If losing weight were simply about eating less, most people wouldn’t be stuck losing the same pounds over and over again. They wouldn’t feel like their body is working against them. And as usual blaming themselves when the weight comes back.

    First off, you don’t want to be “skinny” – you want to be lean. They are very different species. So let’s talk about doing it right this year, so you can come up with a different New Year’s resolution in 2027. 

    The truth is, modern food and modern dieting have stacked the deck, and not in your favor. 

    Highly processed foods are designed to make you hungry. They digest quickly, spike blood sugar, and barely activate the hormones that tell your brain you’re full. You can eat plenty of calories and still not feel satisfied – not because you lack discipline, but because your body didn’t get what it actually needed.

    This is why two people can eat the same number of calories and have completely different experiences. One may feel energized and satisfied (the whole foods eater) while the other is rummaging through the pantry an hour later.

    Metabolism plays a major role here – specifically your basal metabolic rate. That’s the energy your body uses just to keep you alive: breathing, thinking, repairing tissue. A large driver of that number is how much lean muscle you carry.

    Here’s the deal: Muscle is metabolically active tissue. Fat is not.

    When we diet (we’ll call it reducing calories) we’ll all lose weight, but (and this is the big “but” here, pun intended), somewhere around 40-50% of that weight will be muscle. When muscle diminishes, metabolism quietly slows down. Fat loss becomes harder. Maintenance becomes exhausting. 
    Losing muscle is like downsizing your engine to make your car lighter – it works briefly, then makes everything harder.

    To be successful here the real goal shouldn’t be just weight loss; it’s losing fat while building and preserving muscle.

    This is where hypertrophic (muscle-building) training changes the game – not to turn you into a bodybuilder or Olympic weightlifter, but to build healthy, functional lean muscle – the kind that supports joints, improves movement, and raises your metabolic floor. More muscle means more mitochondria, and more mitochondria means a body that’s better at using energy. 

    Think not of dieting your way to a faster metabolism but building your way there. 

    Protein is the cornerstone of that process. To support muscle while training, most people need approximately 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per pound of target body weight. This helps preserve lean tissue during fat loss, supports muscle growth, keeps you fuller longer, and even increases calorie burn during digestion compared to carbs or fat.

    No extremes. Just intention and consistency.

    GLP-1 medications have changed the weight-loss landscape by reducing appetite and improving blood sugar control. For many people, they finally quiet the constant food noise that made fat loss feel impossible. But appetite reduction alone doesn’t protect muscle. Without strength training and adequate protein, weight loss – on or off GLP-1s – can still come at the expense of metabolism.

    The most successful, sustainable results pair these tools with resistance training and protein so the weight coming off is primarily fat, not muscle.

    And here’s the part people rarely talk about: how this feels.

    When fat loss is paired with muscle gain, you don’t just look different—you move better. Your joints feel supported. Energy is more stable. Sleep improves. Food feels less obsessive. Your body starts working with you instead of against you.

    You may feel smaller. But more importantly you feel capable, a well-tuned, lean machine. 

The Solution
    1. Do some type of resistance exercise 2-3 times per week (don’t be afraid, I’m talking about 20-30 minutes only to begin, make it something you love). Perhaps join a gym that feels good to you, research exercises, or hire a trainer to get you on the right path. 
    2. Walk, smell the flowers. “10,000 steps” is a nice goal but if you are just getting started, just get out there and enjoy. You can count later. 
    3. When you eat, think protein first (it’s more satiating) – target 1 gram of protein per target final body weight, complete your plate with veggies and healthy carbs. 
    4. Avoid processed foods as much as possible. 
    5. Important note: removing bad carbs (over-processed foods), will cause the cravings to go away in 5-10 days.  I promise. Get over that hump and you’ll be on your way.