Updated: Jan. 26th, 2025
- Fad diets and programs that advertise drastic, rapid weight loss are generally unsustainable
- Making healthy shifts to lifestyle and regular eating habits is essential to maintaining a healthy weight.
- Calories are not the only consideration; quality matters more than quantity.
- The “diet” mindset hinders progress.
- Unaddressed emotional stress and/or hormonal imbalances make weight loss more difficult to achieve or sustain.
My work means that I always have my finger on the pulse of what’s going on in the weight loss world. Even if I don’t agree with or recommend a new weight loss approach, program, or book, I want to know what my patients – and all women – are being exposed to when it comes to the sensitive topic of losing weight.
All too often, new weight loss products advertise quick weight loss using “before” and “after” photos. This is a huge red flag! These ads make a point of saying that these are “real people” who have achieved these results.
That may be true, but do you know what they don’t show? Those same people, a year or two later. Many studies have shown that with most fast weight loss strategies or diets, even if they “work”, the results don’t last. Participants gain all of the weight, and sometimes more, back within a year or two.
Here’s the thing: we are human beings, not a DIY project. “Before” and “after” aren’t fixed – and you can’t be done thinking about being healthy just because you’ve lost weight. On any given day, there are dozens and dozens of factors that impact how we feel and how we process nutrients and respond to food, exercise, and stress.
Maintaining a healthy weight and overall well-being is a lifelong commitment, not a short-term project that ends when you hit a certain number on the scale.
Don’t get me wrong… losing weight quickly can be really great if you do it in a healthy way. But the focus shouldn’t be solely on speed of loss. The work doesn’t stop when you reach your weight loss goal, and drastic, rapid weight loss plans are not sustainable in the long term. In fact, drastic diets can actually cause more harm than good.
I’ve helped so many women lose weight the healthy way (and keep it off!), and I want to help you, too, by showing you how to transition from a rapid weight loss mindset to a healthy, sustainable weight loss mindset.
The Problem with Drastic Diets for Rapid Weight Loss
Of course it feels great to drop weight quickly and have people notice, but that satisfaction is short-lived. When you stop to think about it, lasting results are the true goal. It’s like the difference between getting a huge, one-time bonus at work, spending it, and going back to your regular financial situation, or getting a more modest raise that over time results in more security and stability.
Rapid weight loss, if not approached in a healthy way, can also lead to other health concerns, as adapting to the sudden changes puts a great deal of stress on your heart and the rest of your body.
If you’re going to lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way, it’s important to work with your body, helping it to adapt to changes so that you can thrive.
Here are some of my best strategies for getting yourself into the sustainable weight loss mindset, and finally reaching your goals and feeling your best!
Think of Weight Loss as Part of Your Larger Picture
“I just can’t maintain a healthy weight.” This is one of the most common concerns I hear from my patients. But I rarely see women who say that it’s their only concern! Most women tell me they are also struggling with some combination of fatigue, difficulty sleeping, irritability or mood issues, feeling stressed all the time, hormonal imbalances, skin issues, digestive issues, and more.
One of the biggest problems with trendy diets is that they make it seem like your weight is an isolated issue to tackle, and when you succeed all your problems will be solved. In my experience, being overweight or having weight loss resistance is one symptom of a greater imbalance, often related to hormones and/or adrenal fatigue. Addressing the whole picture is so important when it comes to unlocking weight loss for an individual. I also find that it really helps for women to start to view their weight loss goals as one benefit of a lifestyle change that will improve their overall health and wellness, from head to toe.
Address Emotional Blocks
While you may not always think of food and emotions being connected, if you really think about it I think you’ll find that certain eating habits, preferences, or patterns are tied to very personal things. Food may be where you turn as a coping mechanism in stressful situations; maybe you grew up in a family or culture that expected everyone to eat large portions; or you may have been teased about your eating habits. Whatever your experience, exploring and addressing underlying emotional blocks or traumas related to food and weight can be very helpful when it comes to setting yourself up for sustainable weight loss.
Eat Mindfully
Every single day is filled with dozens – even hundreds– of tiny decisions related to food. Most of these decisions are made with little thought; we don’t even know we’re making them! I’ve found that it can make a huge difference to start to become more mindful about our food choices, and how they will affect our health and our goals. But this mindful eating approach is very different from a strict calorie-counting or restrictive diet approach, in which you punish yourself for eating something that is “off” your diet or “cheating”.
Instead, I want you to be conscious and thoughtful about whether the things you choose to put into your body nourish you and have a positive impact on your health (and weight).
