It's the universal bargain we strike with ourselves after a long workout: a slice of cake, a “reward” latte, maybe even a “healthy” granola bar that’s secretly a sugar bomb.

But if you’ve ever wondered why the scale won’t budge despite all those hours at the gym, nutritionists have a simple answer: you can’t outrun your fork.

"Diet definitely has a bigger impact on weight loss than just physical activity,” says Neelanjana Singh, a Delhi-based nutritionist.

It’s roughly an 80–20 ratio, she goes on to add. Eighty percent is diet, and 20 is exercise. Simply put.

In this ratio, 80% matters because food is where the math is simplest, and the psychology, hardest.

“The moment you cut back calories, the impact can be seen almost immediately,” she says. Yes, exercise does help preserve muscle,

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