Losing Weight Is Simple

Losing weight is simple.

Certainly not easy. But eminently doable. And eminently simple.

Losing weight isn’t a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.

It sure can feel that way sometimes, though.

In part, because change is hard. And in part, because weight-loss charlatans are constantly disseminating nonsense ideas.

If you have weight to lose, it’s because you’ve gained weight over some period. You’ve lived in ways that are conducive to weight gain and unconducive to weight loss. To lose weight, you have to start living in different ways, in ways that are conducive to weight loss.

Please read this without judgment. Please read it as a clear description of the situation. No more, no less. With clarity comes the opportunity to make things better.

The fact that you’re constantly exposed to anti-helpful ideas adds fuel to the fire. It’s human nature to resist change, so tricks, hacks, shortcuts, and quick fixes can be very appealing. Of course, they never work.

Nonetheless, these factors combined lead many people into an unpleasant, ineffective dance of swimming in perceived complication, feeling like failures, maybe trying a trick, hack, shortcut, quick fix, or two, throwing their hands into the air, feeling like their bodies are betraying them, feeling terrible about themselves, trying again, giving up, trying again, giving up.

It’s hard.

And there’s a way out.

Let’s talk about it.

I routinely help people lose 25, 50, 75, 100 pounds, and more—and keep it off for life.

Decades ago, I lost weight, and I’ve easfully kept it off ever since.

This is what works:

First, you need to cultivate a significant-but-unjarring energy deficit.

Too small can work well, but your weight loss will probably be so painfully slow that you’ll lose motivation.

Too large, and your body will freak out. You won’t lose weight. Or you’ll drive yourself into the vicious cycles of yo-yo dieting and weight cycling.

You’ll only succeed if your deficit is achieved through both eating better and moving more. This is important. Some people try to get away with avoiding or skimping on one of these. You need both.

Specific approaches to cultivating an energy deficit need to be tailored to the individual. I can’t give you a one-size-fits-all way to cultivate an energy deficit that works well for you. I can’t give you a one-size-fits-all way to eat better. I can’t give you a one-size-fits-all way to move more. One-size-fits-all approaches don’t work.

Second, you need to cultivate a robust metabolism and hormonal balance with a relatively low-stress life that includes plenty of sleep, plenty of rest, fulfilling work, and fulfilling relationships.

Come up short here, and you’ll have:

1. Too much epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol
2. Too much ghrelin
3. Not enough leptin
4. Not enough dopamine

Epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol are stress hormones that shunt fat burning and foster fat storage.

Ghrelin is the hunger hormone. More ghrelin equals more hunger (less fullness), even if you don’t need more food to meet energy demands. Increased ghrelin levels also directly foster fat storage.

Leptin is the fullness hormone. Less leptin equals less fullness (more hunger), even if you don’t need more food to meet energy demands. Increased leptin levels also directly foster fat storage.

Waning dopamine levels often drive “emotional eating” or alcoholic-drink consumption, which can offset the energy deficit you’re trying to cultivate.

All of this will stop you in your tracks.

Specific approaches to cultivating a robust metabolism and hormonal balance with a relatively low-stress life that includes plenty of sleep, plenty of rest, fulfilling work, and fulfilling relationships need to be tailored to the individual. One-size-fits-all approaches don’t work with this either. But this is very important. It’s very common for people to eat better and move more, only to struggle with losing weight. That’s because one or more of these other factors are working against them.

Again, please consider all of this without any judgment. Try to see this as a powerful, clarifying message. No more, no. less.

With clarity, you can start making lifestyle improvements that work well for you. You now know what levers to pull.

Losing weight isn’t a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.

If you’re not losing weight, you’re either not cultivating a significant-but-unjarring energy deficit or not cultivating a robust metabolism and hormonal balance with a relatively low-stress life that includes plenty of sleep, plenty of rest, fulfilling work, and fulfilling relationships.

The great news is you can do something about both of these factors.

You’re on track if you’re gradually losing weight and your approach feels sustainable.

If you could use help tailoring the specifics to you, I encourage you to reach out to a wellness coach.

Author’s Note: Serotonin, oxytocin, vasopressin, endorphins, and other reward chemicals are also involved in “emotional eating”.

Author’s note: I put “emotional eating” in quotes because it doesn’t accurately describe the phenomenon. First, it implies irrationality, and the phenomenon actually makes perfect sense. Second, it disregards the reality of body-heart-mind unity. Yes, “emotional eating” is “emotional” since it involves emotions. It’s also “mental” since it involves thoughts and “physical” since it involves hormones, reward chemicals, and other overtly “physical” substances and processes.

Author’s note: The ideas discussed in this article also apply to weight maintenance.

About Jason Gootman
Jason Gootman is a Mayo Clinic Certified Wellness Coach and National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach as well as a certified nutritionist and certified exercise physiologist. Jason helps people reverse and prevent type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other ailments with evidence-based approaches to nutrition, exercise, stress reduction, holistic wellness, and, most importantly, lasting behavior improvement and positive habit formation. As part of this work, Jason often helps people lose weight and keep it off, in part by helping them overcome the common challenges of yo-yo dieting and emotional eating. Jason helps people go from knowing what to do and having good intentions to consistently taking great care of themselves in ways that help them add years to their lives and life to their years.