary drinks are particularly easy to consume without feeling as full as you might after eating solid food.

These include:

• soft drinks

• sweetened fruit drinks

• energy drinks

• heavily sweetened tea or coffee

• some packaged juices

Water is usually the simplest everyday drink.

Whole fruit is generally preferable to routinely drinking fruit juice because the whole fruit retains its fibre and tends to be more filling.

For a deeper comparison of healthy eating patterns, read Plant-Based vs Mediterranean Diet: Which Is Better for Long-Term Health?.

2. Control Portions Without Starving Yourself

Healthy food still contains calories.

Eating considerably more energy than your body needs can make weight loss difficult even when most of the foods are nutritious.

You do not necessarily need to weigh every gram of food.

Start by becoming more conscious of portions.

For example, rather than making rice, yam or another starch occupy almost the entire plate, combine a more moderate portion with vegetables and a suitable protein source.

Eat slowly enough to notice when you are becoming satisfied.

Try not to eat automatically simply because food is available.

And be particularly careful with foods that pack a lot of energy into relatively small portions, including:

• fried foods

• pastries

• sweets

• biscuits

• cakes

• chips

• large quantities of nuts

• heavily processed snacks

This does not mean these foods can never be eaten.

An eating pattern that allows reasonable flexibility is usually easier to maintain than one based on an endless list of forbidden foods.

3. Move More and Include Exercise You Can Maintain

Exercise is useful for much more than burning calories.

Regular physical activity benefits cardiovascular health, blood pressure, blood glucose, mental health, physical fitness and weight management. (World Health Organization)

You also do not need a gym membership to become more active.

Walking counts.

So can:

• cycling

• dancing

• swimming

• jogging

• household activities

• recreational sports

• resistance training

Adults should generally work toward at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week, alongside muscle-strengthening activities where appropriate. (World Health Organization)

If you are currently inactive, you do not need to achieve everything in the first week.

Start where you are.

A 15-minute walk that you actually do is more useful than an ambitious two-hour workout plan that you abandon after three days.

Our guide 10,000 Steps a Day: Benefits of Taking a Walk explains how walking can fit into an active lifestyle.

And if you exercise regularly, see 15 Foods to Eat Before a Workout for practical pre-workout nutrition ideas.

4. Build Habits You Can Maintain

One of the biggest problems with extreme diets is that they are designed around short-term restriction.

Someone may lose weight quickly and then regain it when normal eating resumes.

Long-term weight management works differently.

Instead of asking:

“What diet can make me lose weight as quickly as possible?”

ask:

“What can I realistically continue doing six months or a year from now?”

That might mean:

cooking more meals at home,

reducing sugary drinks,

walking after work,

keeping healthier snacks available,

eating vegetables more frequently,

or reducing habitual late-night snacking.

You do not need to change everything at once.

Track progress sensibly

Monitoring can help you recognise patterns.

You might track:

• body weight

• waist circumference

• physical activity

• meals

• sugary drinks

• sleep

• how often you eat outside the home

But avoid becoming obsessed with daily fluctuations.

Body weight can change from day to day because of water, food intake and other factors.

Look for the longer-term trend.

NIDDK notes that successful weight-management programmes commonly combine an appropriate eating plan, physical activity, behavioural support and ongoing monitoring rather than relying on one isolated trick. (NIDDK)

5. Take Sleep, Stress and Your Health Seriously

Weight management is not only about food.

Poor sleep can make healthy routines harder to maintain, while stress can influence eating behaviour.

Certain medical conditions and medicines can also contribute to weight gain or make weight loss more difficult.

If you are making consistent changes but your weight is behaving unexpectedly, it may be worth discussing the situation with a healthcare professional rather than continually cutting food intake.

This is especially important if weight change occurs alongside symptoms such as severe fatigue, menstrual changes, excessive thirst or urination, unexplained swelling or other health concerns.

Know your other health numbers

Weight is only one part of metabolic health.

Blood pressure matters too.

If you have not checked yours recently, our guide Why Are More Young People Developing High Blood Pressure? Causes, Warning Signs and Prevention explains why hypertension can develop without obvious symptoms.

What About Weight-Loss Medicines Such as GLP-1 Drugs?

This part would not have appeared in the original 2018 article, but it belongs in an evidence-based 2026 update.

Medicines used to treat obesity have developed considerably.

GLP-1 therapies can reduce appetite and food intake and can produce clinically meaningful weight loss in appropriately selected patients.

In December 2025, WHO issued its first guideline addressing GLP-1 therapies for obesity, conditionally recommending their long-term use for some adults living with obesity as part of comprehensive care. (World Health Organization)

However, these medicines are not for everyone.

They can cause side effects, may be expensive or difficult to access, and require appropriate medical assessment.

They also do not make healthy eating and physical activity irrelevant.

Do not buy injectable or prescription weight-loss medicines from unverified online sellers or use another person's medication.

What About Weight-Loss Supplements and “Fat Burners”?

Be cautious.

A product being labelled “natural” does not prove that it is safe or effective.

Weight-loss supplements may contain ingredients with limited evidence, interact with medicines or contain substances that are not accurately represented on the label.

Be especially sceptical of products promising:

“lose belly fat in seven days”

“melt fat without exercise”

“detox your body and lose 10 kg”

or

“lose weight while eating anything you want.”

Extraordinary promises deserve scrutiny.

Do Detox Drinks Help You Lose Weight?

There is no special tea, juice or herbal mixture required to “detox” the body for weight loss.

Your liver, kidneys, lungs and digestive system already perform the body's normal waste-processing functions.

