My Top Weight loss Strategies for 2023

Here are a few of my top 5 weight loss strategies for 2023 that do not focus on actual food content.

1. "Don't spoil your dinner":  I heard this a lot as a child from my parents and grandparents. Previous generations before 1970 generally ate a lot loss snack food as it wasn't nearly as available. They were also a lot thinner. If there is one trick that will help get you on the right track and stay there it is this one. Eat a generous balanced meal 2-3 times/day. Eat enough that you are not significantly hungry between meals. Cut pre-meals and post-meals snacks and eat better higher quality meals. Many people, including myself, snack because we want to be soothed or comforted. Be aware of this when you are tempted to snack when you are not hungry. 

2. Focus on eating better at night and weekends: Most of your overeating will come at night and/or on weekends. Doing meal/mental prep for this part of the week is critical. Most people prep for eating during the day but completely ignore the nights and weekends which is when they eat the most. You will not lose weight if you struggle during these parts of the week. 

3. Change your frame. Treat hunger as your friend not your enemy: Hunger is normal. Hunger is your bodies normal impulse to eat. It is not your enemy. If you try to eliminate all hunger or get frustrated when it appears you will not be successful. It is normal to feel a little hungry everyday. Chronic excessive hunger is not healthy. 

4. Be consistent: Other than eating too much, the main reason people struggle losing weight is because they are not consistent. Inconsistency is the most common cause of a weight loss plateau. I have found that eating poorly one day out of seven is enough to derail a whole week. Try to find an eating pattern that will work on weekdays and weekends. 

5. Relax: I am increasing convinced that chronically elevated levels of cortisol from stress are a key driver to overeating and overall poor health. It is very easy to get very obsessed about eating the "right" foods and counting calories that you can be chronically stressed. The goal of eating healthier is to get to a point where you don't have think terribly much about it and you can focus on other things. I became very stressed about diet when I became convinced that there was one perfect diet that I had to find and follow. There is no magic one-size-fits all diet out there. Just relax. 
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