Easy Weight Loss: An Overlooked Key

Brantley Pacheco
August 10, 2023

Learn the secret to Easy Weight Loss with 3 habits and 3 Steps.

Follow this step-by-step guide to learn the same tactics I use to help clients lose weight easily without worrying about putting it back on.

The internet is full of advice on weight loss. Do any of these sound familiar?

Atkins
South Beach
Dukan
Zone
Cabbage Soup
Lemonade
Military
Paleo
Carnivore
Intermittent Fasting
Vegan

All diets or lifestyles, each with specific intended (and unintended) effects. However, has anyone ever asked why some diets do or don’t work?

What if I told you there is a powerful set of governing systems in our body that all diets and nutritional lifestyles must adhere to for success?

I will summarize it in two terms:

Osmosis
Negative Feedback Loop

Unfortunately, our high school biology class usually glosses over these simple yet potent systems within our bodies.

That is why in this post, you will master these systems so you have absolute control over your weight management. Here are the steps to mastery

Change 3 Habits That Make Easy Weight Loss Impossible
Learn The 3 Steps for Easy Weight Loss.
Dig into the Physiology of Weight Management For Long Term Success

Remember, for success, we must not only adopt the right habits and methods, but we must also gain the right knowledge. Let’s Begin.

3 Habits That Make Easy Weight Loss Impossible

Here are 3 easy habits to start changing.

1. Snacking Throughout The Day

Back in ancient times, humans were gatherers by nature.

As gatherers, these ancient humans would constantly snack or ‘graze’ throughout the day. Yet they didn’t gain weight.

Why? The answer is straightforward.

They didn’t have constant access to today’s calorie-dense foods. In other words, they could snack without worrying about gaining weight.

We don’t have that luxury. That is unless your snacks contain only natural fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.

If you absolutely can’t give up your snacking, then follow these two guidelines:

Avoid snacks with excessive additives or artificially high sugar content.
Avoid excessive consumption of seeds and nuts due to fat content.

These guidelines will help you avoid putting your body into a weight gain situation.

2. Regular Heavy Meals

Let’s go back to our example with ancient humans. Back in those times, hunters also existed.

As Hunters, they would sometimes feast after particularly successful hunts.

Before the advent of preservation techniques, ancient people had to consume the entire animal before it spoiled.

Our hunters would also avoid gaining weight. How did they avoid becoming obese after consuming an enormous meal?

Unlike us, ancient people did not have continuous access to large amounts of food, so a feast for them only occurred a few times a season.

If you’re like me, you’re never turning down a feast. Feasts are awesome, but if you want to avoid gaining weight, then you should follow these guidelines:

Consume calorically heavy meals as sparingly as possible, perhaps reserving them for special occasions only.
Be very aware of your menu choice when eating out. Restaurants love to showcase excessive meals. Don’t be afraid to get a to-go box.

Large Meals can be fun, but treat them like fire. Handle with care.

3. Consuming Processed Foods

Why is processing so bad? Is it bad? Think of it this way. Processing raises the unknown variability of foods. What does that mean?

Consider this: you have a garden where you grow strawberries. When they’re ripe, you harvest and wash them, and they’re ready to eat. You know with certainty what you’re getting: a delicious, nutrient-rich strawberry.

But consider a jar of strawberry-flavored jam from a popular brand. It’s also ready to eat right after you open the jar. But do you know what else you’re getting besides the strawberry flavor?

The simple fact is the jam may have been a strawberry at one point, but it has undergone change after change, which created the jam. Each change adds a layer of uncertainty.

What exactly are you getting besides a strawberry? How can you be sure?

It becomes increasingly difficult to escape processing as time passes. Everywhere we look, we find processed foods. For example, let’s look at a regular cheeseburger.

The bun and condiments are processed carbohydrates
Cheese is a processed fat.
The Meat Patty is processed protein.

I’m not saying that cheeseburgers are bad, but it is important to recognize their shortcomings as a food source. Most of us can’t escape processed foods due to budget, convenience, or social norms.

Let’s establish a few guidelines if there are no other alternatives.

When purchasing processed food, aim for short ingredient lists.
If given a choice between processed food or its unprocessed counterpart, stick with the less artificial of the two. For Example, Instead of canned peaches, get a regular peach.

It’s easy to go overboard with processed foods in today’s nutritional climate, but addressing this for weight management is critical.

Changing these three habits is meant to make weight loss possible, but they won’t necessarily accomplish the task. For that, we need the next section.

3 Simple Steps For Easy Weight Loss

So, you’ve addressed the three habits that make easy weight loss impossible. Perhaps that’s all that is needed, and the fat is starting to melt away. However, in most cases, we must take additional steps to succeed.

Oh, look! Some steps!

1. Switch to Natural Foods

I’m not suggesting your entire diet should consist of granola and homegrown food (though it would help), but making the subtle shift away from processed foods will be a game changer for your metabolism.

The less processed the food, the less chance for unnecessary electrolytes, additives, and contaminants.

