10 Things You Need to Know About Dieting

10 Things You Need to Know About Dieting

10 Things You Need to Know About Dieting. So you think you know all about dieting and weight loss, if so then we know this page will be of interest to you. In this article we are going to ask you ten questions regarding the ‘Art of Weight Loss’ to test your knowledge around the subject.

#1. Medically what is the difference between being overweight, or being obese?

#2. How many hours of medical training of doctors are dedicated to weight management?

 #3. Do men lose weight faster than women, if so why?

#4. What if any effect does stress have on weight loss?

#5. Does Depression Cause Obesity?

#6. Does the amount and quality of sleep affect a person’s weight loss?

#7. Can you continue to drink alcohol whilst trying to lose weight?

#8. Is it possible to lose weight with exercising alone?

#9. Is breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

#10. What is the ‘Hybrid’ approach to weight loss that is gaining so much interest?

10 Things You Need to Know About Dieting

#1. What is the difference between being overweight or being obese?

In all honesty, the difference between a person being classed as overweight as against being obese comes down to just one pound! There is a lot of confusion about the words “overweight” and “obese.” The official definition of an obese person is someone with a body mass index of 30 or higher. An overweight person has a BMI between 25 and 29.9. A person who falls in the obese category is considered to be at high risk for serious health problems such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, and arthritis.

BMI is not an accurate predictor of obesity

However, it should be noted that many people who fall into this category are not actually overweight. For example, someone with muscle tone could have a high BMI score without being overweight at all. Many top rugby players have a high BMI as an example. There is a general movement away from the use of BMI as a measurement of obesity. It is not a reliable measurement as it does not take body fat or muscle distribution into account. You can read about Reducing your BMI here.

10 Things You Need to Know About Dieting

#2. How many hours of medical training of doctors are dedicated to weight management?

Doctors in the US receive minimal training on weight management. Approximately 50% of US states don’t require any instruction on nutrition, while only 38% require training on how to talk to patients about their weight. Obesity continues to be a major problem in the United States and people often think that doctors should know how to treat it. However, a recent study found that doctors spend less than 10 hours training on obesity during their four years of medical school.

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Lack of medical training

This lack of education leads many doctors to recommend weight-loss surgery, or other expensive treatments, to their overweight patients, when they might not be the best solution. The situation in the United Kingdom, with regard to the medical training of doctors, reports similar findings. We, Martin and Marion Shirran are regarded as weight-loss specialists; we have amassed in excess of 15,000 1:1 clinical treatment hours working exclusively with overweight individuals. You can also read our dedicated page about Weight-Loss Experts.

10 Things You Need to Know About Dieting

#3. Do men lose weight faster than women, if so, why?

Yes men can lose weight faster than women, for a while at least. Men tend to have more lean muscle tissue, which burns more calories than body fat, even during rest. And when men and women reduce their calories by equal amounts, men usually do lose more weight, but it’s short term.

Over a moderate period of time the achieved weight loss will normally level itself out. Also as men have a higher percentage of muscle in their bodies; it results in them being able to consume more calories initially, without gaining weight. On the other hand, because women have a higher percentage of fat in their bodies, they’ll need to eat less in order to maintain their weight, or lose pounds. Read the dedicated page – Weight Loss For Men Here.

10 Things You Need to Know About Dieting

#4. What if any effect does stress have on weight loss?

Stress is not your friend if you are trying to lose weight. Scientific research has shown that stress not only slows down weight loss, but can actually cause weight gain! It is believed to be one of the reasons that so many people have come through the Covid pandemic sporting a few extra pounds around their waistline! Researchers from Yale University discovered that the “stress hormone” cortisol, triggers excessive abdominal fat deposits in the body. 

Cortisol is not your friend

Cortisol was associated with an increase of abdominal “belly fat.” This abdominal, or visceral fat, is often referred to as toxic fat. This is because it surrounds the vital organs and increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. You can also read our dedicated page relating to how Stress Slows Down Weight Loss.

Stress slows metabolism

There is also a growing body of evidence that states increased stress levels causes us to crave energy dense high carbohydrate foods. Finally, a little more negative news around stress. recent research is pointing to the stress hormone cortisol playing a part in the slowing of the metabolic rate, further hampering your weight loss efforts.

