It's all about kcal in and kcal out

Every diet you have heard of — keto, intermittent fasting, clean eating — works for the same reason when it works: it changes how many calories you eat compared with how many you burn. That is energy balance, or kcal in versus kcal out.

How it works

• Eat less than you burn and your body uses stored energy — you lose weight.
• Eat about what you burn and your weight stays stable.
• Eat more than you burn and you gain — ideally muscle, if you are training properly.

Where people go wrong

Most people underestimate what they eat — oils, sauces, drinks and "just one bite" add up fast. Others cut calories so hard they lose muscle and energy and quit after two weeks.

The ZO approach

• Set a realistic calorie target for your goal instead of guessing.
• Keep protein high so the weight you lose is fat, not muscle.
• Strength train so your body has a reason to keep its muscle.
• Build meals around the food you already enjoy — including desi food — instead of a diet you can't keep.
• Track in the app for a few weeks until the numbers become habit.

Calories decide whether the scale moves. Protein, training and sleep decide what that weight is made of.