Replacing large meals with very low-calorie drinks can make the scale fall temporarily, but that does not prove the drink has removed toxins or specifically burned body fat.

Can You Lose Belly Fat Specifically?

You can strengthen particular muscles, but you generally cannot instruct your body to remove fat from only one chosen location.

Where fat is lost first or last is influenced partly by genetics, sex, hormones and individual biology.

Overall fat loss can reduce abdominal fat over time.

Doing hundreds of abdominal exercises may strengthen your abdominal muscles, but it does not guarantee that fat will disappear specifically from your stomach.

How Fast Should You Lose Weight?

Very rapid weight loss is not automatically better.

A sustainable plan should protect nutrition and muscle mass while being realistic enough to continue.

The appropriate rate differs between individuals, particularly for people with obesity or medical conditions receiving supervised treatment.

Rather than setting an extreme weekly target, focus on changes you can maintain and discuss individual targets with a qualified healthcare professional where necessary.

Why Weight Often Comes Back

Regaining weight does not necessarily mean someone lacks discipline.

Weight regulation is biologically complicated.

As body weight falls, energy requirements can decrease, and biological mechanisms affecting hunger and metabolism can make maintaining the lower weight difficult.

NIDDK notes that metabolism slows during weight loss and the body requires fewer calories at a lower weight, contributing to the challenge of maintaining weight loss. (NIDDK)

That is why weight maintenance needs a plan too.

The habits that helped you lose weight should not disappear the moment you reach a target.

A Simple Nigerian-Friendly Day of Eating

There is no single perfect weight-loss menu, but a practical day might look something like this:

Breakfast: oats with fruit and unsweetened yoghurt, or eggs with vegetables and a moderate portion of whole-grain bread.

Lunch: rice and beans with plenty of vegetables and fish or another lean protein.

Snack: whole fruit rather than biscuits or a sugary drink.

Dinner: a moderate portion of swallow with vegetable-rich soup and fish or lean meat, or yam with vegetables and protein.

Drinks: primarily water.

The exact amount someone needs depends on body size, age, activity level, health conditions and weight goals.

The purpose of this example is not to prescribe a universal diet. It is to show that familiar Nigerian foods can fit into healthy weight management.

Common Weight-Loss Myths

Myth: You must stop eating carbohydrates to lose weight.

Fact: Weight loss does not require eliminating an entire macronutrient. Portion size, overall energy intake and diet quality matter.

Myth: Eating after 7 p.m. automatically makes you fat.

Fact: Overall eating patterns and energy intake matter more than one universal clock time.

Myth: Sweating more means you are burning more body fat.

Fact: Sweating primarily helps regulate body temperature. Losing water through sweat is not the same as losing body fat.

Myth: You need a gym to lose weight.

Fact: Walking and many other everyday forms of physical activity contribute to energy expenditure and health.

Myth: Obesity simply means someone lacks discipline.

Fact: Obesity is influenced by biological, environmental, behavioural, social and economic factors. WHO now describes it as a chronic, relapsing disease. (World Health Organization)

When Should You Talk to a Healthcare Professional?

Consider professional advice if:

• you have obesity and want structured weight-management support

• you have diabetes, hypertension or cardiovascular disease

• you are considering prescription weight-loss medication

• your weight changes unexpectedly

• you have symptoms suggesting an underlying medical condition

• you have repeatedly lost and regained substantial amounts of weight

• eating or weight concerns are significantly affecting your mental wellbeing

Pregnant women, children and adolescents should not follow adult weight-loss plans without appropriate professional guidance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to lose weight naturally?

There is no single best food or trick. A sustainable combination of appropriate energy intake, nutritious foods, regular physical activity and behavioural changes is more evidence-based.

Do I have to count calories?

No. Some people find calorie tracking useful, while others achieve healthier energy intake through portion awareness and better food choices.

Is walking enough to help with weight loss?

Walking can contribute significantly to physical activity and energy expenditure. Weight loss still depends on the overall balance between energy intake and expenditure.

Should I skip meals?

Not necessarily. Skipping meals works for some eating patterns but can leave other people extremely hungry and more likely to overeat later. The overall dietary pattern matters more.

Can I eat Nigerian food and still lose weight?

Absolutely. Weight management does not require abandoning traditional foods. Portions, preparation methods, vegetables, protein choices and overall dietary patterns matter.

Are weight-loss injections safe?

Some prescription medicines have strong evidence for treating obesity, but they also have contraindications, potential side effects and specific indications. They should be used under appropriate medical supervision. WHO now recognises GLP-1 therapies as one potential component of long-term obesity care for selected adults. (World Health Organization)

Key Takeaways

Healthy weight loss is not about finding one magical food.

Focus on five things:

1. Improve the quality of your diet.

2. Manage portions without starving yourself.

3. Move regularly and include exercise you can maintain.

4. Build habits designed for months and years, not days.

5. Pay attention to sleep, stress and underlying health conditions.

Weight-loss medicines can help appropriately selected people, but they should complement rather than replace comprehensive weight management.

Most importantly, aim for better health rather than simply a smaller number on the scale.

Continue Reading on AnjKreb

Plant-Based vs Mediterranean Diet: Which Is Better for Long-Term Health?

10,000 Steps a Day: Benefits of Taking a Walk

15 Foods to Eat Before a Workout

Why Are More Young People Developing High Blood Pressure? Causes, Warning Signs and Prevention

References

World Health Organization: Obesity and overweight

WHO: GLP-1 therapies and obesity

NIDDK: Eating and physical activity for weight management

NIDDK: Treatment for overweight and obesity