Once a week, I weighed myself, and jotted that down as well. Each page represented a day’s intake, and I counted calories, as best I could. I got a small pocket notebook, and started keeping track of everything that I ate.I never bought any of their prepared foods, and used their menu only as a guide, substituting what I liked or had in the pantry where necessary. It was a popular commercial diet, which I modified to suit my preferences (most of the diets out there are fairly similar). I chose a well-rounded, nutritious diet plan consisting of a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats (and also very low in carbohydrates).So I researched a bunch of popular diets and philosophies. As much as I knew about nutrition, I felt like I needed guidance. I resigned myself to the fact that, hey, it took me 18+ months to put on the weight, so it would probably take 18+ months to lose it.How on earth does one tackle weight loss when one is busy and distracted? What I did was fairly basic, and there is research to back up this approach: 1 As a matter of fact, I had gained even more weight since my daughter was born.Īt that point, I had a quandary many people can identify with: I was one of two working parents, with two kids under two. I was many months postpartum, and realized that the “baby weight” wasn’t going anywhere. I had had two pregnancies back-to-back, and had gained considerable weight, to the point where my own body mass index was over 30 (obesity range). A real-life weight loss storyĪ few years ago, I embarked on a personal weight loss journey. Once we screen for (and treat) any contributing medical problems that could be causing weight gain (low thyroid function, polycystic ovarian syndrome, prediabetes, among others), or psychological issues (bulimia, binge-eating disorder, depression, anxiety), I encourage a diet-and-lifestyle approach for many reasons, among them my own personal experience. “I want to lose weight naturally,” they say. In my experience, most patients consider weight loss drugs or surgery only as a last resort. Whether a patient is at risk for medical problems due to being overweight, or if it’s a personal health goal, then it’s my job to provide counseling. Patients may also worry about their appearance. As a doctor, I know that excess weight is associated with potentially serious health conditions - high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol - not to mention sleep apnea, fatty liver disease, and back and knee problems, among other things. Many people struggle with being overweight, or even obese.