Weight loss conversations should start out like this: weight loss is a lot harder than you think it is and it is a lot harder than you’ve been told it is.  You’re going to lose less weight than you think you should and you’re going to lose less weight than everyone has told you that you will lose.

Let’s set that all aside for a minute and talk about how much weight you can actually expect to lose on a diet and let’s talk about how much weight you can expect to lose by increasing your nutrition knowledge, exercise, diet and exercise, meal replacements, low calorie diets, very low calorie diets, intensive lifestyle modification, weight loss medications, and weight loss surgery.

Now that you know what you’re up against and what to expect, let’s see if you’re open to resetting your expectations and what method of weight loss (if any) you would like to commit to.  Because if you decide to do it, you need to go “all in” and do it, that is if you want to be successful.

It’s going to take a considerable amount of effort, but it’s worth it.  Start living by design, and not by default.

Some of the topics in today’s episode include: 

• Who cares if you lose 14.6 lbs. or 12 lbs. on a diet, they’re both underwhelming (2:31)
• What really pisses me off about people being lied to (6:42))
• Even if you know it is too good to be true, it’s difficult to not fall for it (7:55)
• There’s no number of reviews, degrees, or testimonials to filter out the good from the bad (8:42)
• The weight loss doctor who didn’t want to “start a war” with me (9:40)
• Why I don’t really care about diets lasting less than 6 months (15:05)
• Weight loss success is really the study of weight maintenance, not weight loss (17:25)
• The first 3 months of a weight loss diet are EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!! (19:41)
• The “J” shaped or “flattened J shaped” weight loss curve that every diet follows (19:41)
• What a Rodney Atkins’ country song and weight loss have in common (22:26)
• The more restrictive and intense the diet, the greater the transition danger is (23:35)
• The 3500 calorie rule is not 100% fat loss, you lose lean tissue too (27:24)
• Weight loss is NOT linear, it’s just not that predictable (28:44)
• Why weight loss is expressed as a percentage and not as total pounds lost (29:57)
• Extreme variability in weight lost in dieting; why every diet can work and fail (32:14)
• The myth of finding “the right” diet for your body type or physiology (33:53)
• Finding “the right” diet type is not the same as playing the lottery (35:21)
• Live by design, not by default (35:59)
• Can knowing more about nutrition (education) help you lose weight? (36:49)
• How much weight can you lose through exercise? (39:14)
• How much weight can you lose on a diet? (43:09)
• How much weight can you lose through diet AND exercise? (44:15)
• How much weight can you lose with meal replacements? (45:45)
• How much weight can you lose with very low calorie diets (VLCDs)? (46:36)
• How much weight can you lose with intensive lifestyle modification? (46:36)
• How much weight can you lose with weight loss medications? (49:09)
• Is microdosing weight loss medications an effective strategy? (53:29)
• How much weight can you lose with bariatric surgery? (54:42)
• Summary of weight loss with diet, exercise, behavior modification, meds, and surgery (56:25)
• What is your dream weight, goal weight, happy weight, and acceptable weight? (58:15)
• If you have a lot of weight to lose, sorry to say it, but you might be screwed (1:03:12)
• Don’t give up, but you may want to change your expectations (1:03:21)