The Best And Worst Fat Loss Strategies (IQ Scale)

Avoiding seed oils.

Low IQ. Cutting back on oils is a good way to reduce total calories, but there’s nothing uniquely fattening or harmful about seed oils. And swapping them for butter or tallow isn’t going to make a difference except maybe to your cholesterol.

Eating low carb.

Low IQ if you’re doing it because you think “carbs make you fat”, high IQ if you’ve tried it and find it helps you stick to your deficit more easily. Most people function better with carbs, but I’d put it in the middle since it depends on the person.

Intermittent fasting.

Also average, for the same reason. There’s nothing magical about the fasting window, it’s just one way to help keep total calories in check that some people prefer.

Using a food scale.

High IQ. Most people way underestimate how much they’re eating, mostly from eyeballing portions. A scale removes the guesswork and keeps you honest with your “1 tablespoon” of peanut butter.

Cold plunges.

Low IQ. The total calorie burn is tiny, and some research shows people tend to eat more afterward. So if you just enjoy them go ahead, but it’s not getting you leaner like some bio-hacking bros try to claim.

GLP-1 drugs.

Low IQ for people who use them as a bandaid fix without proper training and nutrition habits in place. But for the right person under medical supervision, they can be incredibly effective, so I’d put them in the middle.

Eating the same foods every day.

High IQ for most people. You don’t have to do it forever, but during a focused cutting phase, more food variety tends to increase appetite and it’s harder to track, so consistent meals are usually easier to stick to. It might be a bit boring, but that’s kind of the point.

Light weight, high rep workouts.

Low IQ. High reps don’t “burn more fat” or “define the muscle” and your overall training approach should stay exactly the same during a cut. The purpose of lifting is to build and maintain muscle, not to burn calories. That’s what cardio is for.

Diet soda.

High IQ. It’s a good way to satisfy sweet cravings with zero calories, and in controlled trials it does as well as or better than water for weight loss.

Lowering cortisol.

Low IQ. Stress reduction is good for regulating appetite, but unless you have a specific medical condition, cortisol itself won’t stop you from losing fat. It still comes down to calories in vs. calories out.

Calorie deficit.

High IQ, obviously. It’s the ultimate bottom line for fat loss, and everything on this list works or fails based on whether it helps you maintain a deficit over time.

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