Weight loss, better put as “fat loss,” is a journey.  A journey brought you to where you stand today, and it will be an even more exciting journey getting back to that size you’ve been daydreaming about.  So, how do you most effectively start down the path of this journey?
That is the great question.  It is the most important question I get asked every day.  In the words of Napoleon Hill, “Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything.”

First, Know Where You Are Coming From.
A journey requires knowing where you were, were you are today and where you want to go.  Get a journal and weight yourself.  Write it down and then check your weight every 3-5 days.  DO NOT weigh yourself every day.  I repeat DO NOT weight yourself every day. This can be discouraging because is is normal to fluctuate 2-5 lbs every day based on meals and water intake.   Many people see this fluctuation and thing they are failing, then give up.  The journal helps this.  Recording your weight helps you see the progress.

The journal is also to help you record what you eat.  Plan and record your meals IN YOUR JOURNAL.  If you are being followed by a weight loss specialist, they will want to see your journal.  If you are seeing me in my office, bring the journal with you to EVERY visit.  Record every thing you eat.  And, record your water intake.  I am amazed at how many of my patient’s are dehydrated and just putting water back into their systems help them loose weight.

Second, Plan Your Day.
Planning is the key to weight loss on any program.  
You should plan your exercise and plan your meals the night before.  Failing to plan is really just planning to fail.  Your plan should include 1) keeping carbohydrate intake less than 20 grams per day and 2) getting adequate proteins to match your goals. 

Third, What’s the Underlying Cause of Your Weight Struggles?

You can’t effectively lose weight unless you understand why you are gaining weight.  Two thirds of my patients are hyperinslinemic – they produce too much insulin in response to any sugar, starch or carbohydrate.  This is also called “insulin resistance.”  This is the primary cause of weight gain in 85% of the population.  People produce between two to thirty times the normal amount of insulin in response to a piece of bread or a bowl of cereal.   When they eat a single piece of bread, their bodies respond as if they ate the whole loaf.  If they eat a bowl of cereal, their bodies respond as if they ate the whole box of Captain Crunch.

This variable over production of insulin is why some patient’s gain more weight than others eating and exercising the same way.  Your doctor can easily identify this through blood work.  For starters, if your waist circumference is larger than 40 inches as a male or larger than 35 inches as a female, you’re probably insulin resistant.  Most men complain they don’t have a tape measure to measure their belly, so I tell them if they walk toward the wall and the first thing that touches the wall is their belly, “you’re insulin resistant.”

Skin tags or the presence of thickened browning skin at areas of skin folds (acanthosis nigricans) are classic signs of insulin resistant.

Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar is another sign of hyperinsulinemia or insulin resistance.  This is where a person gets light headed or dizzy 2-5 hours after eating a meal that contains mainly starch or sugar.

Insulin resistance requires a dramatically different dietary approach than the standard diets we’ve been taught all our lives. The “heart healthy” diet, DASH diet, vegetarian/vegan diet, low fat diet or calorie restricted diet just don’t work with hyperinsulinemia or insulin resistance.  If you are insulin resistant, a low fat/calorie restricted diet will not be very effective, and you may even gain weight with this approach as many of my patients have experienced.

If you have any of these symptoms, you need to follow up with your doctor or weight management specialist.  Find out where your insulin levels are in relationship to your diet.  Losing weight is possible.  You can get started here with my ketogenic dietary program.

As this is a journey, it will probably have a number of twists and turns that are often made easier with a road map.  Getting checked out with your doctor, and evaluating your metabolic status is your road map.  Check out the health programs I offer to my patients to get this road map. I’ve also produced hundreds of videos on YouTube and DocMuscles.Locals.com to help you down the road.   Either way, enjoy the journey!!