Priya Desai
Areas of focus: Approachable fitness, home movement, recovery, and stress-friendly self-care.
13 articles on WeightFAQ
- strength training
- muscle preservation
- body composition testing
- HIIT for weight loss
- creatine and body composition
- exercising with pain
About Priya Desai
Priya Desai is a WeightFAQ staff writer covering exercise, fitness, and the body-composition side of weight loss. She has written about strength training, HIIT, running, and the best time to exercise, alongside guides to preserving muscle during a deficit, sarcopenic obesity, body recomposition, and creatine. Her body-composition-testing piece walks through DEXA, BIA, and Bod Pod for readers who want more than a scale number, and her articles on plantar fasciitis and fibromyalgia address exercising with pain. Priya writes for readers who want to train usefully without gym pressure or hype.
Articles by Priya Desai (13)
- Home Workouts for Weight Loss: 8-Week No-Gym Plan (Bodyweight Only)
Structured 8-week bodyweight home workout plan for weight loss — 4 sessions/week, no equipment, honest 0.5–1 lb/week expectations, mobile-friendly.
- Body Composition Testing: DEXA, BIA, Bod Pod, Skinfolds, and Waist Circumference — What Each One Measures, Costs, and Gets Wrong
DEXA and Bod Pod get within ~2%BF of the reference. Home BIA scales drift 5–10% with hydration. Waist circumference predicts heart-disease outcomes better than %BF. Here's what each method measures, costs, and gets wrong.
- Sarcopenic Obesity: Why 'Skinny Fat' Adults and 'Big and Weak' Older Adults Share the Same Problem
Sarcopenic obesity has a formal ESPEN/EASO 2022 definition and worse outcomes than sarcopenia or obesity alone. Here's how it's diagnosed and why resistance training beats every other intervention.
- Creatine and Weight Loss: Why the Scale Goes Up, Why That's Fine, and What the Evidence Actually Shows for Body Composition and Fat Loss
Creatine is not a fat-burner. It adds ~1–2 lb of intramuscular water in the first month — a body-composition win, not a setback. During a cut, 5 g/day of creatine monohydrate helps preserve lean mass and training quality; nothing about the scale bump reflects fat gain.
- Fibromyalgia and Weight Loss: How Losing Weight Reduces Pain
Fibromyalgia and obesity feed each other. Here is the evidence, the exercise prescription, and a realistic 5-step weight-and-pain protocol.
- Plantar Fasciitis and Weight Loss: How Losing 10% Can Calm Heel Pain
Obesity is the strongest driver of heel pain. Here is the BMI dose-response, a 5-step protocol, and the DiGiovanni stretching plan.
- How to Avoid Losing Muscle When Losing Weight
You can't prevent all muscle loss in a calorie deficit, but you can hold it to roughly 10% of the weight you lose by pulling three levers: protein at 1.6 g/kg or more, resistance training 2–4 times per week, and a deficit no deeper than 25% of TDEE.
- HIIT for Weight Loss: Does High-Intensity Interval Training Actually Burn More Fat?
HIIT burns roughly the same fat as steady-state cardio at matched effort — but in 30–50% less time. This guide explains the EPOC 'afterburn' honestly, four sample workouts, who should and shouldn't do HIIT, and a 4-week beginner plan.
- Body Recomposition: How to Lose Fat and Gain Muscle at the Same Time
Body recomposition — losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time — is realistic for most beginners, returning lifters, and overweight adults. This guide explains who it works for, the protein + small-deficit + strength-training formula, and how long it takes.
- Best Time of Day to Exercise for Weight Loss (Morning vs Evening)
Best time of day to exercise for weight loss: consistency beats clock-time. Small physiology differences exist, but adherence dominates results.
- Running for Weight Loss
Running is a time-efficient way to burn calories and support weight loss; learn how to start safely, how much to run, and how to progress from walking to sustained jogging.
- Strength Training for Weight Loss
Strength training preserves lean mass in a calorie deficit and supports long-term weight loss; learn how often to lift, how many sets, and how to start as a beginner.
- Exercise Programs for Weight Loss
Exercise supports weight loss, muscle retention, and mental health; learn how to build a balanced plan.