Being overweight can lead to disability and early death. The CDC states that 41.9% of US adults are currently obese. What are some simple ways we can address being overweight? 

#1: Remove added sugar and apply the unprocessed lens to your diet.

Before I lost 60 pounds I did not put too much thought into what I ate, I chose meals based on convenience, taste, and price. Here are examples of my go-to meals while overweight.

• McDonald’s quarter pounder, fries, soda, and an apple pie.
• Canned chili, Fritos, with cheese and soda.
• A box of Mac N Cheese with a bag of chips and soda.

     Looking back at how I ate, it was no surprise how big I had gotten.  First, I removed food from my diet that was processed or had added sugar. When I went to the grocery store, I looked for unprocessed food without hidden sugars. After some experimentation here is a full day of eating with this new lens

• Breakfast: A sweet potato, an omelet with spinach, mushrooms, and bell peppers, and of course bacon and coffee.    
• Lunch: Ground turkey, rice, and Brussels sprouts.
• Dinner: Salmon, jasmine rice, and asparagus.
• Desert: Frozen grapes, a banana, or Greek yogurt.

     It definitely took some experimentation and some self-teaching in the kitchen to make all of these meals tasty but the new skill and the weight loss were well worth it. When I go to the store I apply this lens so that there are no cookies in the cupboard, ice cream, or cake to tempt me into binge eating. Of course, nobody is perfect and you should still enjoy your life which is why I use the 80:20 rule. Essentially, 4 of every 5 meals are unprocessed with no added sugar, and when I am out with friends and family I can enjoy a pizza night guilt-free. 

#2 Eat satiating foods that are high in volume and protein.

     Foods that are higher in protein such as salmon, chicken breast, steak, beans, eggs, protein powder, and even yogurt can be more filling than processed carbohydrates like cookies or ice cream. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has confirmed this fact here if you care to research more about protein. An added benefit of protein is that during digestion, your body burns more calories converting protein to energy than carbohydrates or fat. I personally eat one gram of protein for every pound I weigh per day, which is higher than some recommended protocols out there, and have anecdotally not noticed any adverse effects.

     Foods that are higher in volumes such as potatoes, salads, bananas, and popcorn are great to physically inflate your stomach to be full. Personally, I have struggled with the fear of hunger when in reality hunger is perfectly normal accepting it will simply result in burned fat. Foods that are higher in volume and lower in calories will be your best friend in your nutrition shift. This is because you can satisfy your habit of eating large amounts of food without consuming too many calories as you adjust to healthier options. 

#3 Count your calories and increase your daily caloric expenditure. 

     People will try to sell you unique 30-day diets, ab workouts, and even weight loss pills with the promise you will look like a greek god on the other end. Unfortunately, it is not that easy and you already know that. The only way to lose weight is to be in a net negative energy balance. This means your body uses more energy than you put into it, forcing your body to use stored fat as fuel.

     The most important first step is to find your estimated daily expenditure with a calculator like this one. After you get that number, use an app tracker or an Excel spreadsheet and input every single thing you consume, including cooking oils, and yes that extra handful of cheese counts. I would recommend tracking your calories for a least 60 days to begin understanding what your body needs and also what you usually eat.

     If you want to lose weight more quickly you can increase your caloric expenditure with exercise. Depending on your body composition 10,000 steps will burn 300-500 calories which are double for most people. However, I recommend doing 3 days of cardiovascular exercise such as walking, sports, swimming, or biking as a good starting point for aerobic health. Additionally, 3 days of resistance training such as weightlifting, pilates, or calisthenic exercise will replace fat with muscle over time. Muscle is an excellent help in your weight loss journey because not only because it looks nice, but also muscle tissue requires energy to be built, maintained, and used. This means after a couple of months of working out you will burn more calories simply maintaining your muscle mass.

    My general recommendation is to restrict your caloric intake by 250 calories and exercise at least 250 calories above your basal metabolic rate. Doing this will net you 3500 calories a week gone from your fat stores which equates to exactly one pound. For individuals severely overweight with 100-200+ pounds to lose, it is okay to increase the caloric deficit. However, for most people, I would recommend 1-2 pounds a week approach as a sustainable route.

Takeaways

• Remove all added sugars and eat unprocessed food 80% of the time
• Add high protein high volume foods into your diet like salmon, potatoes, and broccoli
• Count and predict how many calories you need to eat in a day and tailor your diet around that number
• I personally weigh myself every Sunday using the Renpho digital scale which is great because it comes with an app that graphs your weight over time.
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