10 Things You Need to Know About Dieting

#5. Does Depression Cause Obesity?

The answer is yes it does. Our own brief research indicates a strong connection between the positive outlook, the lighter mood of a person, and their likelihood of successful weight loss. It was recently published in the Daily Telegraph that over 40% of overweight people in the UK, (US figures are similar) are depressed, and many put their depression down to them being obese. But, maybe researchers were asking the wrong question.

What if it was in fact the other way around, and their obesity was in fact down to them being depressed?  Understanding depression has always proved a challenge, even for the medical profession. It is, of course, easy to identify a person who is obese; it’s visible for all to see. But what about the depressed person? Many people are depressed, but don’t know it. Others may seem depressed to friends, but really aren’t. Over coming depression is a major part of our treatment protocol.

Depression and Obesity

It seems that we all have stereotypes of what depression is, but they aren’t always accurate in reality.” So, writes clinical health psychologist, David Engstrom, PhD, in his paper on Obesity and Depression. One other thought for you to consider. If as many believe Depression does cause Obesity have we been treating, and trying to fix obesity in the wrong way?

10 Things You Need to Know About Dieting

#6. Does the amount and quality of sleep effect weight loss?

The answer is yes. Ensuring you get the correct number of quality hours sleep will help with your weight loss big time! In 2015, a study, funded by Diabetes UK and the UK National Institute of Health Research concluded that losing out on just 30 minutes of sleep per night can cause people to experience weight gain. Additionally, a more shocking, and unexpected consequence, was the potential metabolic changes, such as insulin resistance that occurred to those suffering from a lack of sleep.

Insulin resistance

Why does insulin resistance matter? Insulin resistance allows sugar to build up in the blood, instead of being absorbed by the cells. This can result in the person developing pre-diabetes, or even type 2 diabetes eventually. Research shows that after 12 months, for every 30 minutes of weekday sleep deficit, the risk of obesity increased by 17%, and the risk of insulin resistance increased by a staggering 39%. You may be interested to read our blog about ‘Does Quality of Sleep Affect Your Weight Loss’. You may also like to read our Blog Page dedicated to Sleep and Weight Loss.

10 Things You Need to Know About Dieting

#7.Can you continue to drink alcohol whilst losing weight?

Alcohol and weight loss…. They are just not what you would describe as close friends… We are of course talking about alcohol and weight loss. They are not friends, never have been, never will be. However, with regard to alcohol and obesity, it goes the other way, these two are really good mates. They love to go out eating and drinking together, and they always stick together like glue on holidays!

Alcohol is the devil

For people trying to lose, or maintain their weight, alcohol is often described as the devil, or sometimes as the dieter’s enemy.  When you drink alcohol, even a small amount, it often plays havoc with your ability to follow a diet. It gets in the way of your commitment and willpower to control what, and how much, you eat. It normally results in an increase in your weight and level of obesity. One of the main reasons is because we tend to overlook the calories we consume as liquid.

Calories consumed in the form of alcohol do not prompt the same response in the body as solid food, which means that consuming calories in liquid form, whether alcoholic, or not, fails to reduce your appetite, or the quantity of food you will eat. In fact, it may well do the exact opposite. We have a dedicated page related to Alcohol and Weight Loss.

10 Things You Need to Know About Dieting

#8. Is it possible to lose weight with exercising alone?

In the past many people believed that exercise was the start and finish of weight loss. Don’t worry if you have mistakenly believed this dieting advice up until now, because you are not alone! Many doctors are also guilty of believing the same thing. This is partly because doctors only have very minimal nutritional training during medical school. As a result, they often promote the mantra “eat less, move more” to their patients, although looking at the statistics it seems that has not worked out so well…

Exercise is not the solution

Many scientific studies have shown that although doing physical activity definitely helps to keep our body healthy, we should not rely on exercise alone as a weight-loss method. It’s unrealistic to think you can lose weight if you do massive amounts of exercise, but just continue with the same eating habits. Rather, the key to a successful weight-loss formula is 80% to do with what you eat and only 20% how much you move. Read the page around Exercise and Weight Loss Here.

