Have you put off making an appointment with your doctor because you dread the nurse asking you to step on the scale and don’t want to see her disapproving look?  You say to yourself, “Is she really giving me the look or am I just being too sensitive?”  Then your doctor will tell you to lose weight. “Your blood pressure and diabetes will improve,” he will say knowingly.

Oh, you’ve tried cutting back on food, but it just makes you hungrier and you end up eating more.  Most diets you’ve tried virtually guaranteed success.  A low-calorie starvation plan worked at first, but a short time later you looked at the scale.  To your disbelief, you were 15 pounds heavier than when you started!

Then there were the daily trips to the gym, but soon you lost motivation and wound up back on the couch.  You decided you couldn’t maintain the four to six hours of high-intensity physical exertion that the “Big Losers” on TV endure.

The feeling of failure sets in, but you struggle on.  You joined Weight Watchers 15 times, and tell your friends, “I’m a lifetime member, you know.”  You paid big bucks when the latest weight-loss clinic came roaring into town only to end up big-time broke. Of course, you tried hypnosis, acupuncture and psychological counseling.

And did I forget to mention the scary weight-loss drugs you took that were recalled eventually?  “But my doctor keeps telling me to lose weight,” you moan.  “Dieting is simple,” he says, “calories in and calories out.” You tell yourself that can’t be true, because you know the calorie count of every food you eat. You live on a low-calorie diet, but to your frustration, it no longer works. Your metabolism has adjusted.

As a nutritionist, I hear these stories over and over from a variety of people. Frustration, anger, fear and loss of self esteem set in. They believe there must be something they are not doing or something they are overdoing.  Why should losing weight be such a struggle?  Crazy thoughts creep in. Was I a bad child and the gods are out to punish me?  Maybe I’m one of those night eaters and just don’t remember raiding the fridge (but there are no crumbs in my bed).

If you survey people on the street asking “Do you want to be overweight?”  I would guess not one person would say yes.  But 62% of the population is currently overweight, and the number is growing.  Let’s face the facts.  Weight loss and weight maintenance are complex problems.  As a nutritionist, I ask the question:  If obesity is our current health epidemic, why isn’t the government funding weight loss science?  Is it easier to blame people than to provide answers?  I think we all know gastric bypass is not the answer. 

Based on 30 years of nutrition experience, I understand that weight loss is complicated. However, I would like to share information about the science of weight loss that we currently use with our clients.  Naturally, you want to know the success rate. 

To answer that question, let me share a client’s success story.  Eleven months ago Kathleen, a 69-year-old woman, came for nutritional counseling to reduce her body pain. To date, Kathleen has lost 76 pounds and no longer experiences body pain.  Her depression has lifted. She no longer craves fast food and bread.  She has become a new person.  Kathleen’s own daughter did not recognize her when Kathleen attended her grandson’s baseball game!  Seventy-six pounds on a five-foot three woman is a lot to lose!  She never counted calories or points; she ate real food in balance throughout the day.

For many clients, the science of weight loss involves learning to eat real food and eliminate processed food.  This may be difficult to grasp because large food corporations spend 30 billion dollars annually on marketing and advertising campaigns that persuade you to eat processed foods.  Your favorite processed foods might include bagels, cereals, low-fat dressings, soda, low-fat yogurt, fat-free Snack wells™, bread, crackers, fast food, coffee mochas, M&M’s™, soy burgers…and the list goes on. If you struggle with weight loss and are eating a lot of processed foods, this could be the root of your problem.

The foundation for weight-loss success is simple: Eat real foods!  Choose a variety of healthy proteins such as natural, organic and grass-fed meat and eggs. Beef, chicken, lamb, turkey, pork, and buffalo will kick-start your metabolism. 

EATING SMALL PORTIONS OF PROTEIN SEVERAL TIMES A DAY INCREASES METABOLISM BY 60%. 

Now comes the hardest part:  Replace all those processed carbohydrates with vegetables at every meal.  Just let go of the bread, pasta, chips and crackers so that your body can let go of extra pounds. Processed carbohydrates are the number one culprit causing slow metabolism.

Finally, step into the world of surprising metabolism enhancers:  beneficial fats, such as butter, olive oil, olives, nuts, seeds, avocados and coconut oil.  Add these healthy fats to every meal and snack.

Now that I have revealed the foundation of the science of weight loss, you are thinking that it can’t be that simple. And that’s true. Metabolism is complex, which is why calorie counting and fad diets have always failed for you. At Nutritional Weight & Wellness, we take a scientific and comprehensive approach to weight loss.

Although our emphasis has always been on wellness, I have become increasingly frustrated with the weight loss industry because I see the damage it is doing to people’s metabolism and health. Because of my deep respect for people’s nutritional needs, I have decided it’s time to address the science of weight loss from a nutritionist’s perspective.  

So, where do you begin? Your success starts with your next meal.  Remember, the magic within you is real food. Stay tuned for more weight loss secrets to come on our web site and our Dishing Up Nutrition radio show!