We are a mess, here in North America, when it comes to losing weight sustainably. Nearly 70% of Americans are either overweight or obese. There is no shortage of weight loss advice out there, and many of us are jumping on every new bandwagon, flailing in the wind, hoping that this time, we will finally lose those unwanted pounds.
It is no wonder that many people are turning to weight loss drugs such as Semaglutide (wegovy vs ozempic)) with the hopes that the cure is in an injection. I mean, lifestyle has completely failed us - it would seem.
While I understand the hope that these weight loss drugs have to offer, what pains me (besides seeing people suffering on these drugs and having concerns about the long-term effects), is that I KNOW it is possible to lose weight with the right lifestyle. How do I know this? I have done it.
The problem is that many people just haven't yet figured out WHAT WILL WORK FOR THEM, as a unique individual. The semaglutide fad is difficult for me to watch when I know there is a much healthier way to lose weight, that will also promote longevity and vitality (and not wreck your gut).
Here are the top eight mistakes I see people making when it comes to weight loss:
(1) Listening to the wrong advice
We are bombarded with information on social media, at work, or when talking with our friends and family. Everyone has something that seemed to work for them in the short-term. If I can tell you one thing in this blog post, it is that there is NO ONE-SIZE FITS ALL APPROACH TO WEIGHT LOSS. It is such an individual journey based on our genetic makeup, individual health concerns, and lifestyle. Once we have the information about how our body wants to eat and exercise, it is like having the key to unlock the door to your healthiest body. Don't let just anyone into your social feeds and your mind. Make sure they have a very comprehensive understanding of the human body. Being a doctor who is healthy and fit themselves is a good start.
(2) Eating "diet" food rather than real and delicious food
I don't know about you, but I LOVE food! It is part of the joy in life! Seeing people downing pre-made shakes and munching on pre-made bars breaks my heart. Where is the joy in that? I firmly believe in a whole-foods diet when it comes to losing weight. We need all of those phytonutrients to live a long and healthy life. Skimping on fresh food might make you lose weight in the short term, but won't nourish your cells, DNA, liver, heart, GI tract, or connective tissue. WHY DO THIS, WHEN THERE IS ANOTHER (MUCH MORE DELICIOUS) WAY?!
(3) Counting calories
This is a big one. We have been told for so long, it's all about calories in vs. calories out. So, just count your calories and you are good, right? WRONG. I find that if we know our individual protein requirements, and our sensitivity to carbohydrates, we can build our meals with our unique macros in mind - without the need for tracking our calories. Counting calories is stressful, and sends signals to our brain that we are deprived, which causes our satiety hormones to freak out, making us want food even more! Then this triggers a stress response in our body, triggering us to put on more weight. Agh, that viscous cycle!
(4) Disregarding your satiety hormones
We have hormones that are designed to make us feel hungry all the time for survival. We must be able to regulate those hormones when we don't need to feel hungry to survive. Leptin is the hormone that makes us feel full (or, inhibits our body's natural response to feel hungry). And ghrelin is the hormone that makes us feel hungry. Some of us have a genetic predisposition to produce an unbalanced amount of these hormones. Most weight loss programs are not addressing this, leaving people feeling hungry and deprived, which leads to failure and frustration.
(5) Doing the wrong kind of exercise
We are each designed for a specific type of exercise, whether it be endurance running, HIIT workouts, power-lifting, plyometrics, moderate-strength training, or light-strength training. If we focus on the wrong kind of exercise for us, this can lead to excess inflammation and injury. For some people, this can even lead to increased subcutaneous fat tissue. Exercise is extremely important, and we each only have so much time in the day. So, targeting each workout is a MUST. You should know EXACTLY WHY you are doing each workout and specifically how this is helping you become healthier and helping you lose weight.
(6) Not supporting detox pathways
Yes, we live in a toxic world. There are so many chemicals that get into, and wreak havoc our bodies. Even if we eat 100% organic, we still have glyphosates coming out of our urine. Thankfully, that is what our liver is for. But, we can restrict our diet and exercise our butts off all day long, and if our body is toxic, it doesn't want to let go of our fat cells (because the toxins from the fat cell would be released). So, we have to help our liver as much as possible, while taking good care not to let toxins into our bodies. Then, the fat will come off.
(7) Stressing out about food
Stressing out about when or what our next meal will be is counterproductive to losing weight, because stress can turn our genes into their adverse position, making us more likely to gain weight and hold onto fat cells. Meal planning is everything, to make sure that you know what your next meal is, and that you are looking forward to it! If you don't have a meal plan, you will fall prey to whatever is in your cabinets, and be tempted to eat out too often or have processed food. I help support my patients with meal planning, or refer when necessary to make sure they are excited about their meals and know exactly what they are going to eat.
(8) Sacrificing sleep
Many people are busy in our culture and believe the only way to fit that workout in is to wake up super early, and end up depriving themselves of sleep. I have no qualms with waking up early, as long as you are still getting 7-8 hours of sleep per night. But, if your workout is cutting into your sleep time, this is not sustainable, and will affect your hormone balance, circadian rhythms, inflammation levels, and neurotransmitters. You need these systems in balance to lose weight and move toward peak health. It can be helpful to work with an expert to help you get your schedule dialed in.
I want you to lose that extra weight, because if you are overweight (or even just a few pounds heavier than you would like to be), it DOES affect your long-term health. The most effective weight-loss tool I have seen is Integrative Genetics. When you have specific information about your individual health risks and dietary and exercise requirements, you can target these systems, decreasing the number on the scale, and improving your overall health and wellbeing!
Knowing your genetics makes what might seem insurmountable, become attainable with simple lifestyle changes.
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