The opposite maybe true

Whist it is accepted that it is virtually impossible to lose weight through exercise alone. It is believed that the opposite is in fact possible. What we are saying is that if the diet is being followed on a strict basis, then week on week weight loss can be achieved without any exercise, of course as we say above, exercise will always help.

10 Things You Need to Know About Dieting

#9. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day

Many people used to believe that you should eat breakfast as soon as you rise in the morning. They were led to believe that it somehow kept hunger at bay. It is, after all, ‘the most important meal of the day’ or at least that is what we were told. But in reality is it. It is one of many diet tips that don’t stand up to scrutiny.

Don’t skip breakfast is always a controversial topic when talking about weight loss! Historically, it was thought that skipping breakfast may be counterproductive for those who want to lose weight. However, recent research, published in the BMJ, found that dieters who ate breakfast actually consumed more calories in a day than those who didn’t.

Skip breakfast lose weight

As weight-loss specialists, our advice to clients is to listen and respond to your body’s natural signals, so you only eat when you are physically hungry. As a result, if, like some people, you are hungry first thing in the morning, then go ahead and have a light breakfast. On the other hand, if you don’t start to feel hungry until later in the day, then wait.

By the way, a healthy breakfast for dieters is definitely not sugary cereal, toast and marmalade, or a croissant with a glass of fruit juice! Because that constitutes way too much sugar! A protein-based meal, such as eggs, for example, is a much better option.

Breaking the fast matters

At the end of the day, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, simply because it is when you are ‘breaking your fast’ from the previous day. However, the time of day when this happens is not necessarily right at the start of it; it could be 7am, or 7pm, for example. It’s worth noting that the longer you go in between meals the better your weight loss will be.

10 Things You Need to Know About Dieting

#10. What is the ‘Hybrid’ approach to weight loss that is gaining so much interest?

The new ‘Hybrid’ approach to weight loss as incorporated into the My Weigh Less (MWL) programme offers a fresh approach for those seeking to achieve Permanent Weight Loss. The award winning programme is ‘Psychology-Focused’. It benefits from the inclusion of a number of ‘Science Driven’ components, which result in a piqued level of success.

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The treatment incorporates the latest developments in the field of Neuroplasticity, along with the work of Professor Philip Zimbardo of Stanford University around Time-Perspectives Theory. Both of these new components have ensured that the programme delivers what is surely utopia for dieters; a permanent weight-loss result, heralding the possible demise of Yo-Yo dieting.

Psychology solves obesity

Many people find the use of psychology in the weight-loss arena unusual. One small area of MWL that continues to gain the interest of the media is the mental ‘re-setting’ component of the treatment around the words WANT and NEED. Basically the course uses a number of approaches, including clinical hypnosis, to reprogramme a person’s unconscious reaction to the word Want, replacing it with the word Need.

10 Things You Need to Know About Dieting

Let us give you an example. You are sitting in a restaurant with friends. When you order your meal; let’s say it’s a gourmet burger, as an example, the waitress asks you. “Do you want fries with that?”. But, after our treatment, you are more likely to hear: “Do you need fries with that?”. You see, at a cognitive level, we react to those words Want and Need very differently. It is possible that those completing any form of diet, or weight loss, without addressing the psychological issues, may experience problems around their relationship with food for the rest of their lives.

This is thought to be the contributing factor for the dreaded ‘Regain’ or ‘Weight Creep’ that many people suffer. The MWL approach will identify these issues and then almost undertake a ‘reset’ of a person’s thinking. This will result in them eating and enjoying food when hungry and then just stopping when they are satisfied. Regardless of whether their plate is empty or not.

A medically endorsed solution

Are you tired of trying an endless list of diets that just don’t work? And becoming weary of your efforts, which always result in you regaining all the lost weight? Are you looking for a medically endorsed solution; one based on thousands of hours of clinical experience?  Maybe something that doesn’t involve following a restrictive diet, doing lots of exercise, or having invasive surgery…?

10 Things You Need to Know About Dieting

So, go ahead, relax, and take a few minutes to daydream… What would it be like to be slim and healthy, to be at your target weight? Can you imagine if you never had to go on a diet again, or be afraid of food? What if you were able to enjoy every social event, with the amazing feeling of extra energy, and improved self-esteem?