These extra “ingredients” contribute to bodily fluid shifts via osmosis (I told you it would come up). The result is an inflammatory environment within the body that hampers natural metabolic processes.

By switching to more natural foods, you reduce inflammation. When that happens, your organs and glands suddenly reach their intended productivity levels.

This results in a boost in your daily energy and calorie expenditure.

Here are some ideas for each macronutrient you can use to make the shift:

Carbohydrates

Processed sugars are the most egregious violator of the natural foods rule. From cereal and condiments to snacks and supplements, added sugars are everywhere. That is why it is first on our list of ideas.

In fact, if you master the shift to natural carb sources, you will undoubtedly see results take shape.

So where do we begin?

Shopping Patterns: Grocery stores are set up almost universally where most processed foods are in the aisles, while their natural counterparts are along the perimeter. This simple rule will help you identify the most natural carb sources. There are, of course, a few exceptions.
Avoid Snack Foods: This can sometimes be difficult. Some people don’t like giving up their chips and crackers, but these foods are among the highest on the “processed to oblivion” list. Not to mention, we already covered the fundamental problem and solution with snacking.
Avoid Packet and Canned Foods: Pre-packaged foods are convenient but almost always contain added ingredients that make them problematic. Even something as healthy as oatmeal can become an issue if it’s “pre-packed.” Instead of oatmeal packets, stick with the simpler steel-cut oats you can scoop out of a container.
Avoid Store-Bought Juices: Even juices advertised as “All-natural” can be problematic. For example, despite Coca-Cola’s “Simply Orange” all-natural claim, consumers found their Simply Tropical Juice contained “forever chemicals” called PFAS linked to many health issues. Buyer Beware.
Seasonings Over Sauces: Seasonings are usually derived from natural ingredients. Furthermore, they are typically light in their calorie content. Sauces tend to have preservatives and added sugars or fats, but there are exceptions, so use discernment.

Processed carbs are quite the monster to overcome. However, mastering this step by switching to natural foods will have far more benefits than easy weight loss.

Fats

Though more subtle than its sugary counterparts, fat processing can be a silent killer to anyone on a weight management journey. There are three reasons for this.

Fat processing is widely accepted as natural and healthy. For example, many households consider modified milk and cheese a staple food.
They are largely invisible in processed foods. For example, potato chips are heavy in carbs and fats, but you can only “see” the carbs in the form of the chip. You also can’t “see” which oils restaurant foods are prepared with by looking at the meal alone.
It is sometimes difficult to cook without oils, most of which are highly processed.

Luckily, the shift to less processed fats is much easier than its carbohydrate cousin.

Here’s what you can do:

Cooking Oils: Not all cooking oils are necessarily bad, but it would be prudent to aim for oils that are liquid at room temperature and don’t undergo much processing. The leading example here is extra-virgin olive oil. Though keep in mind a lot of its nutrients are lost while cooking.
Unaltered seeds and nuts: Many seeds and nuts undergo processing before packaging. A prime example would be trail mix. Instead, opt for unsalted or unflavored mixes. You could also make your own from raw ingredients.
Treat Dairy Like Candy: Some of us can’t give up our cheese, which is fine. However, if that’s the case, it should be treated like candy. That is, don’t consume it regularly. Instead, Have it with your special occasion meals. Cheese is NOT a snack.

Often, processed fats are the source of many inflammatory problems within the body without us realizing it. However, switching to more natural fats will jumpstart your ability to manage harmful conditions such as high cholesterol.

Proteins

Protein is an interesting macronutrient when it comes to processing. In some cases, it is also difficult to obtain in its most natural source. Here are a couple of reasons why

It’s Expensive: Have you ever seen what the most natural cuts of solid proteins cost? The prices can be pretty overwhelming for many.
Availability: Solid protein sources often have a season associated with them, or the type of proteins may not be offered in the area. Imagine trying to acquire Tuna in the Rocky Mountains.

*Note: Another consideration is that many people are averse to consuming animal meat, whether it’s because of allergies, lifestyle, or beliefs. However, a different post will address finding adequate protein sources for this demographic.

If you are trying to stick to natural protein sources, Here are some easy-to-follow guidelines:

Choose Solid Proteins: Instead of ground meats, choose their “whole” counterpart. For example, choose chicken breast instead of chicken nuggets.
Identification: If you can’t readily identify what kind of animal the meat came from, then chances are, it underwent a lot of processing. For example, many people can’t tell the difference between a beef or pork hot dog at a glance.
Flash Frozen Meats: This preservation technique is most prevalent with fish. The cuts are frozen shortly after being caught. This preserves the meat and nutrients with minimal processing.

Fun Fact: The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies processed meat as a carcinogen due to its association with an increased risk of colorectal cancer.

Switching to unprocessed proteins can be difficult, but it is just as important as the other macronutrients.

Supplements

Supplements are the epitome of processing. There’s just one major problem.

Many people don’t get all their nutrients through diet alone or need extra micronutrients due to health conditions.

This form of nutrition can only exist with processing. Since many of us use supplements, this section will address how to approach them best.

