Prioritize creating overall health through nutrition, movement, sleep, and stress management, as weight loss often follows as a natural side effect.
Implement unprocessing your diet, increasing fiber, eating protein at breakfast, and having an earlier dinner to naturally achieve a calorie deficit as a side effect, rather than intentionally restricting calories.
Focus on one-ingredient foods found on the outer aisles of supermarkets, aiming for items with fewer than five ingredients, and avoid bringing ultra-processed foods into your home to naturally reduce calorie intake and reset taste buds. Even a 10-20% reduction in ultra-processed foods can yield benefits.
Aim to “eat one more” fruit, vegetable, nut, or seed at each meal to increase fiber, which boosts satiety, slows sugar absorption, nourishes gut microbes, and regulates appetite, leading to a natural reduction in overall calorie intake.
Consume protein at breakfast to regulate appetite, reduce mid-morning hunger, and decrease overall calorie intake throughout the day, as protein is satiating and has a higher thermogenic effect. Aim for approximately 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily, distributed across meals, and consider quality protein supplements if needed.
Consume dinner earlier to align with your circadian rhythm, promoting efficient metabolism and reducing the likelihood of storing excess energy as fat. An earlier dinner can also improve sleep quality and naturally reduce overall calorie intake by creating a longer fasting window.
Begin your dietary journey with a Mediterranean-style eating pattern, which is high in plant material, includes good sources of fats (animal and plant-based), and decent protein, as it has strong long-term evidence for cardiometabolic benefits.
Aim for adequate sleep (e.g., 8 hours a night) as improved sleep quality naturally reduces hunger, increases satiety, and enhances your ability to resist temptation, leading to less calorie consumption.
In the modern food environment, establish personal dietary guardrails, such as time-restricted eating (e.g., eating within a 10-hour window or stopping by 8 p.m.), to prevent overconsumption and support health goals.
Gain a deep understanding of your emotional needs, exercise requirements, and the quality of your relationships, as these non-nutritional factors are crucial for overall health and well-being.
Navigate the complicated world of nutrition by becoming your own expert, rather than blindly following external advice, to find what works for you.
Take personal responsibility to discover the specific health approach that works best for your individual context and needs.
Focus on consistency in your health practices, as it is key for long-term success and results.
If you experience a weight loss plateau, understand that it’s a natural biological response and not necessarily a sign that you are doing something wrong.
Focus on fundamental weight management strategies before delving into complex issues like removing obesogens and environmental pollutants, to avoid overwhelm.
Focus on developing sustainable, long-term strategies for weight management rather than seeking quick fixes like medications or restrictive diets.
Recognize that weight management and health improvement involve non-nutritional strategies, such as sleep and stress management, not just food.
Navigate the complex world of nutrition by becoming your own expert, ideally with the guidance of a nutrition specialist or dietitian to help decipher individual needs and challenges.
Focus on real-world patient outcomes and how individuals feel and improve, rather than solely relying on scientific studies, as not all research translates perfectly to real life.
Choose and master one nutritionally balanced, protein-rich recipe that you love and can prepare effortlessly using readily available ingredients, making healthy cooking habitual.
Calculate your daily protein requirements using online tools or the Doctor’s Kitchen app, as understanding this can improve appetite control, energy levels, and reduce snacking.
Understand that overeating is not solely driven by physical hunger but also by emotional hunger, such as loneliness, stress, or discomfort, which food is used to appease.
Reframe the cultural idea that it’s unacceptable to be hungry; recognize that humans have evolved to deal with hunger, and it can be a natural state to lean into.
Adopt a food and lifestyle approach to potentially reverse significant heart conditions, as demonstrated by Dr. Rupi Orjula’s personal experience.
Focus on simple strategies within your locus of control to make healthier choices easier and more achievable.
To lose fat, consistently consume fewer calories than your body requires per 24 hours, as this is the scientific way to create a calorie deficit.
Do not rely on aggressive calorie deficit diets as they can encourage an unhealthy relationship with food, magnify the importance of calories over quality, and are difficult to sustain long-term due to biological adaptations.
Recognize that while it’s possible to lose weight by eating junk food within a calorie deficit, this approach may not promote overall better health or reduce inflammation.
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