Nearly 75% of Americans are overweight or obese, despite the $225 billion weight loss and weight management industry focusing on tools, programs and products to lose weight and prevent weight gain. But if there are so many solutions available, why aren’t more people succeeding in their weight loss efforts?
“What we’re taught—in society, in weight loss, in diet books—is if you just find the right diet, the right guru, the right pill, it will solve all your problems,” the doctor says. Scott Kahan, MPH, director of the National Center for Weight and Health in Washington, D.C.: “You’ll lose weight and live happily ever after. And this almost never happens.”
Dr. Lydia Alexander, an obesity medicine specialist and president-elect of the Association of Obesity Medicine, says that when experts approach weight loss and control, they don’t use a single strategy approach, but instead approach it with a comprehensive care model based on four pillars: nutritional therapy, physical activity, behavior modification and medical interventions.
“The fact that there is one way to do it takes us away from a fixed mindset,” Alexander says. “It requires understanding not as a cosmetic problem, but as a medical condition that can be treated.”
Here are some proven principles that Kahan and Alexander say can help you achieve a healthier weight.
Track your progress
Self-control is a proven strategy for both. weight loss And weight maintenance. You might think that keeping records means “counting calories,” but any kind of check-in can help you develop a new habit.
You can track your weight over time to get an idea of how things are going, what steps you’ve taken to see how sedentary you are throughout the day, or the types of foods you eat to get an overall picture your nutrition. like how many vegetables you eat per day, says Kahan.
“Behavior tracking in general is very useful for people because it helps you focus on the change you’re going to make and work closely on it,” he says.
Keep a realistic perspective
Losing weight and maintaining it is primarily a process that involves making small, consistent changes over time. Even if your goal is to lose 100 pounds, you’ll have to start with just a few.
“This is something that should not—and in fact cannot—be solved automatically,” Kahan says. “It’s something that happens, sometimes slowly and sometimes a little faster, but modest steps and modest goals can lead to both meaningful weight loss and fairly sustainable weight loss.”
What’s more, even small amounts of weight loss can lead to significant health benefits, such as improved or prevented diabetes, improved mobility and physical functioning, and healthier cholesterol levels. Remembering the big picture, rather than focusing solely on the number on the scale and how quickly it drops, can boost your mood while you stay the course.
Have two separate goals: Lose weight. Support him
According to Alexander, most messages about weight control focus on losing weight, but maintaining weight requires the same or even more dedication.
“A common misconception is that once you’ve lost weight, you’re done and can move on,” she says. “The best strategy is to change your timeline mindset by thinking, ‘Okay, I lost weight and this was the first step.’ Now the second part holds my weight in this place.” This requires the same active participation as in the first part. This is a marathon, not a sprint.”
Create a support system
Kahan says one of the most consistent factors in long-term progress in weight management is support and communication. “It could be a meeting with a specialist like me, it could be a meeting with a nutritionist, it could be a meeting with a trainer, or it could be a meeting as part of an ongoing group session,” he says.
Even simply choosing a close friend to talk to can increase your chances of success. Research shows that people who hold their partner accountable to a weight loss goal can lose 50 to 60% more weight than those who don’t.
Make you count calories
Diet therapy is not a simplistic “eat less” paradigm, but a shift towards understanding the quality of what you eat. “For example, whole, fresh foods reduce inflammation in the body and can reverse some of the internal imbalances that cause weight gain,” says Alexander. This is why your body feels very different when you eat empty, processed calories versus when you replenish the same number of calories from whole foods rich in vitamins and nutrients.
“Your body will fight back against you more if it doesn’t get the nutrition it needs,” says Alexander. “So you keep wanting to eat more food rather than feeling full.”
Move your body regularly (anything goes!)
Physical activity isn’t just about burning calories, it has much deeper benefits, especially related to weight loss. Walking, one of the simplest forms of exercise, reduces insulin resistance and reduces hunger. Strength training increases muscle mass, which helps with metabolism and calorie balance.
When you move during the day, you sleep better. Lack of sleep makes you reach for fatty and carbohydrate snacks more often.. Your stress levels also decrease with regular exercise. Chronic stress increases cortisol levels, which increases hunger, which leads to increased blood sugar levels, creating a vicious cycle.
“You don’t have to do the exercise all at once,” says Alexander. And what you do doesn’t matter. The “correct” movement is any movement that you feel comfortable with.
“Pick an activity you enjoy,” she says. “If you like pickleball, great. If you like to walk, great. Take your time while talking on the phone or putting away laundry, one sock at a time. If it gets you going, then that’s your decision.”
Contact an obesity specialist
Just as you would see a podiatrist for knee problems or an OB/GYN for reproductive problems, see a doctor who specializes in weight management to help you with your weight loss problems. They can evaluate whether medications or procedures will benefit you, or whether you may have a medical reason behind your weight gain, such as a side effect of a medication or sleep apnea.
“Some people have more severe physiological problems that make weight control more difficult, some people have more behavioral problems that make weight control more difficult,” Kahan says. This doesn’t mean weight loss strategies won’t work for you, it just means you have unique barriers that need to be addressed and a professional can help with that.”