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When it comes to weight loss—the healthy, sustainable, not-gimmicky kind—it's tempting to want a quick fix with as few changes as possible. For many, that means turning to products (think: exercise programs, trendy how-to books, or commercialized foods and drinks), none of which offer safe, lasting results. Real talk: The road to actual, sustainable weight loss is pretty unsexy and not-so-straightforward, Liz Davis, a clinical exercise physiologist in Columbus, Ohio, tells Health. "Weight loss is largely dependent on the balance between the calories you consume and the calories you expend," she says. What this means: Despite how buff your cycling instructor or the Instagram model peddling a skinny tea looks, trendy products alone won't contribute to weight loss. Rather, it depends on your ability to maintain a continuous calorie deficit—which basically means that you're ingesting fewer calories than your body needs to maintain general body functions. Of course, that also means if you're consuming more calories than your body needs to function, you'll gain weight.