< back to Helpful hints

Weight loss hints

Disclaimer — I'm not a dietitian. Or a nutritionist. Or a wellness coach. Or whatever else would qualify someone to be a weight loss "expert". I'm just a regular, old fitness trainer. So, let's call the information on this page "ideas" rather than "advice".

The primary source for these weight loss hints is the Mayo Clinic.

Obviously, Mayo Clinic has an outstanding reputation in the medical field, which is a big plus. I also like that Mayo stresses: 1) the psychological aspect of weight loss, and 2) a weight loss approach that is sustainable and healthy.

Page sections:

  1. Mayo strategy
  2. The Mayo diet
  3. Other options
  4. My two cents
  5. Research

Keep scrolling!
thanks...yow, bill

A. Mayo strategy

Article: “Weight loss: 6 strategies for success”, www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/weight-loss/art-20047752

Here are Mayo's 6 strategies:

  1. Make sure you're ready
  2. Find your inner motivation
  3. Set realistic goals
  4. Enjoy healthier foods
  5. Get active, stay active
  6. Change your perspective

I like the emphasis on the mental aspect of weight loss (4 of the 6 strategies). And of course, I really like making fitness an important part of your weight loss plan.

B. The Mayo diet

Article: “The Mayo Clinic Diet: A weight-loss program for life”, www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/mayo-clinic-diet/art-20045460

That Mayo Diet article starts with some really compelling quotes.

  • "The purpose of the Mayo Clinic Diet is to help you lose excess weight and find a healthy way of eating that you can sustain for a lifetime."
  • "The goal is to make simple, pleasurable changes that will result in a healthy weight that you can maintain for the rest of your life."
  • "It focuses on changing your daily routine by adding and breaking habits that can affect your weight. Simple habits, such as eating more fruits and vegetables, not eating while you watch TV, and moving your body for 30 minutes a day, can help you lose weight."

You can buy their hardcover book for $20 on Amazon, www.amazon.com/gp/product/1945564504

You can join the "Mayo Clinic Diet Digital Program" in two ways:

Note: There is a $$$ charge to join the Mayo Clinic Diet program. It's about $40 per month if you signup for 3 months at a time.

The Mayo Diet is a great place to start your weight loss efforts and research. Even if you try the Mayo Diet and then choose a different path, you'll learn a lot regardless.

Full disclosure — I have not tried the Mayo Diet myself, and I don't personally know anyone who has tried the Mayo Diet. Hopefully, that will change soon. We'll see.

I did buy the book, and I recommend it if you're at all interested in the Mayo Diet. It's 330 pages and is very well done. The book includes lots of very specific ideas on things like meal plans, tracking, changing habits, etc. You can borrow my copy if you want. I haven't tried the app yet.

C. Other options

There are a zillion weight loss ideas and programs out there.

These other options generally fit into one of three categories.

  • Alternative approaches - This includes medical things like surgery and drugs. I'd also include a lot of unsustainable dieting: fasting, fad diets, moving to a desert island, etc
  • Getting help - Ask a (popular) weight-loss company for some help: Weight Watchers, Noom, Golo, etc
  • Do it yourself (DIY) - For example, you can do the Mayo Diet on your own. Use an app like MyFitnessPal to track your calories, carbs, protein, and results. Doing your own research means that you'll have even greater ownership over your weight loss process.

Some anecdotal observations. I know people who like Weight Watchers. I know people who swear by counting calories/carbs with an app like MyFitnessPal.

D. My two cents

Stream of consciousness, pretty much...

1. Like fitness, weight loss is primarily a psychological challenge. Think positive. Think long-term.

2. Be curious. Spend time to do your own weight loss research. This implies a strong ownership of the process, and that's important step toward success.

3. These two fit together nicely:

  • To change your weight, you must change your habits/lifestyle. Corollary: Making a BIG change in your weight likely means a BIG change in your lifestyle.
  • A weight loss approach that leaves you hungry and unhappy is unsustainable. Corollary: Rapid and dramatic weight loss is less like to be sustainable (re. yoyo dieting).

4. What does it mean to change your diet to eat healthy foods. For most of us, that means more protein, less carbs, less processed food (salt+sugar), more fruits and veggies, cooking your own meals rather than eating out, and avoiding the no-no list (next).