There is one IRON CLAD rule when it comes to your supplementation.

Use them only if necessary.

One thing to consider is that if you switch to unprocessed foods with our three macronutrients, you will have more micronutrients in your diet. This means that supplements may no longer be necessary.

However, if you need to use a supplement for whatever purpose, here are the guidelines to minimize the risk to yourself as much as possible.

Short Ingredient Lists: Avoid supplements with a long list of “other ingredients,” especially if they include artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, or sweeteners. The supplement should contain the necessary intended nutrient and very little else.
Opt for Food-Based Supplements: Choose supplements derived from whole foods where possible. These often contain various nutrients from the source food, not just the isolated vitamin or mineral, which may work synergistically for better absorption and effectiveness.

Choose Reputable Brands: Go for brands with third-party testing certifications from organizations like NSF International, ConsumerLab, or US Pharmacopeia. They test to verify that the product contains what it claims to, doesn’t contain harmful levels of contaminants, and was properly manufactured.

Following these guidelines will minimize the uncertainty behind supplements and ensure you get the products that work. Remember, just because a supplement says it helps easy weight loss doesn’t mean it will accomplish the task.

2. Meal Composition

There are all kinds of information on what a meal should look like. Many “diets” will give rules when choosing what each meal contains. To be fair, they are all built on precepts of truth.

The problem is that they overcomplicate the meal prep process and get far too specific.

Bad or Complicated Meal Composition Ideas That Might Not Work

Here are some quick examples of how meal composition can become complicated or problematic.

Calorie Counting

Calories in versus calories out. That is the fundamental principle to weight loss, and anyone who claims otherwise needs to brush up on their understanding of thermodynamics.

If you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose weight. The question is, what is the primary source of the calories you burn, fat or muscle?

Sticking to this principle will help you lose weight. However, the problem is that it doesn’t solve the weight management issue at its core.

Macro Calculations

This is a more detailed version of our calorie counting example. The good news is that it is a much better approach to addressing overall nutritional needs, but it can quickly become a hassle.

This rule also doesn’t necessarily apply to everyone.

Suppose you’re an athlete and you need to facilitate muscle development. In that case, this becomes a critical element of your nutritional profile.

But only some people care about optimizing muscle growth.

In fact, people who are overweight and are simply trying to get it under control only need to give their bodies basic training stimuli to retain their muscle mass.

We all tend to forget how incredible the human body is when it comes to its ability to adapt.

Furthermore, macro calculations can help lose weight, like the calorie counting example. But again, they don’t solve the condition that makes weight management difficult.

Cutting Out Specific Macronutrients

Carbs are not the enemy. Fats are not the enemy. Getting some extra protein won’t ruin your blood pressure. “Diets” that follow these rules tend to violate one of the most important concepts regarding our metabolism.

They play to the exceptions, not the general rule.

Here is an example—the Keto Diet.

This low-carb, high-fat diet has helped many people lose weight and gain control of their blood sugar levels. However, there are too many demographics that either find this diet difficult or downright dangerous. Here are some brief examples:

High-Performance Athletes
Vegetarians or Vegans
People with Medical Conditions
Individuals with Eating Disorders
Pregnant or Breastfeeding Women

This is just one example. Many “diets” out there use similar techniques to control weight, and they all have the same problems.

When you cut out a macronutrient, you cut out a significant source of micronutrients.
Focusing on a single metabolic pathway for energy can lead to unforeseen negative consequences.

These diets could help manage weight, but they are often far too rule specific to get us to a long-term solution.

Let’s slow things down and find something that anyone can do.

The Simple Meal Composition THAT WORKS

Good guidelines for easy weight loss should require as little thought as possible. Furthermore, they should aim to address the underlying cause of weight gain.

THESE ARE THE RULES FOR A BASIC HEALTHY DIET:

Follow the habits three habits listed in the previous section. With these in place, weight loss becomes possible.
1. Don’t Snack
2. Save Calorie Heavy Meals for special occasions only
3. Avoid Processed Foods
Each Meal Should Contain The Following
1. A Whole Protein
2. A Non-Starchy Complex Carb
3. An Unsaturated Fat

That’s it. That’s the whole plan. If you stick to these guidelines, you will begin losing weight.

BUT THERE IS ONE MORE PROBLEM EVEN WITH THIS PLAN.

What about hunger cravings? What if you’re the type of person who needs a sweet or salty afternoon snack?

Let’s address this.

3. Craving Prevention Meal

This concept’s most important aspect is knowing when your cravings usually hit. Whether it’s mid-morning, afternoon, or evening, the craving prevention meal aims to stop the cravings before they occur.

This is not an extra meal. It is a meal whose composition is slightly altered.

Here are the craving prevention meal guidelines

Voluminous: Think Big Salad. The whole thing should be physically heavy
Topping Heavy: The toppings should all contain different natural foods.
- Mushrooms, Bell Peppers, Carrots, Onions, Tomatoes, Etc.
Healthy Fat Source: It should be natural and “solid.”
- Walnuts, Pumpkin Seeds, Almonds, Etc.
Protein: It needs to be a “whole” protein prepared healthily.
- Grilled, Air-fried, Baked, etc.
Dressing: Use for flavor, not substance.

