How to Win and Lose at the Same Time- Timely Tips on Weight Loss

People want practical weight loss advice this time of year, so here are a few honest tips from your favorite anti aging doc.

First, the framing. Obesity makes you less healthy. Being lean and strong is desirable for far more than the cosmetic reasons people will admit to.

A flat strong abdomen is, to my surprise after years of doing this, the single biggest motivator I see in people who are trying to get back in shape. Six pack abs become the focal point that says “I am in shape” to most readers, even when they would not admit it out loud.

Three reasons it works that way.

1. The midsection is, literally, in the center of the body. At a recent gathering of people in my age range I noticed how many of my peers had a belly sticking out. Your face may be your ambassador. Your belly is the CEO, metabolically and otherwise.
2. The golden ratio. Pleasing proportions of shoulder to waist matter to the human eye in ways the reptilian brain handles automatically. Broad shoulders, narrow waist, you cannot help but notice.
3. A flat defined abdomen after 40 sets you apart. The further into your 50s and 60s you go, the more it sets you apart.

The dietary moves that actually work

I have written a long series on the ketogenic diet on this site, so if you want the deep dive, start there. The short version is that any diet that controls insulin secretion will move body composition fast for most adults.

Insulin is the storage hormone. It is released in response to all food, and most aggressively in response to carbohydrate. Cut the carbohydrate, especially the refined grain based carbohydrate that dominates the Western diet, and the body burns through stored fuel.

For most adults, the practical floor is around 50 grams of net carbohydrate per day for active body composition loss, or under 30 grams for therapeutic ketosis. Eat vegetables by the fistful, cut fruit roughly in half, eliminate the obvious refined grains, and the body responds within a few weeks. Pair it with adequate protein and a real fish oil to keep inflammation low.

My friend and mentor Matt Furey has had great success with raw milk in his diet, and so have many of his clients. The mechanism is plausible. Reduced insulin response, improved satiety, and a microbiome reset toward the healthier end. Not for everyone, but worth knowing about.

Volumize the evening

If you are going to break a diet, you are probably going to break it at night. I know. I have been there. A 16 ounce glass of lemon water, or for some people 8 ounces of raw milk, in the evening cuts the night time grazing reflex hard. Habit feels like hunger sometimes. Volume in the stomach interrupts the habit.

Make any cheat count

If you are going to use an appetite support tool, choose one with a defined ingredient list and dose. Some have data. Most do not. Choose accordingly.

What to do tomorrow morning

• Track carbs for two weeks. Get an honest number.
• Pick a target. 50 grams a day for active fat loss, 100 to 150 for maintenance in active people.
• Lift twice a week to keep muscle while losing fat.
• Keep fish oil and a real multivitamin in the rotation.
• Sleep seven to eight hours. Sleep deprived bodies do not lose fat.

That way you win while you lose.

Doc