Alex has said previously how aerobic exercise has been proven ineffective. The most effective way to get rid of fat and increase your overall health is to build up your muscle mass.

The ideas behind this can be simplified to be that the more muscle you have, the more energy it needs. This is the fundamental reason why men on average have higher energy requirements than women at baseline; testosterone-driven differences in muscle mass. If you build up your muscle: not only do you look good and have better strength, you are increasing the amount of energy you consume by doing the same things you normally do.

At its basics, it's not a hugely difficult concept. I had a chance to talk to a few male friends and colleagues about it recently. The conversation somehow went into weight loss, usually after noting the changes I'd made to my own diet for different reasons. I was surprised at the resistance to it I got. I felt the difference stemmed from one important thing: a concern with losing weight as an absolute.

A common argument presented to me in defense was that muscle weighed more than fat. Well... so? That's a fact to note when you're having a workout, so that you aren't deceived by the scales. In itself, losing weight isn't an end goal. Being healthy, looking good and feeling good is the goal, right? What do the scales and balances you weigh yourself on have to do with it?

When I mention weight-lifting, I instantly get a worried reaction: 'you aren't turning into a muscle builder, are you?' Well, no, I can't really. I'd have to try much harder. I don't have the right hormone. Building up muscle is more than natural for a man. You can take it easy and save money by investing in a couple of weights and doing some basic exercises based on youtube videos. Upper body, lower body then abdomen or core. You can pretty much do it while watching television.