You will notice this meal still follows the rules of a Basic Healthy Diet.

So we have our basic plan with a craving-prevention meal as a tool. What next? We ask the next most important question.

Is this sustainable?

Easy Long-Term Weight Loss and Management

Sticking to a meal plan is often challenging. How many people start their weight loss journey only to have it fall flat on its face a few days or weeks later? Worse yet, what if the plan works, but the weight inevitably returns? Even when you check all the boxes, things can go wrong.

Imagine this scenario:

You meticulously plan out your meals. You’ve figured out your macros and calculated how many calories to eat per meal to maintain the caloric deficit. And you start to see the weight loss.

But then some friends want to go out one night. Or perhaps, there’s a holiday. You have a single night of splurging. Then something strange happens.

Do you ever notice how hard it is to get back on a diet after losing momentum?

Why does this happen?

The problem is that consistent weight loss goes much deeper than simply maintaining a caloric deficit. Not to mention, most weight management techniques are short-term solutions.

Understanding is Key

It is often said that knowledge is power. This is true in the case of weight management. With the proper knowledge, we can avoid repeating the same mistakes throughout our lives.

It’s time to delve deep into the powerful systems that govern weight management.

Is Obesity a Disease?

Many of us may have this question or heard the phrase “Obesity is a Disease” at some point. However, is it true? The answer is: Almost. Let’s look at the definition of a disease.

Disease:

A disordered or incorrectly functioning organ, part, structure, or system of the body resulting from the effect of genetic or developmental errors, infection, poisons, nutritional deficiency or imbalance, toxicity, or unfavorable environmental factors; illness; sickness; ailment.

Based on this definition, excess fat or adipose tissue is not considered a disease. In fact, it’s working as intended. If we overeat, the excess sugars get stored as body fat.

Looking at it this way may be disappointing, but that is okay. It means we must look at the problem from another angle. How about instead of a disease, we treat it like this:

Obesity is a symptom of a disease.

If we treat obesity like a symptom of a disease, then perhaps we can start asking the right questions. Here is a short list of good questions:

What governs hunger?
Why is it difficult for overweight people to stop overeating?
If food is energy, why do overweight individuals tend to suffer from chronic fatigue?
Why does the weight return so easily after hard dieting?
Why do diets become harder to stick to over time?

It’s time for a thought experiment.

How Does Obesity Occur?

Here’s a question I want everyone to consider:

How does a perfectly healthy individual become morbidly obese?

Let’s begin with the system in our body that governs our eating habits in the first place. Here is the basic hunger cycle:

When we haven’t had food for a while, our body releases a hormone called ghrelin. This hormone, more or less, promotes the sensation of hunger.
When we eat, and the food is digested, our blood sugar levels rise.
The increased blood sugar causes our fat cells to release another hormone called Leptin.
Leptin travels to the brain, promoting satiety.
Our brain then sends signals to our gut which curbs the release of ghrelin.

Here is a simplified illustration of the process.

This is the negative feedback loop system mentioned at this post’s beginning.

This system has been effective for humans for thousands of years. So, why has population obesity exploded in the past few decades?

Remember those processed foods I keep mentioning? What happens when they get into our system?

Processed foods digest extremely fast compared to natural foods. As a result, our blood sugar spikes immensely, creating a considerable leptin release. In addition, artificial sugars and high-fructose corn syrup suppress the breakdown of ghrelin.

This means that blood sugar stays high for longer, and satiety is suppressed due to lingering ghrelin levels. Therefore, we need to eat more to feel full.

Now, our fat cells are continuously releasing leptin which bombards our brains.

Snacking and Heavy Meals keep this unstable process going.

With enough time, two destabilizing effects start to occur.

Leptin Resistance

With our brain continuously washed in leptin, the receptors that react to it will respond less over time. This means we will be chronically hungry even with adequate food intake.

Here is what the altered leptin feedback loop looks like.

Now, we must snack more often or consistently eat heavy meals to feel full. This situation creates a massive caloric surplus which begins the weight gain process. This is also why obese individuals have such difficulty when it comes to reducing their food intake.

We have a disordered system in the body resulting from nutritional imbalance. This is the real disease.

Due to a disordered system, we will continuously suffer its effects until corrected. This is why most diets don’t work, and people can’t keep the weight off.

Most Diets Don’t Correct The Disorder.

However, the problem continues beyond leptin resistance. Processed foods cause another effect that compounds this disease.

Inflammation

The problem is more than artificial sugars and the ghrelin-leptin imbalance. Processed foods bring another set of issues. Do you remember why we are avoiding processed foods in the first place? Here are the three reasons:

High Electrolyte Content
Added Ingredients
Possible Contaminants

What effect do these extra components have on the body?

Put it this way. These components act a lot like sand. In other words, THEY GET EVERYWHERE! They build up in our joints, organs, and bodily tissues.