Focus on Healthy Eating & Lifestyle Principles
The best “diet” is one that you can maintain. Instead of choosing a restrictive fad diet that’s impossible to sustain, turn your focus to revising your regular food and lifestyle habits. Some of the most important healthy eating principles, like eating lots of vegetables (especially dark, leafy greens!), seem “obvious”, but when a weight loss program is more focused on complicated, restrictive lists and rules, it can be easy to forget the basics.
The thing is, sustainable weight loss is only achieved by making those long-term, “simple” changes to your habits! Make sure you are eating lots of vegetables, plenty of healthy fats, and clean protein; cut out sugar; get regular exercise that you enjoy; get enough sleep. Some diets, like the Mediterranean diet, promote balanced, whole-food eating, and can be used as general guidelines for healthy eating.
Address Underlying Imbalances
If you have taken the time and effort to make healthy lifestyle changes, but you are still not feeling your best or reaching your weight loss goals, chances are there is an underlying imbalance that’s making your body resistant to weight loss. Often, this is a hormonal imbalance, adrenal fatigue or dysfunction, a gut imbalance, a nutritional deficiency, or some combination of these.
Hormonal imbalances can cause all kinds of trouble when it comes to weight loss. One common example is leptin resistance, which essentially keeps your brain from realizing that you’re full. Hormonal imbalances and adrenal dysfunction (which go hand in hand) should be investigated and addressed as part of a comprehensive weight loss plan.
Another common imbalance is within the gut. If something is off in the gut, whether it’s an imbalance of bacteria in the microbiome or a leaky gut, your body won’t be able to properly process the nutrients you’re taking in. This can lead to all kinds of health problems, including weight loss resistance.
Ditch the “Calories in, Calories Out” Idea
The concept that you can lose weight by counting the number of calories you take in and comparing them to the number of calories you burn off is overly simplistic, dated, and just plain wrong!
We process calories from different foods in very different ways, and the quality of the calories you take in is way more important than the quantity. Low calorie intake that is made up largely of processed foods will cause problems in the long run, whether or not you lose a little bit of weight in the beginning. These issues include nutritional deficiencies, higher chronic disease risk, and a higher likelihood of hormonal imbalances and adrenal dysfunction (all of which make sustainable weight loss more difficult).
Processed food won’t give your body the nutrients it requires, so it will keep searching for those nutrients, making you feel hungry much sooner.
The “calories in/calories out” approach also doesn’t factor in how our bodies use the calories we’re taking in. Calories that are burned and used as energy are different from calories that are stored as fat. Eating a healthy, balanced diet will help to direct the right calories to the right places. That doesn’t mean that portion size doesn’t matter. It’s just one factor in a much larger system.
Move Away from the Dieting Mindset
The strategy that combines all of the above is to make a shift from dieting to healthy living. Establishing new, long-term dietary and lifestyle habits, a new relationship with food, and a new mindset about your wellbeing is the best way to lose weight, keep it off, and become the healthiest version of you! Focus on consistency and stability in your healthy living and weight loss choices, rather than constantly starting a stopping a “diet.”
So many factors go into shaping your internal environment, response to weight loss efforts, and overall health. In addition to food and exercise, sleep, stress, hormonal and neurotransmitter balance, gut health, and genetics all contribute.
It all starts with choosing healthy habits that you can not only commit to but embrace, long-term.
When you take the healthy, sustainable route towards weight loss, you can also expect to lower your risk of developing chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, and to feel overall healthier, happier, and more vibrant.
Focus on making small, sustainable changes to your everyday diet and lifestyle, as well as resolving any underlying imbalances that might be contributing to weight loss resistance and any number of other health issues. But don’t be too hard on yourself– stress only contributes to weight loss resistance and hormonal imbalance! Work with your body, believe in yourself, be mindful, and you will get there. I’ve seen it happen, time and time again!
Consider Getting Genetic Testing
A one size fits all approach does not work when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight. I have recommended genetic testing for years to determine which eating plan is right for you. There’s a big difference between low carb, low fat, Mediterranean or a balanced plan; it’s essential to know which is right for you. This makes so much sense, because we’re all so different!
Ignore the advertising and choose a better way
It’s easy to be fooled by headlines and photos touting the next “quick fix” but that’s not the way to reach your long term goals. While it’s possible to drop 20 pounds quickly following my Drop20 Now™ program, the heart of the program is teaching you ways to keep that weight off once and for all. I’m here for you every step of the way as you dive into a new, healthier life.