Award-Winning Weight-Loss Solution

Read on to find out about our award-winning solution! But first, allow us to introduce ourselves. We are Martin and Marion Shirran, and we have worked in the field of weight loss for almost 20 years. We are both clinical therapists, and the developers of the globally acclaimed Gastric Mind Band Permanent Weight-Loss Treatment.

Martin and Marion Shirran

Articles about our successful clients have appeared in many different newspapers, including the Daily Mail, The Times, The Telegraph and the Express. Additionally, magazines such as Vogue, Marie Claire, Good Housekeeping, Hello, Woman, Reader’s Digest and Psychologies have featured our work.

Over a thousand people, including medical professionals, celebrities, and members of the public, have travelled from around the world, to experience our weight-loss treatment. They invested their time and money because we are regarded as specialists in the weight-loss arena.

Successful Weight Loss

Some clients simply want to shed their excess weight to look better, however others tell us that health is the main reason. Many of our past clients have successfully reversed medical conditions such as insulin resistance, diabetes, high blood pressure, and fatty liver disease, whereas others have managed to avoid having knee, or hip replacement surgery.

Our weight-loss approach has been the subject of continued research and development over the last fifteen years. Sharon, above, lost 75 pounds. Our youngest client was just fourteen, and the oldest, eighty-six. You may be interested to read about some of our successful clients and see a selection of before and after photos on our Success Stories page.

Some clients wished to lose just a few pounds to fit into their wedding dress. However, Katie, above, lost 100 pounds, and Sarah, below, went on to lose over 140 pounds. As a result, she was featured globally on the TV and in the press. Follow this link to sign up for our course now, and you can start your weight-loss journey today.

Psychology-Focused Weight-Loss Method

The treatment is based on proven science, incorporating Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Clinical Hypnotherapy and Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Neuroplasticity. It also includes our own Life Architecture Therapy, along with TCBT, our upgraded version of CBT, which is the subject of our bestselling book, published globally by Hay House. Professor Windy Dryden, of Goldsmiths University in London, endorsed the book, and Professor Philip Zimbardo, of Stanford University in the USA, wrote the foreword.

You can feel comfortable in the knowledge that our weight-loss approach has been the treatment of choice by many different medical specialists, including doctors, dentists, nurses, anaesthetists and consultant surgeons. You may like to read more details on our Medical Endorsements page.

So, how would you feel, if you had the opportunity today, to sit down over an ever-flowing cup of coffee, with two experienced, weight-loss specialists? And, what if, over the course of 12 hours, we explained everything you need to know to effortlessly achieve permanent weight loss? And we also shared with you all the tips, techniques and secrets we normally reserve exclusively for our visiting international clients? Also – Read our new page – Best Time To Start Your Weight Loss Journey Here.

My Weigh Less Downloadable Weight-Loss Course

Well, the good news is you can! And that’s because we have spent many months completely reformatting our unique, phenomenally successful approach to weight loss. As a result, the course is now instantly available to download to your phone, tablet, or computer. This also means that you can complete the entire course, without having to leave the comfort and security of your own home. Welcome to the ‘My Weigh Less Master Class’!

Read on the pages of this website how the award-winning ‘My Weigh Less’ downloadable treatment is successfully delivering what is surely ‘utopia’ to dieters; a medically endorsed, proven, weight-loss approach that provides permanent results. The programme is also based on over 15,000 1:1 clinical treatment hours. My Weigh Less can help you reach your weight-loss goals. Follow this link to sign up for our course now, and you can start your weight-loss journey.

10 Things You Need to Know About Dieting

My Weigh Less Delivers…

– Permanent Weight Loss –
– No Diet or Exercise Required –
– Medically Endorsed –
– 15,000 1:1 Clinical Hours Experience –
– Fully Downloadable –
– Featured in Global Media –
– Award-Winning Programme –

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Registered Stakeholder in NICE – National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

Marion Shirran, as a director of Oxford Therapeutics Limited, is proud to be a registered Stakeholder in NICE – National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

Additionally, she is involved in the government’s All Party Parliamentary Group on Obesity.

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We were proud to be nominated the ‘Most Innovative Obesity Psychological Therapy Service’ in the UK Mental Health Awards 2022.