Most importantly, a few ingredients cross the Blood Brain Barrier.

The BBB separates our cerebral-spinal fluid from our bloodstream. It acts as a protective barrier for our central nervous system.

With the added constituents from processed foods, the fluid in our brain holds an increased tonality. This, in turn, creates an osmotic pull on the water in our bloodstream, which inflames the brain.

What problems can an inflamed brain create? Better question. What problems doesn’t an inflamed brain create?

It affects EVERYTHING. Here’s a highly abbreviated list of some critical issues.

Neuroreceptor Insensitivity: Not only does this worsen our leptin resistance, but it also makes ALL OTHER neuroreceptors operate less effectively. This creates a massive litany of problems ranging from hormone imbalance to sleep disorders and even depression.
Organ Malfunction: With our brain’s chemical messenger system depressed, our organs suffer secondary issues. This will begin opening the gateway to disease or compounding existing disorders such as Hypothyroidism, Diabetes, and many others.
Metabolic suppression: Our overall metabolism will suffer with our organs on the fritz. This means that we burn fewer calories and are chronically tired, even after sleep, making us gain EVEN MORE weight.

The reason obesity is linked to an increased risk of death from all causes is because of its relationship to the brain.

This inflammatory disorder of the brain is highly problematic, but there is excellent news for everyone.

It’s easy to cure!

Correct The Cause, Correct The Symptoms

Inflammation and Leptin Resistance are two root causes of weight management issues. Fixing these conditions will not only make easy weight loss possible, but it will also improve many other systems in the body.

So how do we fix the problem?

The good news is that the answer was already provided earlier in the post with the habits and meal composition. To be certain, we will explore why this solution works.

1. Stop The Problem At Its Source

We know that processed foods have ingredients or components that could cause inflammation in our bodies, so let’s stop the problem at its source.

The human body has a fantastic system that allows us to detoxify ourselves via the liver and kidneys. If we stop consuming problematic substances, these organs will eventually clean our bodies and fix the inflammation.

The problem: It could take time, and if our organs are already operating sub-optimally due to the inflammation, it could take a long time.

Why don’t we give our bodies a helping hand?

2. Actively Reverse The Inflammation

Do you remember what powerful system created the inflammatory environment? Here’s a quick reminder.

Extra constituents in our cerebral-spinal fluid increase the fluid’s tonality. This creates an osmotic pull on the water in our bloodstream.

So if osmosis pulled fluids into the brain, why can’t we use osmosis to pull the extra fluid back out?

To do that, we need something in our blood that meets these requirements.

It cannot cross the Blood Brain Barrier
It needs to remain in our bloodstream for an extended period.
It can’t trigger a significant leptin release.

So what can we use to solve this problem?

Step in Polysaccharides.

Polysaccharides, or complex carbs, are long-chain sugars that take a long time for the body to metabolize. Furthermore, they don’t trigger the same leptin release that a highly-absorbable, processed sugar can.

So where can we find these complex carbs?

As mentioned, non-starchy complex carbs exist primarily in our natural fruits, vegetables, and grains. This is one of the reasons why we include complex carbohydrates in each meal.

In fact, I would direct your attention to one of these complex carbs in particular.

Mannitol

In modern medicine, mannitol can be given via IV to people with acute brain inflammatory problems. So what is it?

Mannitol is a type of sugar alcohol or polyol. It contains less than half the calories of regular sugar and takes much longer to metabolize.

To be clear, I’m not recommending that anyone acquires medical grade mannitol, but the good news is that we don’t have to.

It’s naturally occurring!

Guess which foods contain mannitol. If you said most vegetables, you’d be correct. In fact, a couple of sources have a slightly higher amount.

Fresh White Button Mushrooms
Sweet Potatoes

If you included these foods in your meal plan, you could speed up the anti-inflammatory process. However, try not to over-consume mannitol as it could lead to gastrointestinal discomfort.

An added benefit of including complex carbs in our daily nutrition is that it helps us address leptin resistance too.

Allow me to explain.

3. Regulate Blood Sugar

So we’ve begun reducing the inflammation in our body and brain. Our metabolism is starting to kick in, and we’re burning more calories. But what of the leptin resistance?

Recall what caused this problem in the first place. Inflammation reduced its impact, and processed sugars caused it to be released en masse.

In other words, we need to regain control of our blood sugar. Here are some factors to consider

Glycemic Index: This measurement from 1 to 100 compares a food’s sugar absorption rate to straight glucose. The higher the rating, the faster the food absorbs. To curb the leptin release, we’ll need to avoid foods that are relatively high in rating.
Glycemic Load: This Measures a food’s impact on our blood sugar, telling us how high our blood sugar could go. This is graded on a smaller scale, with a rating of 20+ high, 10-20 middle ground, and less than ten low.

One note worth remembering if you choose to track the glycemic factors of the foods is that just because a food is high on the glycemic index doesn’t mean it has a high glycemic load.

For example, watermelon. It has a GI rating of 72, which is high, but a GL rating of only 5. Therefore, watermelon is safe when it comes to managing blood sugar.

