5 Things To Know BEFORE Starting A Weight Loss Journey

We break down the core principles of sustainable weight management, from why personalization outperforms one-size-fits-all advice to the simple nutrition habits that consistently move the needle: fewer ultra-processed foods, more protein and fiber, plenty of vegetables, and enough water to support appetite and energy.

We also tackle a big misconception: exercise is priceless for health and weight maintenance, but it’s not a reliable weight-loss lever by itself. You’ll hear how daily movement protects muscle, supports insulin sensitivity, boosts mood and sleep, and why many long-term maintainers average about an hour of activity—often just walking. Expect a candid look at plateaus and set points too. Progress isn’t linear, and the body needs time to adapt; we share how to stay steady, make small adjustments, and measure wins beyond the scale.

Mindset matters as much as macros. Harsh self-criticism rarely creates change, but compassionate accountability does. We share language shifts that reduce all-or-nothing thinking and help you bounce back after lapses, plus the value of surrounding yourself with support and, when appropriate, partnering with an obesity medicine clinician for safe, effective care. Above all, health comes first—never trade well-being for a smaller size. If you’re ready to simplify, personalize, and commit to what you can do for years, this conversation will help you map a path that lasts.

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Episode Transcript

Dr. Lindsay Ogle (00:00):
Welcome to the Modern Metabolic Health Podcast
with your host, Dr.
Lindsay Ogle, Board CertifiedFamily Medicine and Obesity
Medicine Physician.
Here we learn how we can treatand prevent modern metabolic
conditions such as diabetes,PCOS, fatty liver disease,
metabolic syndrome, sleep apnea,and more.

(00:21):
We focus on optimizinglifestyle while utilizing safe
and effective medical treatment.
Please remember that while I ama physician, I am not your
physician.
Everything discussed here isprovided as general medical
knowledge and not direct medicaladvice.
Please talk to your doctorabout what is best for you.
We are all unique humans.

(01:10):
We have our own biology, wehave our own lives and
schedules, we have our ownpreferences and culture and
traditions.
We like different foods, wehave different goals in our
lives and with our health.
And so it there really is notone diet, one exercise routine,

(01:32):
one medication that is going towork for everybody.
And if somebody tells youthat's the case, that's a really
big red flag that they are not,they are not trustworthy
because they're probably tellingyou what worked for them or
what worked for their friend ortheir family member, and they
think that's gonna work for youand for everybody else, but

(01:54):
trust me that that is not thecase.
I have worked with hundreds ofpatients on weight management,
and no patient is on the same iseating the same thing, it's on
the same medications or the sameexercise regimen.
And if they get started on thesame thing, then most of them
are not going to continue that.
So you really have to picksomething that is suited, that

(02:17):
is best suited for you.
And this is when working withsomebody who understands that,
an obesity medicine specialist,a health coach, a trainer who is
working directly with you tocreate a plan that you are on
board with and that you arewilling to follow through with
is going to be really, reallykey rather than just using a

(02:38):
template that you get off of theinternet or that somebody on
social media told you is thebest way to lose weight.
And specifically for diets,they can be really heated,
especially online.
People are really passionateabout the diet that has worked
well for them, and they and Ithink it's coming from a good
place.
They're wanting to help otherpeople, they're wanting to

(02:59):
improve your health.
But what really happens is thatit creates a lot of confusion.
But what we do notice, and Iwill say about all of these
diets is that there are peoplewho are successful on vegan
diets, on vegetarian diets, onketo, on high protein, low carb,

(03:19):
on high fat low carb, onintermittent fasting, on whole
30, on paleo, on mealreplacements.
There are lots of differentdiets out there.
Mediterranean, the Dash diet.
We see success on any diet.
And the biggest thing is thatit is something that again that
you can do long term and thatfits into your lifestyle.

(03:42):
So this is when just beingreally honest with yourself
about your preferences, um,about if it fits into your daily
routine, is this something thatyou can do long term is super
important.
But what all of thesesuccessful diets have in common
is that they tend to have loweramounts of processed foods, they

(04:02):
focus on whole foods, lots ofvegetables.
They're typically higher inprotein and higher in fiber.
So if you follow these generalprinciples, less processed
foods, less added sugars, morevegetables, more protein, lots
of water, then you're going tobe successful.
And that kind of um bridges toweight principle number two.

(04:27):
And that's when you choosesomething or a plan to lose
weight, you are going to have tochoose something that you are
willing to do long term.
So we know from observingthousands of patients over time
that whatever you do to loseweight, you're going to have to
continue to do that to maintainthat weight loss.

