Spoiler alert: There are no real “secrets” or newly discovered tricks for losing weight.
But while there’s no classified intel to share, there is solid medical information about weight loss that can give anyone who acts on it the best possible chance for success.
For most people, these steps will lead to losing excess weight and keeping it off. For others, weight loss (bariatric) surgery, in conjunction with these research-backed practices, maybe the answer to maintaining a healthy weight for a lifetime (see “Is It Time to Consider Bariatric Surgery?” on opposite page).
“The key is to make sensible and realistic changes to your eating habits that you can stick with for the long haul,” explains Silvana Blanco, RD, a member of the bariatrics team at Clara Maass Medical Center. She suggests these guidelines:
Create a Calorie Deficit.
Try to reduce the overall number of calories you eat by making small changes throughout the day. Instead of completely changing what you eat by following a highly restrictive diet, include a protein, carbohydrate, and fat with each meal. This combination helps fuel the body and keep you satisfied and feeling full.
Don’t Fear Fats.
Fat can be a healthy part of a meal plan. The body takes longer to break fats down, so you feel fuller longer and consume fewer calories. Healthy fats come from nuts, avocados, fatty fish such as salmon, and oils. Potentially harmful fats are those that come from processed foods and common snack foods (chips, crackers, cookies, cakes). Look for the phrase “partially hydrogenated oils” on the nutrition label and avoid those foods.
Eat Your Veggies.
In addition to vitamins and nutrients, vegetables offer lots of fiber, which helps fill you up and is beneficial for gut health. Studies suggest that gut health can help take and keep off weight, and help strengthen immunity, too. Choose two to three vegetables that will be the center of your meal, and then pick the protein and carbohydrate that you will add as the sides.
Cut Back On Added Sugars.
Sodas, juices, and packaged products are full of added sugars that have no nutritional value, but are high in calories. Even fruit smoothies, which sound healthy, may be loaded with sugar. Cutting back on obvious sources of sugar such as soda and desserts, along with hidden sugars found in processed foods, low-fat foods, and sauces, are important steps for weight loss and maintenance.
Practice Mindful Eating.
Pay attention to what you’re eating and how you feel while you’re doing it. Consuming food while driving, talking on the phone or watching television will cause you to overeat. Consider using a notebook or an app to regularly record your weight and keep track of what you’re eating. This will aid in weight loss.
Is It Time To Consider Bariatric Surgery?
“Most people have already tried diet and exercise programs before they consider weight loss surgery as an option,” says bariatric surgeon Naveen Ballem, MD, Interim Chief Medical Officer and Chief Clinical Effectiveness Officer at Clara Maass Medical Center. “They may have seen tremendous success for the short term but find themselves losing and gaining weight over and over—and each time they gain, they typically gain more. These people need a better alternative for sustainable weight loss. For them, surgery can be a great tool for success.”
Considering bariatric surgery does not mean you’ve failed, nor is it an “easy way out,” Dr. Ballem emphasizes. “Patients who have bariatric surgery still need to follow a healthy food and exercise plan to help the weight come off and stay off. But obesity is a multifactorial disease. Metabolism plays a role, as does your family history,” he says. “Lack of physical activity and the easy availability and affordability of unhealthy foods are also factors we’re fighting.”
In addition, he says, with COVID-19 being especially unforgiving for people who are morbidly obese or have underlying conditions like diabetes, it may be more important for some to consider bariatric surgery.
Dr. Ballem says you may be a candidate for bariatric surgery if:
- You’ve tried to lose weight on your own in the past and were either unable to reduce or could not keep the weight off.
- Your BMI (body mass index), a calculation of the ratio of weight and height, is above 40, or you are 100 pounds overweight; or your BMI is 35 or above, with obesity-related conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, and osteoarthritis.
To check your BMI, search for “BMI calculator” online and you’ll see many to choose from.