What is the ‘best’ weight loss strategy? | Peter Attia, M.D. & Layne Norton, Ph.D.

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About:

The Peter Attia Drive is a weekly, ultra-deep-dive podcast focusing on maximizing health, longevity, critical thinking…and a few other things. With over 40 million episodes downloaded, it features topics including fasting, ketosis, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, mental health, and much more.

Peter is a physician focusing on the applied science of longevity. His practice deals extensively with nutritional interventions, exercise physiology, sleep physiology, emotional and mental health, and pharmacology to increase lifespan (delay the onset of chronic disease), while simultaneously improving healthspan (quality of life).

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[JessicaNortonND]

I've found that with clients and patients long term it comes down to an approach they can actually stick with. More of a lifestyle than a diet.

[donnakona]

I am an older woman who started Keto then carnivore now Ketovore with IF 2MAD for 17 months. I love this way of eating. When I grew up, we did not snack and no one around me was overweight. Look at photos of people from 50-60-70's

[rkoby]

I went from 202 lbs to a range of 175 - 179 lbs now in about 8 months. I did this after reading Dr. Michael Greger's book on How not to Diet. I am 6'1" and 69 years old when i did this. Basically i went to a plant based diet strictly for about 7 months till i hit my target weight. I ate as much as i could eat of plant based products and the weight just melted off. Now I have to say i was a dedicated carnivore all of my life. So doing this was intimidating. Now i have to say that i really do not crave large amounts to meat. Now that i have hit my target weight range, i eat some meat but the quantities are much less and i have to say i really do not feel that good if i eat too much of it at any one sitting which is way less than i used to eat. So i am a believer that a diet heavily oriented towards plant based food works if you want to lose weight. You can eat all you want, but not everything you may want to eat. I also exercise, lot of cycling. I have to say that exercise alone was not enough for me to lose weight. I was consuming too many calories. My rides were consuming about 500 to 600 calories which is about what i have time for. In addition my cholesterol dropped to a normal range and blood pressure is now pretty normal. By the way, i snack quite a bit but restrict it to healthy food. I have kept the weight off now for months. I weigh myself every morning! This is critical. After awhile you know exactly what is going to happen to your weight based upon what you ate the day before. This becomes a reinforcing cycle.

[Omnis]

1:42 Wow, that's so simple but really powerful. Never really thought about making this rule something that is super rigid, but it makes sense that it ought to be the one thing that is if you're only going to stick to one.

[Lance]

-I'm starting to realize that each person needs to find their method. Turns out, for me, 2MAD and going very long term without sugar works well, I don't feel deprived at all. But when I do eat those two meals I feast. This strategy works very well for me to feel great and keep my bodyfat at ideal levels. WHAT I see is that people are unwilling to try different methods. They won't even try IF, low carb. They keep trying calorie restriction with a high carb diet and keep failing.

[tylermiller]

For the longest time, I always thought keto was the answer. I was never overweight myself, so I didn't have personal experience, but the only two people I ever knew that lost massive amounts of weight did so under keto.

Then I tried eating oatmeal for late breakfast, baked potato for lunch, and limited meat and dairy. I weighed myself to make sure I wasn't gaining, and I actually lost like 5 lbs I never knew I had. Now I just don't even pretend to know what's right :)

[zombygunslinger]

I lost weight on Keto and was a low-carb convert, now I'm doing intermittent fasting (20:4), limiting calories and not worrying about carbs, and losing weight faster. For me, it's easier as I don't have to find low-carb foods, but I am realizing the mechanism is pretty much the same. I have fewer calories coming in and have to dig into fat during my fasting period. I also find it liberating to not worry about what I'm eating for lunch, since I'm not eating it. I am realizing you can lose weight with whatever method works for you. I think part of the problem is there is so much money to be made that someone is always declaring the one true diet, which just makes it harder for people who are trying to figure out how to lose weight.