The main point is that if you’re unsure about a specific food, look up its glycemic factors and aim for low values.

However, with our guidelines set earlier in this post, we shouldn’t need to track all our carb intakes painstakingly. Keep it simple.

By switching our primary source of carbs to a complex variety (I.e., fruits, grains, and veggies), we reduce the tsunami of leptin. Now the receptors in the brain or getting a small, steady stream.

With enough time, the receptors will “reset” and start recognizing leptin more readily since it is more scarce.

Imagine regularly using caffeine but then going cold turkey for a month. When you have the first cup of coffee after not having it for so long, the caffeine hits you much harder. The process with leptin is similar.

The best part is that the longer you stick with this “diet,” the easier it becomes to adhere to. The reason is that you’re rebalancing your body’s hunger management system.

However, there is one last pitfall that we still need to address, which WILL OCCUR in the earlier stages of this nutritional journey.

Managing Cravings

Cravings are the number one killer of weight loss journeys. We’ve all experienced them at one point or another. We could crave something sweet or salty. Sometimes we get strange cravings. Maybe we’re just plain hungry.

What’s important is understanding the source of cravings and how to prevent them.

Craving Sources

The reason cravings happen can be boiled down to a single word: Deficiency.

We are low on a nutrient or mineral, and our body wants us to get it.

Why don’t we look at a few cravings and see what they could mean?

Meat Craving: Sometimes, this occurs after exercising, and our body demands protein. More commonly, it can be attributed to a deficiency in iron or vitamin B12
Sweet Tooth: Usually, this means that our blood sugar is low or we need a mineral such as zinc, chromium, calcium, or magnesium.
Salty Craving: In normal individuals, this could mean they need more electrolytes.
Simple Hunger: We haven’t had food in a while, and our body is releasing Ghrelin, the hunger hormone.
Unusual Cravings: This is more difficult because it could mean we are deficient in one or more micronutrients or minerals. This is also most common during pregnancy since both mother and child have unique nutrient requirements.

Whatever the reason, we need to prevent cravings before they happen. The reason is that another neurotransmitter gets involved if we have severe hunger. In this case, I am referring to dopamine.

Dopamine is one of the most potent substances in the human body. It motivates us to action and makes us feel good about our accomplishments.

Sounds great, doesn’t it?

But when we have a craving and finally meet that need, our body releases dopamine for this “accomplishment,” which makes us feel great. So what do we end up doing as a result?

If you said, “Eat more,” you are correct.

If you crave something salty and discover a pack of crackers, you may only need a couple to meet your needs, but dopamine spurns you on to eat the entire package.

Have you ever wondered how we could eat a whole bag of potato chips without feeling full? It’s a vicious combination of suppressed ghrelin breakdown due to the processed sugars and dopamine hit since we “met our craving need.”

It’s easy to see how a single craving can wreck an entire week of dieting.

So it’s critical to stop them from occurring in the first place.

Craving Prevention

Preventing cravings is a straightforward process that requires two steps.

Identify when the craving typically hits.
Give your body what it needs in the meal before the craving occurs.

However, there is one little hangup that gets us into trouble.

The type of craving can be hard to predict.

Sometimes we don’t know if we need salts, nutrients, or sugar. So what do we do?

This is where the Craving Prevention Meal from earlier comes into play.

Remember the guidelines? Here’s a refresher:

Voluminous: Think Big Salad. The whole thing should be physically heavy
Topping Heavy: The toppings should all contain different natural foods.
- Mushrooms, Bell Peppers, Carrots, Onions, Tomatoes, Etc.
Healthy Fat Source: It should be natural and “solid.”
- Walnuts, Pumpkin Seeds, Almonds, Etc.
Protein: It needs to be a “whole” protein prepared healthily.
- Grilled, Air-fried, etc.
Dressing: Use for flavor, not substance.

This type of meal prevents cravings in the five following ways:

Mechanical Tension

This is the most crucial factor. When you get a physically large meal in the stomach, it pushes on the stomach lining. This causes our GI system to send neural impulses to our brain, telling us we’re full.

It completely bypasses the need for leptin.

Vitamin Rich

We’ll take the shotgun approach if we can’t predict which vitamin we lack. It’s difficult to be low in a vitamin if you have a meal that contains a wide variety.

Controlled Leptin Release

Between the healthy fats and complex carbs from the toppings, we get a minor, steady release of leptin over a long period, helping prolong our satiety.

Electrolytes

Many of the toppings, such as tomatoes, contain a healthy source of electrolytes which will prevent any salt cravings.

Slow Digestion

With the combination of healthy fats, complex carbs, and whole protein, the large salad will move slowly through our digestive tract, prolonging our satiety.

A Final Note About Cravings

Remember, cravings are ultimately a sign of a nutritional deficiency. The cravings could frequently occur when you’re correcting inflammation and leptin resistance.

However, as time passes and these problems resolve, the cravings should become a rarity. When you experience a craving, it’s important to identify what you lack in your daily nutrition and find a way to correct it.

