The field of weight loss has been littered with fad diets, quick fixes, and celebrity endorsements. How does a person even begin to separate good nutritional advice from smoke and mirrors? This leads to many trying one program after another without ever achieving long-term success. Even the current government dietary recommendations have failed to curb the rate of obesity in the United States. The “eat less, move more” mantra chanted in gyms across the country has led to nothing but frustration for millions of overweight people.

Why do so many continue to struggle to lose weight when there are countless programs and seemingly unlimited advice available? Simple, many of these programs are not addressing the underlying issues with obesity. Obesity is now recognized as a medical disease, and it should be treated with appropriate medical care. The old advice of “eat less, move more” does not address the larger issue of the different hormonal responses elicited with the types of food we eat. In other words, successful weight loss is less about the number of calories taken in but more about what those calories do once they are ate.

The type of food we eat will have more impact in our weight and overall health and should take higher priority than counting calories alone. Here are 3 tips to STOP the calorie counting!

1. Always Start with a Good Breakfast:

   1. We recommend our patients starting the day with fat and protein. Eating a breakfast of meat, cheese, and eggs will keep you satisfied, full, and reduce cravings throughout the day.

2. Do Not Fear Healthy Fats:

   1. Multiple high-quality studies now show that eating fat does not increase your risk for cardiovascular disease. We encourage natural fats such as Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Butter, Cheese, Cream, Avocados, and Nuts.

3. Limit Refined Sugar and Processed Foods:

   1. Sugar is the number one culprit to weight gain and is now being hidden in so called “healthy” foods including whole wheat breads, yogurts, cereals, and many protein bars and shakes.