[dkeener]

Extreme low carb/keto is the only thing that has ever worked for me. The reason, I assume, is simple: I'm not starving all the time. Everything else, the constant urge to snack is undefeated against my defenses.

[cye]

One thing that most nutrition and weight loss experts keep ignoring in their mindset is the power of habit, and addiction in general. Food addiction is real, and it is as powerful as any drug. Being habitually addicted to eating certain foods at certain times, especially in an environment where the said food is easily available, is incredibly a strong force to deal with. Couple that with low grade stress that mismanaged, then the result is this perceived great variability for diet regimens. Just pointing out a root cause that is often overlooked. It’s at least worth acknowledging addiction and stress.

[NotMyRealName]

The snacking thing is huge for me personally - cutting them out has made managing my weight significantly easier and I don’t miss it at all.

I saw this video not long after I started and it wholly reinforced it, if anyone’s struggling and eats outside meals I’d wholeheartedly recommend trying it.

[TeeMajor]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:

00:00 🍽️ *The best weight loss strategy varies for individuals; there's no one-size-fits-all answer.*
01:39 🏋️‍♂️ *Consistency is key; if you have an indulgence or miss a workout, focus on getting back on track immediately.*
02:35 📋 *Weight loss requires some form of restriction, whether it's calorie counting, carb restriction, or fasting.*
03:33 💡 *Choose the form of restriction that feels least restrictive to you individually; what works for one person may not work for another.*
04:14 🥗 *Claims about specific diets should be taken with caution; individual experiences can differ from general guidelines.*
05:07 🚫 *Snacking may be less satiating; reducing snacking can help with weight loss.*

[angelapolly]

Another valuable podcast. The female case study was most helpful to me. My goal is to gain weight. I fall ridiculously short of my daily protein needs - habitually less than half. This has given me a goal and some direction on steps to take in building up some muscle. Thank you!

[kathiannlittle]

Love this. I completely agree on the keto. Did it for 2 yrs and tried again several times after but only gained even more weight. Now I'm perimenopausal and the 20:4 is phenomenal and I need small treats every day. Keeps me sane... lol

[Gruso]

Its true. I used to say "I am eating more" on Keto. When in reality I was more satiated from the increase in protein. My meals were larger but were less frequent.

[jnny]

I’m with this guy 100 percent, great points made

[missboone]

What’s restrictive to you may not be restrictive to me…I honestly like eating the low carb lifestyle because it also helps me feel like I wasn’t dieting while reversing my pre diabetes & other health issues….it really comes down to what is more important to you & what can you stick with long term..I’m 47 & take no meds & feel great so I feel less restrictive to actually not worry about meds & bad health outcomes like losing limbs because of diabetes like other family members, be blessed 😊

[Antonio_Serdar]

I binge one day a week. Works perfectly and I love my binges.

[gregmorrison]

Well I notice that when I gain weight it doesn't come on quickly, more of a gradual gain. So when I want to lose a few kg (I'm a cyclist so for hill climbing sometimes I like to be lighter than what I am) I just cut back slightly, for example, among other things I usually have two eggs for breakfast, cut back to one, cut back my cheese to one slice a day not two or more, cut my peanut butter to one serving a day, not two or more, this way I drop about a kg a week and its not hard, I might eat an extra serving of oats a day (3/4 of a cup) instead, or a small bag or two of popcorn, no other changes are necessary, for me. So yeah, cut back on fat, increase carbs works for me, more energy for better rides.

[bellastone-leeb]

Intermittent fasting was the only thing that worked for me. I started over a year ago and just eased into the schedule only eating from 1pm-6pm window daily. This really works but if you want to really kick it up a notch, then eat more veggies, little to no sugar, and get exercise and then do larger intervals of fasting in between days. Everyone is different so you’d have to try this yourselves. ❤️

[targettarget]

For me what works the best is:
Eat when I'm hungry but a small portion ( not completely fulfilling your hunger)...
And no soda