Eventually, you won’t need a Craving Prevention Meal. It should be a tool used for particular circumstances at that point.

With this tool at your disposal, you now have a working knowledge of weight management.

Easy Weight Loss: FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

1. Is Weight Loss Easy?

Does it seem like some people know how to lose weight whenever they want, while others are in a never-ending battle? There are a few underlying reasons, but the most important is this.

Easy Weight Loss is an acquired skill.

In fact, it is one of the most important skills for sports that require a low body-fat composition to perform. Here are some examples

Bodybuilders: They will often have bulk and cut cycles, which means these individuals are some of the best at learning to lose fat efficiently.
Gymnasts: These individuals perform intense skills year-round, which require a low body composition. This means they are very good at low body-fat lifestyles.
Fighters: Though their weight-cutting techniques can be extreme for weigh-in deadlines, fighters are masters of osmosis.

Simply put, losing weight is hard at first. However, weight loss becomes easy once you’ve acquired the necessary knowledge and practice.

2. How Much Weight Should I Lose?

This question has two considerations.

What body-fat composition is healthy?
At what weight do you feel comfortable in your own skin?

The first question is straightforward.

For Women: Body Fat compositions ranging from 20-30% are generally accepted as healthy.
For Men: A healthy body fat range is 10-20%. Their content is lower because they generally have higher muscle mass and don’t use body fat like women do.

The second question is based on your self-evaluation but be warned. Putting too much emphasis on this aspect can open the door to problems such as eating disorders and body dysmorphia.

Remember that life is not all about what you see in the mirror and more about what you see through a window. So go out, splurge now and again, and enjoy life in all its wonders. It’s ok not to be perfect. Besides, perfect is boring.

If you do feel like something is eerily amiss in your dietary habits or body image, please take the time to ask a qualified mental health professional. No one should have to live in a constant state of self-lack.

3. Is easy weight loss possible with pre-existing conditions?

This can be more challenging for individuals with Hypothyroidism, Diabetes, or other metabolic conditions.

For those individuals, it’s essential to consult a nutritional specialist before embarking on any weight management journey. Getting a second set of eyes on an idea is always good.

For individuals with other conditions, such as high blood pressure or cholesterol, a journey like this will be similar to most others, but if you feel something is going wrong, consult your physician.

This guide’s solutions revolve around the principles of healthy eating patterns, which are universal. Anyone can benefit from eating less processed foods and getting a balanced nutritional lifestyle.

4. Why Should I Avoid Starchy Foods?

Not all starchy foods are bad. The forms we mean to avoid are in the form of pasta, breads, and cereals.

These should be avoided because they are calorie dense and cause rapid spikes in blood sugar. They are also lower in their nutritional density than their natural counterparts.

However, some starches are perfectly acceptable, for example:

Whole Grains
Legumes
Vegetables

In fact, some starchy vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, are highly favorable for easy weight loss. There are three reasons:

Nutrient Rich: They are full of nutrients like vitamin A (beta-carotene), vitamin C, and potassium. They also provide dietary fiber, which can aid in digestion, promote feelings of fullness, and support gut biome health.
Resistant Starch: Resistant starch acts similarly to dietary fiber, resisting digestion in the small intestine and reaching the large intestine intact. There, it serves as a food source for beneficial gut bacteria, promoting a healthy gut microbiome.
Mannitol Content: As mentioned previously, sweet potatoes contain the alcohol sugar “mannitol,” which is very useful when reversing inflammation within the body.

Just remember to use your discretion when choosing your source of carbohydrates—the less processed, the better.

5. What if I’m on a budget?

One of the most common reasons that could stop a person in their health journey is the cost of high-quality food.

It is true that “organic” anything tends to be much more expensive. Still, we should also consider that healthy eating doesn’t require us to consume an entirely organic diet.

In fact, with the right approach, healthy eating is much less expensive than many processed foods.

Why?

Pre-preparation. The more preparation steps, the more manual labor involved. This makes the price go up. Processed food has many preparation steps.

Suppose you want to take the most economical approach to food. In that case, you must accept the preparation into your own hands.

Here’s how you can get started.

Simple Things Every Person Has

This approach makes a couple of assumptions.

You have access to an oven.
You have access to a refrigerator and freezer.

You will also need to make a few initial one-time purchases

Freezer storage wrap such as aluminum foil
1-2 Glass bakeware dishes
1-2 Medium to large mixing bowls
A Cutting Board
A knife suitable for cutting meats
A knife suitable for cutting vegetables
Tupperware containers for the desired amount of weekly meals
Food scale (OPTIONAL)

Here’s the process (read before doing)

Select 1 or more protein sources and purchase them in bulk. This will keep the cost per serving low. Prep the necessary amount of meat for your meal plan and store the rest in the freezer for the following week’s prep.
Purchase the necessary fresh goods for craving prevention meals and complex carb sources. These are less expensive the one would think.
Use the mixing bowls, knives, and cutting boards to prep the veggies and then the meat.
Bake the meats in the bakeware dishes, and distribute the salads into their own containers.
Distribute the cooked meats and your choice of prepared complex carbohydrates in their own containers.
If you want to get specific, you could use a food scale to keep things consistent.

