A Structured Approach to Sustainable Weight Loss: 10 Phases to Achieve Your Goals
ABSTRACT
Find a straightforward progression towards weight loss with these 10 phases, each designed to adjust your habits and optimize your nutrition gradually. From cutting calories to strategic meal timing and identifying weight gain culprits, this method offers a sustainable approach backed by personal trainer wisdom and scientific principles. Take control of your journey to a healthier you with this structured plan.
Keywords
Weight loss progression
Sustainable weight loss
Caloric deficit
Meal timing for weight loss
Whole food plant-based diet
Personal trainer advice
Nutrient-dense options
Weight loss culprits
Healthy eating habits
Lifestyle changes for weight loss
Healthy Eating Meal Plan / Photo: Ella Olsson
INTRODUCTION
Here is a simple progression to weight loss. You can start at Phase 1 and add the next phase (each in 1-2 week increments) until you reach your goal or separately test each phase until you determine what affects your weight the most. Although I prefer a primary focus on nutrient-dense options, a caloric deficit seems the most desired first step for many personal training clients. No matter how you approach this progression, try to seek a sustainable combination of efforts based on your needs (and it doesn’t need to be perfect).
Please note that I haven’t mentioned anything about fitness. Based on fourteen years of experience, I haven’t found a positive correlation between sustainable weight loss and killing yourself in the gym (unfortunately and fortunately). Many factors affect the caloric exchange between nutrition and fitness, making it difficult to determine real numbers (e.g., the machine claims you burned 600 calories when you only burned 325 calories for reasons related to YOUR body). Although the answer to weight loss is simple, it doesn't mean it's easy. I hope this structured approach will minimize any frustration. Good luck! Be diet strong!
PHASE 1: CUT YOUR TOTAL CALORIC AMOUNT BY 25% WITHOUT CHANGING THE SUBSTANCE (THE TYPE OF FOODS YOU’RE EATING).
Personal Trainer Wisdom: Unfortunately, a caloric deficit isn’t scientifically enough to lose weight….but it can help initially if you’re overconsuming. Your body can only process so much food at once; the rest is converted into fats, triglycerides, and more. Sidenote: You’re only creating a deficit based on your current habits. Most people consume far more calories necessary (1300-1700) for a sedentary lifestyle. By cutting 25% of your current calorie load, you are simply getting closer to this mark.
PHASE 2: CUT DOWN YOUR CALORIC INTAKE UNTIL YOU REACH A RANGE OF 1300-1700 CALORIES PER DAY.
PHASE 3: CUT DOWN YOUR CALORIC INTAKE UNTIL YOU REACH A RANGE OF 1300-1700 CALORIES WITHOUT EXCEEDING 300-500 CALORIES PER MEAL.
PHASE 4: EAT 3-4 MEALS PER DAY WITH 3-5 HOURS BETWEEN EACH MEAL.
Personal Trainer Wisdom: Timing is everything, and it usually takes 3-5 for proper digestion and absorption. You want to avoid eating more food than your body can process at a given time (you know what happens then). At the same time, you want to limit any nutritional deficiency (who knows how your body will compensate). Do you ever feel stuffed or starved? Do you typically take more or less than 3-5 hours between meals?PHASE 5: EAT 3-4 MEALS AT THE SAME TIME EACH DAY.
Personal Trainer Wisdom: Your body wants to be an efficient machine that operates on autopilot. It usually depends on its biological clock - a blend of natural and reinforced forces. That said, you can train your body to efficiently release a flood of hormones to help you simultaneously utilize the fuel you feed daily. You did this in grade school when you ate lunch at 11:37 daily and still felt the hunger pangs simultaneously over your summer break. The principle also applies to your efficient recovery while you sleep each night. Your body will naturally wake you slowly over 3 hours before your waking time. Going to bed at the same time every night will reinforce this habit and wake you without an alarm clock at the same time as well!PHASE 6: SUBSTITUTE HALF OF EVERY MEAL AND SNACK WITH VEGETABLES (ANYTHING PLANT-BASED).
PHASE 7: MINIMIZE ONE OF THE BIG FIVE WEIGHT GAIN CULPRITS BY 25%, 50%, AND 75% OVER TWO WEEKS. IF WEIGHT LOSS BEGINS, CONTINUE. IF NOT, TRY A SECOND ITEM FROM THE LIST UNTIL YOU’VE ATTEMPTED THEM ALL.
Personal Trainer Wisdom: Our bodies are equipped to handle quite a bit. Like the rest of nature, the human body has boundaries, too. The following items have been scientifically proven to cause weight gain, inflammation, and more. Determine your sensitivity to each item and what you can get away with.
Grains, including whole grains or all-bran products (bread, crackers, rice, cereals, etc.)
Processed foods (products with additives and preservatives; genetically modified foods; or anything else not in its whole, natural form)
Dairy (butter, milk, and cheese processed from animals)
Alcohol, refined sugar, and artificial sweeteners
Animal protein (red meat, pork, wild game, chicken, fish, eggs, etc.)
PHASE 8: IF MINIMIZING EACH OF THE WEIGHT GAIN CULPRITS SEPARATELY UP TO 75% HASN’T LED TO WEIGHT LOSS, IT MAY BE TIME TO MAKE A SIMILAR EFFORT WITH 2 OR 3 OF YOUR MOST COMMON CHOICES ON THIS LIST.
PHASE 9: TRY A PERFECT WHOLE FOOD PLANT-BASED DIET WITH ALL PHASES OVER TWO WEEKS.
PHASE 10: DISCUSS YOUR EFFORTS WITH YOUR DOCTOR AND TEST FOR DEFICIENCIES, DISEASES, OR DISORDERS.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: MICHAEL MOODY, PERSONAL TRAINER
As an author, a personal trainer in Denver, and podcast host, Michael Moody has helped personal training clients achieve new fitness heights and incredible weight loss transformations since 2005. He also produces the wellness podcast "The Elements of Being" and has been featured on NBC, WGN Radio, and PBS.
Michael offers personal training to Denver residents who want to meet at the 2460 W 26th Ave studio….or in their homes throughout LoHi (80206), LoDo (80202), RiNo (80216), Washington Park (80209), Cherry Creek (80206, 80209, 80243, 80246, 80231), and Highlands (80202, 80211, 80212). Michael also offers experiences with a personal trainer in Jefferson Park (80211) and Sloan's Lake (80204, 80212).
If you’re looking for a personal trainer who can curate a sustainable (and adaptable) routine based on your needs and wants, Michael is the experienced practitioner you’ve been looking for. Try personal training for a month…your body will thank you!
Eat for Life, Weight Loss, and an Optimal Immune System with Best Selling Author Dr. Joel Fuhrman
Episode #10 - Eat for Life, Weight Loss, and an Optimal Immune System with Best Selling Author Dr. Fuhrman
Welcome to “The Elements of Being” podcast, where I dissect and explore the minds and habits of psychologists, filmmakers, writers, and industry icons. Essentially, we learn what makes them flip the switch to achieve incredible feats, goals, and milestones…and a chance to geek out over the psychology behind human behavior.
In today's episode, I interview Dr. Joel Fuhrman, an internationally recognized nutrition and natural healing expert and author of seven New York Times bestsellers, including his most recent book, Eat for Life. His other bestsellers include Eat to Live, Super Immunity, The End of Diabetes, The Eat to Live Cookbook, The End of Dieting, and The End of Heart Disease.
