10 Things You Need to Know About Dieting
10 Things You Need to Know About Dieting. So, do 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 of 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 by 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.
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, for 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.
#2. How many hours of medical training of doctors are dedicated to weight management? Doctors in the US receive minimal training regarding 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. 10 Things You Need to Know About Dieting.
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.
#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. You may also like to read our page: “Seven secrets of permanent weight loss”
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.
#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 was associated with an increase in 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.
There is also a growing body of evidence that states increased stress levels cause us to crave energy-dense, high-carbohydrate foods. Finally, a little more negative news about 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. We also have an interesting post about “The cost of obesity”
#5. Does Depression Cause Obesity? The answer is yes, it does. Our own brief research indicates a strong connection between a 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. Overcoming 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 causes Obesity, have we been treating and trying to fix obesity in the wrong way?
#6. Does the amount and quality of sleep affect weight loss? The answer is yes. Ensuring you get the correct number of quality hours of 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 in 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.
#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 wreaks 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 that we tend to overlook the calories we consume as a 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.
#8. Is it possible to lose weight by 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…
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% on how much you move. Read the page around Exercise and Weight Loss Here.
Whilst 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.
#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 one of many diet tips that just 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.
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. 10 Things You Need to Know About Dieting.
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. You may also like to read our light-hearted page: “Can vegetables make you gain weight?”
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 7 a.m. or 7 p.m., for example. It’s worth noting that the longer you go in between meals, the better your weight loss will be.
#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.
The treatment incorporates the latest developments in the field of Neuroplasticity, along with the work of Professor Philip Zimbardo of Stanford University around the 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. 10 Things You Need to Know About Dieting
Let me give you a couple of examples: the programme will allow you to make a number of simple cognitive changes in your thought processes…small changes that deliver ‘massive results’. For example, think for a moment how different your relationship with food and weight loss would be if we re-programmed your subconscious mind to effortlessly replace the word “want” with the word “need”? The result, imagine you are out having dinner with friends, and after ordering a burger, instead of hearing the waiter asking: “Do you ‘want‘ fries with that?” without thinking, you hear and automatically process the question as: “Do you ‘need‘ fries with that?” Things would be very different, right? You see, at a cognitive level, we process those words differently. 10 Things You Need to Know About Dieting.
Later, maybe the waiter says, do you ‘want’ another glass of wine? You, of course, hear and cognitively process the word stream as do you ‘need‘ another glass of wine. You can watch an animated video explaining ‘Want and Need’ and how it works at the bottom of this page.
Another ‘fix’ in the programme relates to just why people eat. So, during the programme, you will be asked when was the last time you ate in response to real, physical hunger. Most people say: “Thinking about it, I haven’t been physically hungry for years”. And so we ask them: “Do you ever eat when you are bored, stressed, tired, lonely, depressed, sad, to reward yourself, when watching TV, or maybe just to please someone else?” Then, we do another reset, and so it goes on…
Our FAQs
Answer: The difference between being overweight and obese is based on body mass index (BMI). Overweight individuals have a BMI between 25 and 29.9, while those with a BMI of 30 or higher are classified as obese. Obesity is associated with a higher risk of various health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and arthritis.
Answer: Doctors in the US receive minimal training in weight management, with an average of less than 10 hours of education on obesity during their four years of medical school. This limited training can result in doctors often recommending weight-loss surgery or other treatments when there might be better solutions.
Answer: Men may initially lose weight faster than women due to having more lean muscle tissue, which burns more calories even at rest. However, over time, the rate of weight loss typically evens out. Women often have to eat fewer calories than men to maintain or lose weight due to their higher body fat percentage. 10 Things You Need to Know About Dieting.
Answer: Stress can negatively impact weight loss efforts. It triggers the release of the “stress hormone” cortisol, which can lead to abdominal fat accumulation and contribute to obesity. Stress can also increase cravings for high-calorie, high-carbohydrate foods and slow down the metabolic rate. 10 Things You Need to Know About Dieting.
Answer: Yes, depression can lead to obesity. There is a strong link between obesity and depression, and it’s essential to understand this relationship. Weight loss specialists often address the psychological aspects of obesity, including depression, to help individuals achieve lasting results.
Answer: Yes, sleep quality and duration are vital for weight loss. Lack of sleep can lead to weight gain, insulin resistance, and an increased risk of obesity. Quality sleep is crucial for metabolic health and overall well-being.
Tired of Failed Diets? Discover a Proven Weight-Loss Solution!
Are you tired of trying countless diets that never seem to work? Frustrated with the constant cycle of losing and regaining weight? What if a medically endorsed solution was rooted in thousands of hours of clinical experience? One that didn’t involve restrictive diets, excessive exercise, or invasive surgeries? Sarah Hart, below, featured on UK television, lost an incredible 140 pounds. 10 Things You Need to Know About Dieting.
A Psychological Approach to Sustainable Weight Loss
Consider a new psychological approach to weight loss, where you effortlessly learn to eat when you’re genuinely hungry rather than relying on emotions like tiredness, sadness, loneliness, stress or depression to dictate your eating habits. You can complete the whole My Weigh Less Master Class from the comfort of your own home. The course includes a PDF forensic questionnaire, 12 audio MP3 sessions, nine different hypnosis sessions and much more. For more information, you can read our Course Details page.
Picture yourself as a healthier, slimmer version of yourself, free from dieting fears and able to enjoy social events with boundless energy and boosted self-esteem. Meet the experts behind the success: Martin and Marion Shirran are clinical therapists with nearly two decades of experience in the weight-loss field. They are the creators of the globally acclaimed Gastric Mind Band Permanent Weight-Loss Treatment. Sharon below lost 60 pounds on the programme.
Their ground-breaking work has been featured in prominent newspapers such as the Daily Mail, The Times, The Telegraph, and the Express. Leading magazines like Vogue, Marie Claire, Good Housekeeping, and Reader’s Digest have also recognised their contributions. The Shirrans and several of their clients have also made television appearances on both sides of the Atlantic.
Over a thousand individuals, including medical professionals, celebrities, and the general public, have travelled from around the world to experience their weight-loss treatment. Some sought to enhance their appearance, while others prioritised their health, successfully reversing medical conditions like insulin resistance, diabetes, high blood pressure, and fatty liver disease.
The My Weigh Less programme has undergone over fifteen years of research and development. Clients of various ages, from fourteen to eighty-six, have achieved remarkable results. Check out the many verified weight-loss success stories and before-and-after photos on this website.
So, are you ready to embark on your weight-loss journey? Martin and Marion Shirran, in the photo above, along with Oxford Therapeutics Ltd, have made their unique approach more accessible than ever. You can download their ‘My Weigh Less Master Class’ to your phone, tablet, or desktop computer today. You can complete the entire twelve-session course from the comfort of your own home. 10 Things You Need to Know About Dieting.
Experience the ‘My Weigh Less’ downloadable treatment, a medically endorsed, proven weight-loss approach backed by over 15,000 hours of clinical treatment. Say goodbye to dieting struggles and hello to permanent results.
Begin your weight-loss journey today. Discover how a psychology-focused weight-loss method that works will ensure you finally reach your goals. Visit the ‘Buy Now’ page to start your transformation. 10 Things You Need to Know About Dieting.
–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 –
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.
We were proud to be nominated for 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.
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.
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.
Watch the short animated ‘Want and Need Video’ below…
Click on the link below to listen to our short audio introduction to the weight-loss course.
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.
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.
10 Things You Need to Know About Dieting
10 Things You Need to Know About Dieting
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