This basic process is how many people prepare their meals for the week. It makes the preparation process relatively fast, cheap, and easy.

Also, for flavor, you could consider using seasonings and spices to avoid making your meals too bland. If you use sauces and dressings, pick those light on calories and additives.

Last, you can resort to vitamin supplements if you think you are deficient in certain micronutrients. In this case, follow the guidelines explained earlier in this post to help you choose the right supplement.

Remember, supplements should be used strategically, not broadly.

*Note the steps have been kept relatively broad. The reason is that I don’t know what your specific tastes, needs, and means are. This is just a place you can start.

6. Will cardio help?

Cardio exercise will most certainly help in weight loss efforts. However, you’ll want to ease into it.

If you substantially change your nutritional habits and attempt to begin a high-frequency cardio regimen, you may become more vulnerable to cravings.

This is because cardio, when too intense, will cause a drop in blood sugar, spiking hunger.

A more thoughtful approach is to make the dietary changes first and give them a week or two to stabilize. When the body becomes used to the new intake and cravings are under control, it would be a good idea to ease into cardio exercise.

Take it one step at a time.

7. Will a fat burner help?

This can be a sticky subject. The idea of a fat burner is that a compound or chemical can cause our body’s metabolism to increase via different pathways.

Many “fat burners” focus on thermogenesis or heat generation. This will cause more calories to burn. However, there are some issues.

Limitations: The benefit from fat burners is marginal compared to a proper nutritional and exercise protocol.
Manufacturing: Due to their manufacturing nature as supplements, fat burners can contain other unexpected ingredients that could worsen inflammation.
Risk: Fat burners’ ingredients could also exacerbate conditions such as hypertension, heart arrhythmias, and other pre-existing conditions.

In short, fat burners sound nice and may help, but ultimately they’re not necessary or, in some cases, worth the risk.

8. What about alcohol use?

Interestingly alcohol acts similarly to our macronutrients. For example, 1 gram of carbohydrates is equivalent to 4 calories. 1 gram of alcohol is equivalent to 7 calories making it relatively energy dense.

The problem is that it contains little to no nutrients and acts as a toxin until our body properly metabolizes it.

Furthermore, alcohol upregulates estrogen levels which promotes fat storage.

To solve our weight management issues, alcohol is best left out of the equation as much as possible.

9. If I have inflammation, how do I know it’s being fixed?

Inflammation can primarily be characterized by excess water retention. It’s not just the brain that is subject to inflammatory conditions. Most structures in the body can become inflamed by one means or another.

Under natural circumstances, we can retain water and feel bloated or sluggish. You may also sweat more than normal because if you have too much water, your body will have more difficulty thermoregulating due to the water’s high specific heat.

If you diligently fix inflammation, you can assume the water is going somewhere.

Expect frequent bathroom breaks and a quick initial loss of “water weight.”

10. Besides easy weight loss, what other benefits could I expect?

When correcting imbalances or conditions, a whole cascade of benefits could ensue.

Here is a short list of possible benefits one could expect after adopting the type of habits described in this post:

An initial drop in water weight
Slight daily energy boost due to heightened metabolism
Improved mood
Improved sleep
Less joint pain or chronic aches
Healthy foods begin to taste better
Pre-existing conditions become easier to manage
Better thermoregulation
Better hormone regulation

This isn’t an exhaustive list because proper weight management and brain health tie into nearly every facet of our lives.

11. How can I make easy weight loss easier?

There are many ways you can make weight management more effortless.

Here are a couple of examples:

Build Muscle: This is one of the more long-term solutions. The more muscle you have, the more calories you consume while resting. This makes it easier to keep weight off in the future.
Physically and Mentally Active Lifestyle: Rather than spending free time relaxing on the couch, take the time to pursue other interests. It could be anything from outdoor activities, hobbies, or new projects.

Advanced Nutrition Monitoring: Combine nutritional habits and meal composition guidelines with more advanced nutritional tracking, such as macro calculation. It will be more involved, but the results will speed up.

Easy Weight Loss: Summary

As you can see, weight loss can be easy when the correct information is available.

Diets can work, but they must adhere to specific principles that govern our body’s weight management systems.

Ultimately, the effectiveness of this weight management system will depend on your ability to adapt and adhere to the guidelines presented in this post.

To Recap, here are the habits and meal composition guidelines.

Three Habits:

1. 1. Don’t Snack
  2. Save Calorie Heavy Meals for special occasions only
  3. Avoid Processed Foods

Each Meal Should Contain The Following:

1. A Whole Protein
2. A Non-Starchy Complex Carb
3. An Unsaturated Fat

Getting started could be challenging, but once you get some initial momentum, these nutritional habits will become easier as time goes on.

For other health management systems, check out my other guides.

The Simple Formula to Get Better Sleep

Build Muscle Fast With This Fitness Map

If this guide was helpful to you or you know someone it could be useful for, please share this content far and wide.