7 Important Things Your Doctor Won’t Tell You About Losing Weight After 40

If you’re like most people, you probably think that your doctor is likely your best, most trusted source of information about losing weight. After all, they’re the experts, right? And all that time spent in medical school had to be good for something, didn’t it?

Well, as it turns out, your doctor may not actually be the best source of information after all. In fact, they may be withholding some critical information from you, although probably not intentionally, because it goes against conventional wisdom and commonly accepted medical advice.

The truth is that medical doctors don’t actually get that much training on weight loss and nutrition while in medical school—on average only 23.9 hours—according to the National Library of Medicine.

That means that when it comes to losing weight after 40, there’s a good chance the advice your doctor is giving you is not only wrong, but actually completely counterproductive.

Here are seven things that your doctor probably won’t tell you about losing weight that might just make a big difference in your own weight loss journey.

1. Most of their patients struggle to lose weight

If you’re trying to lose weight and your doctor is supportive, that’s great. But it’s important to keep in mind that most doctors are not actually all that successful when it comes to helping their patients lose weight. In fact, a study published in the Annals of Family Medicine found that only about one-third of patients were able to lose weight with their doctor’s help.

Most doctors continue prescribing the same, outdated advice about cutting calories, exercising more and reducing fat, even after it’s been shown, time and time again, to not actually work.

Suffice it to say, if your doctor is having trouble helping all their other patients lose weight, what makes you think they’ll be able to help you?

2. More exercise won’t help

If you’re trying to lose weight and your doctor tells you to “just exercise more,” you might want to get a second opinion.

That’s because, as it turns out, exercising more is not an effective strategy for losing weight, at least not on its own. In fact, a comprehensive review of the research on exercise and weight loss found that, while exercise can help to prevent weight gain and can also help improve your cardiovascular health, it has very little effect on actual weight loss.

The reality is that until the fitness craze of the 1970’s, exercise wasn’t even considered to be good for you. It was only after the research started coming out linking exercise to health benefits that it became widely accepted.

But even now, most people still don’t realize that when it comes to weight loss, diet is much more important than exercise. In fact, one study found that diet accounts for about 90% of the variation in body fatness between individuals, while exercise accounts for only about 10%.

The bottom line is that if your doctor tells you that the key to losing weight is to just exercise more, they’re wrong.

3. Cutting calories doesn’t work

If your doctor tells you to cut calories in order to lose weight, they’re giving you some very outdated advice.

The truth is that cutting calories is not an effective weight loss strategy and can actually lead to weight gain in the long term. In fact, a study published in the journal Obesity found that people who dieted and restricted their calories actually ended up gaining more weight than those who didn’t diet.

One reason for this is that when you cut calories, your body goes into starvation mode and starts to hold on to fat stores, making it harder for you to lose weight. But another big reason is that when it comes to losing weight, the equation isn’t quite as simple as “calories in, calories out,” because not all calories are created equal.

Different foods have different effects on your hormones and metabolism, and some foods can actually increase your hunger levels and make you more likely to overeat.

So if your doctor tells you that the key to losing weight is to just eat fewer calories, they’re wrong.

You can’t outrun a bad diet.

4. Whole grains aren’t the answer

The USDA’s dietary guidelines have been telling us to eat more whole grains for years, driving into our psyche the now commonly accepted “fact” that whole grains are heart healthy. This is one of the most insidious lies we’ve been told over the past 50 years, and probably the lie that has most contributed to our current obesity epidemic.

The reality is that grains in general just aren’t all that good for you, and while high-fiber whole grains are certainly preferable to highly-refined and processed grains like the ones found in white flour, nearly ALL grains contain carbohydrates that cause our insulin levels to spike, which in turn causes us to gain weight.

If you’re serious about losing weight, you need to cut out grains entirely, or at the very least drastically reduce your intake. And contrary to what the USDA would have us believe, this won’t kill you—in fact, it might just save your life.

The bottom line is that if you want to lose weight and keep it off, you need to dramatically reduce your grain intake. Period.

5. You shouldn’t avoid red meat

Another piece of advice that doctors often give their patients who are trying to lose weight is to avoid red meat. The thinking behind this is that red meat is high in saturated fat, which has been erroneously linked to heart disease.

However, what most people don’t realize is that the link between saturated fat and heart disease is far from conclusive. In fact, there are plenty of studies that show no link whatsoever between saturated fat and heart disease.

On the flip side, red meat is packed with protein, iron and other essential nutrients while also being completely free of carbohydrates. In essence, it is everything your body needs, and nothing it doesn’t, which makes it a powerhouse food when it comes to losing weight.

6. You don’t need to eat more fruit

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” For years, we’ve been told by doctors and nutritionists to eat more fruit. This advice is based on the fact that fruits are packed with vitamins, minerals and fiber while being relatively low in calories.

However, what most people don’t realize is that fruits are also packed with sugar. In fact, a single apple can contain up to 24 grams of sugar, which is more than the recommended daily limit for most people. Moreover, the TYPE of sugar that is contained in fruit—fructose—is known to dramatically spike your blood sugar and raise your insulin levels, which slows your metabolism and causes your body to hang on to fat.

While there are a few minor health benefits to eating fruit, if you’re trying to lose weight, you need to be aware of the sugar content and consume accordingly. For most people, this means limiting themselves to one or two servings of low-sugar fruit or berries per day.

7. Ketosis is good for you

If you’ve ever tried a low-carbohydrate diet, chances are your doctor told you that you were putting your health at risk by going into “ketosis.”

Ketosis is a natural metabolic state in which your body burns fat for fuel rather than carbohydrates. When you eat a diet that is very low in carbs, your body has no choice but to burn fat for energy, and this process produces a byproduct called “ketones.”

While it is true that ketones can be toxic in large amounts, the reality is that your body is designed to handle small amounts of ketones on a regular basis. In fact, ketosis has been shown to have numerous health benefits, including improved mental clarity, increased energy levels and reduced inflammation.

If you’re trying to lose weight, there is no reason to be afraid of ketosis. In fact, it is almost certainly the key to successful weight loss.

For women, losing weight after 40 can feel like an uphill battle, and the reality is that it’s not all in in your head. It’s hard to lose weight after 40 because the body has a harder time burning fat due to a decrease in hormones and muscle mass, but also because most of the “experts” have likely been giving you advice that is flat out WRONG.

But it also means that a diet is not going to cut it anymore. Instead, a true lifestyle change is necessary to retrain your metabolism. And while change can be hard, the benefits are worth it!

So what’s the best way to get started?

We recommend starting with our Thinlicious™ 28 Day Metabolism Reset, which is designed to introduce you to the Thin Adapted System and help you retrain the way your body burns fuel in just four weeks. Get it HERE.