(04:49):
So ignore the fad diets.
If there is something that youknow is promising five pounds in
one week, and you can do that,you can do that diet, and you
may lose five pounds that week,but it is likely that that diet
is not sustainable long term.
It's not something that iseither healthy or that you're

(05:11):
willing to continue for the restof your life.
And so really take that intoaccount because it can be really
disheartening to go all in onthis diet that promises a vast
weight loss, but you aren't ableto sustain it long term, nor do
you want to, and then you gainthe weight back.
So really take that intoaccount when you're choosing a

(05:33):
plan for weight loss.
Really think about your bigpicture goals.
What is your life gonna looklike six months down the line,
one year down the line, fiveyears, ten years?
Are you gonna be able tomaintain this or a some a
similar version of it?
If you if the answer is no,it's probably not a good diet
for you right now.
I would reassess and thinkbigger picture for sustainable

(05:56):
weight loss.
Principle number three is thatexercise is for health and it is
for weight maintenance.
Exercise is not effective atweight loss.
It is extremely difficult toexercise enough to offset a bad
diet.
There's that common saying youcan't outrun a bad diet, and

(06:17):
it's been proven true.
It takes a lot of time andenergy to burn a considerable
amount of calories.
Exercise is where you are ableto build up your muscle mass,
improve your body composition,improve your strength and
flexibility, it can improve yourcardiovascular health, improve

(06:39):
sleep, it can help with mentalhealth and improve your mood.
It has so many benefits, but itis very unlikely to be the
reason that you lose weight.
Now, it can sound strangecoming from a family and obesity
medicine physician to notrecommend exercise for weight

(07:00):
loss.
And the truth is, I don'trecommend exercise for weight
loss, but I do recommendexercise for health, and I
recommend exercise for weightmanagement.
Studies have shown that thepatients who are able to lose a
significant amount of weight andmaintain that weight loss over
time exercise on average of anhour a day.

(07:22):
And most of these people arewalking during that time, but
you can do any exercise that youenjoy.
You will hit plateaus, and thisis normal.
It's important to acknowledgethat now so you don't get
discouraged when this happens,and it's okay, it does not mean
that anything has gone wrong,you're not doing anything wrong,

(07:44):
your body is working the waythat it's supposed to.
We talked about a weight setpoint before, and this is your
body adjusting to a new weightset point, and it may be some
time where you're going to be atthis new weight and this new
plateau before you get furtherdown to your goals.
It can be really discouraging,and you can think that this

(08:05):
means that you should stop.
It does not mean stop.
You should keep going, you'redoing great.
Just remember, you have madesuch improvements in your health
so far.
Don't stop now.
Keep going, even if youmaintain where you are at this
plateau, you are doing so muchfor your health, and your future

(08:25):
self is really going to thankyou for that.
And number six, love yourselfnow.
Love your body now.
Most people think that in orderto change, they need to be hard
on themselves.
But that is not the case.
This is probably what you'vedone for most of your life.
When you haven't reached yourgoal, when you're not where you

(08:47):
want to be, it's really easy tobeat yourself up and put
yourself down.
And you think that maybe ifyou're mean enough to yourself,
then finally you're going tochange.
But I promise you that's notthe case.
When you are able to look atyourself and love yourself and
say, I want the best for you,and I'm going to do these things

(09:14):
that I know are healthy foryou, and I know are gonna help
you, then that is when thingschange.
You can think about if you wereto look at yourself when you
were five years old, how wouldyou talk to yourself then?
Would you put that person down?
Would you put that version ofyourself down because they

(09:35):
weren't at their goal yet?
No, you encourage them, youlove them, you tell them to keep
going, to keep trying, and thatyou will have their back no
matter what.
And that is how you need totalk to yourself now to truly
get to the healthy place thatyou want to be at.
I really, really believe inthis.

(09:55):
And if this is something thatyou're needing help with, this
is when you can talk with amental health professional, a
therapist, a counselor, or acoach.
Surround yourself with positivepeople.
It can really, really make thedifference.
And last, I want to say younever want to sacrifice your

(10:16):
health for a smaller body.
It is not worth it.
Health is the goal.
You want to live a life whereyou're able to do the things
that you want to do, toparticipate in the activities
that you want to participate in,to travel, to be with your
family and friends, to createthe to accomplish the goals that

(10:37):
you set out to accomplish.
You're not going to be able todo that if you restrict so much
you don't have the energy to.
If you are taking supplementsor medications without the
guidance of a of a healthprofessional, you run the risk
of doing harm and shorteningyour life.
And for what?

(10:58):
To fit in a smaller size pairof jeans.
I am never going to recommend aspecific weight for a patient.
I don't know what their bestweight is.
We are not going to sacrificeeverything else in our lives to
reach a weight on a scale.
That doesn't make any sense.

(11:19):
I know that ended on a heavynote.
But the truth is, I know a lotof you are struggling and are
battling against yourself.
And the way to safe, effective,and lasting weight loss is to

(11:39):
approach it with love andcompassion and with a long-term
goal of health.
And you can do that with theguidance of a healthcare
professional who really has anunderstanding of obesity
management and the interplaybetween what's happening in the
body, what's happening in themind, and combining those things

(12:02):
to create a plan that will besustainable and effective for
you.
Thank you for listening andlearning how you can improve
your metabolic health in thismodern world.
If you found this informationhelpful, please share with a
friend, family member, orcolleague.

(12:24):
We need to do all we can tocombat the dangerous
misinformation that is outthere.
Please subscribe and write areview.
This will help others find thepodcast so they may also improve
their metabolic health.
I look forward to ourconversation next week.