We also appeared on the This Morning TV show, with Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.

And, in 2010, we travelled to New York to be interviewed on the Good Morning America TV Show.

We are also co-authors of two, bestselling books, on the topic of non-surgical weight loss, published by Hay House.

10 Things You Need to Know About Dieting

Below is a selection of weight-loss tips that everyone can start using straight away. And, if you enroll in the My Weigh Less Course, you will learn many more of our helpful tips and techniques about how to achieve successful, permanent weight loss.

Tip No. 1 – Only Eat When You’re Hungry!

This has to be our number one, golden rule, when it comes to achieving successful weight loss. In our experience, most overweight people eat for many different reasons, other than physical hunger. But, if you allow your emotions to control your eating habits, then it is unlikely that you will be able to control your weight as a result. So, before you reach for anything to eat, stop and ask yourself first if you physically NEED to eat, or you just WANT to…

Tip No. 2 – Use a Smaller Plate!

You’ve probably heard this many times before, but it’s a fact that people who use larger plates tend to eat more food than those who eat from smaller plates. No doubt you know about the power of optical illusions. But are you aware of just how much more generous the same size portion of food appears, when presented on a smaller plate, instead of a larger one? Have a look at the image below. It’s known as the Delboeuf optical illusion. If you stick to our mantra, “always go for quality over quantity”, then you will definitely lose weight much more easily.

Tip No. 3 – Drink a Glass or Two of Water Before Your Meal!

Reduce your calorie intake by over 20%, with almost with no effort! Research results, published by Harvard Medical showed that people who drank two large glasses of water, just before eating, on average, consumed around 20% less food compared with when they didn’t drink anything before they ate. This is possibly as a result of the stretching and fullness sensation in the stomach.

Tip No. 4 – Eat Slowly and Mindfully!

A growing number of studies have consistently found a correlation between speed of eating and weight, so it is officially accepted now that faster eaters are definitely more likely to become overweight. Studies have also shown that people are much more likely to eat more when their eating is mindless, as opposed to mindful. So, make meal times an occasion by sitting down at a table, with no distractions. Then eat slowly and savour every mouthful. You will naturally eat less food and also find it easier to lose weight as a result!

Tip No. 5 – Stay Away From Sugar and Highly Processed Foods!

It’s a fact that sugar and highly processed foods have addictive properties! So much so, that many people find that once they start eating these foods, they literally can’t stop. And, of course, if you’re making such poor food choices, this in turn will make it almost impossible for you to lose weight. So, our advice is to choose healthy, unprocessed foods and limit the amount of sugar you consume. As a result, you will have far more control over how much you eat and also how much weight you can lose.

Tip No. 6 – Eat Your Favourite Foods on the Plate First!

You may not be aware of how important this tip is, but the order in which you eat your food can actually have a big impact on how much you consume! It’s quite common for overweight people to “save the best til last” when eating. In other words they only eat their favourite food right at the end. It’s not so surprising then, that they also tend to eat everything on their plate, regardless of how uncomfortably full they feel. Because, of course, they don’t want to miss out on the “best bit”!

However, our advice is to eat your favourite things first. Not only will you enjoy it more, but it’s also much easier to stop when you’ve eaten just the right amount and leave the rest on the plate.

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You can read a full breakdown of all the components included in the treatment package on the Course Details page. There is also an explanation of the treatment on the Does This Work? page. We look forward to working with you. Additionally, you can read reviews from medical and other professionals on the Medical Endorsement page.

View Short Animated Want and Need Video Below

Click on the link below to listen to our short audio introduction of the weight-loss course.

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You can download the complete My Weigh Less course, and start your weight-loss journey today.

My Weigh Less®/myweighless.com and all associated intellectual property rights, are the property of Oxford Therapeutics Limited, a company registered in London.

You can read additional information about us and our weight-loss treatment on the Gastric Mind Band website.

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10 Things You Need to Know About Dieting

Read our new page – Weight loss Mistakes Here

Although the weight-loss results and success stories shown on the site are typical, individual results will vary, and are not guaranteed. Weight-loss success depends on each individual’s level of motivation, commitment, food intake and metabolism. Read our full disclaimer in the Terms & Conditions.