5. Create a no-no list when you're trying to lose weight. These are foods you should almost always try to avoid or restrict. Here's a good start: alcohol, chips, coffee drinks (that are high calorie), fast food, soda, sweet treats (cake, candy, cookies, ice cream), white bread
Article: "11 Foods to Avoid When Trying to Lose Weight", www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-foods-to-avoid-for-weight-loss#_noHeaderPrefixedContent

6. I used the MyFitnessPal app for a month. It was great, and I learned a lot about my eating habits: happy about low carbs, unhappy about high sodium. Yes, it's free. They offer a premium version that you pay for, but I didn't try it. Here's my review of this important app, apps.htm#myfitnesspal

7. Two things about calories: 1) They're important and fewer calories helps weight loss, but 2) All calories are not the same. Most of us consume too many carbs and not enough protein and fiber.


Source: twitter.com/BiggestComeback/status/1730218454760714327

8. The article strongly argues that all calories are not the same. Great quote/example: "500 calories of spinach and 500 calories of Skittles" don't have the same impact on our bodies or weight loss goal. Instead of counting calories, here are her 5 steps to weight loss.
Article: "A Nutritionist Explains: How to Lose Weight Without Counting Calories", helloglow.co/lose-weight-without-counting-calories

  1. Just eat real food (JERF) - cut out processed foods and fast food restaurants
  2. Balance your macronutrients
  3. How you can eat until you’re full, without gaining weight
  4. Get in touch with your hunger and satiety signals
  5. Pay attention to meal timing

9. Yes, carb cravings are a thing. The potato chip commercial is right; it is difficult to eat just one. This article explains why and offers some strategies in beating your cravings.
Article: "13 Ways to Fight Sugar Cravings", www.webmd.com/diet/features/13-ways-to-fight-sugar-cravings

10. "Contrary to what you may have heard, frozen vegetables are just as nutritious as their fresh counterparts." Article: www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/6-best-frozen-vegetables-eating-130000214.html

11. Do your best to consciously ignore negative and unrealistic messages in popular culture. Heidi Klum lives on 900 calories a day. Jennifer Aniston finally stopped waking up at 4:00 am each morning to workout for two hours. Rob Lowe "hates" being on a diet 85% of the time. Victoria Beckham eats the same meal each day (fish + steamed veggies).
These are all examples of extreme things that famous people do to stay ultra-thin. You can do this as well, but it's really hard and your results may be different than those of your favorite movie star. And in the end, it's unlikely that you'll get paid millions of $$$ to do it. (smile)

12. There are different body types: ectomorph, endomorph, mesomorph. Your body type will impact your workout and weight loss results. I like both these articles.

14. Running is great to gobble up calories. This page helps you calculate calories burned while running, captaincalculator.com/health/calorie/calories-burned-running-calculator

15. Alas, it's harder to lose weight as you get older. This article explains some of the reasons why, www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/over-50-strength-training-3-130000531.html

E. Research

Here are some weight loss articles that I found useful.

Article: Overview of the NASM fitness approach for weight loss, blog.nasm.org/using-the-nasm-opt-model-for-weight-loss

Article index: List of many weight loss articles from VeryWellFit, www.verywellfit.com/weight-loss-4157007

Article: "Simple 30-Day Plan for Weight Loss" from VeryWellFit, www.verywellfit.com/30-day-weight-loss-plan-7971956

Book: "The Mayo Clinic Diet, 3rd edition" by Hensrud, www.amazon.com/dp/1945564504

Article: This is a strong top 15 list, "15 Tips To Help You Lose Weight Over 50", www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/over-50-strength-training-3-130000531.html

  1. Cardio = YES!
  2. Resistance training = YES!
  3. Processed foods = no
  4. Limit snacks
  5. More fiber
  6. Less alcohol
  7. Cook and eat at home
  8. Reduce stress
  9. Sleep
  10. Get social support
  11. Stretch every day
  12. Walk (10,000 steps)
  13. Adopt a Mediterranean-style diet
  14. Shift your mindset
  15. Hydrate

If you want to go one level deeper, learn about the glycemic index. This measures how different carbohydrates affect blood sugar levels. This is a good introductory article, www.verywellhealth.com/glycemic-index-chart-for-common-foods-1087476