Halve your body fat in 60 days? Dr Weigl’s plan and what experts advise

Under the title “Lose 50% body fat in 60 days”, physician Dr Dr Tobias Weigl presents a fat-loss plan on his DoktorWeigl channel. As with any weight-loss programme, results depend heavily on the starting point, and such a large loss in a short time is not realistic for most people.

What experts recommend

The UK’s National Health Service advises aiming to lose 0.5 to 1 kilogram a week and not to lose weight suddenly with diets. One reason: very fast weight loss costs more muscle. In a Maastricht University trial (a conference presentation, not peer-reviewed), fat-free mass made up 18 percent of the weight lost on a crash diet versus 7.7 percent with slow weight loss – partly water. A McMaster University study (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2016) of 40 young men showed that high protein plus intense strength training helped keep and even build muscle despite a calorie deficit – though under very demanding conditions.

Context

For lasting fat loss, a moderate deficit, protein-rich food and strength training work best. People with obesity, health conditions or on medication should get medical advice first.