Achieving Sustainable Weight Loss Through Diet and Exercise
In recent years, weight loss has become a widespread goal, particularly following the introduction of GLP-1 medications. Many individuals seek these medication — whether brand-name or generic — as a convenient solution to achieve their desired weight. However, a critical component of weight management is often overlooked: diet and exercise. While these medications may effectively curb appetite and reduce food cravings, many patients gradually revert to their previous eating habits as they adjust to the medication.
Weight loss requires a multifaceted approach that incorporates both dietary modifications and physical activity, regardless of GLP-1 medication use.
For individuals unable to afford these medications or whose insurance does not provide coverage, how can effective weight loss be achieved?
The Role of Diet in Weight Loss
A well-balanced diet is fundamental to successful weight loss.
Processed foods, refined sugars, high-fat foods, and high-carbohydrate meals should be minimized or eliminated.
The body relies on glucose for energy, prioritizing glucose metabolism before fat breakdown. The brain and muscles, in particular, require significant amounts of glucose to function. However, frequent consumption of carbohydrate-rich foods—such as rice, cereal, bread, pasta, chips, potatoes, sweets, sodas, and sweetened beverage — leads to repeated spikes in blood glucose levels. Many processed foods, including salad dressings and candies, contain hidden sugars and additives like MSG, which can increase cravings and perpetuate unhealthy eating habits.
Repeated glucose spikes prompt the pancreas to release insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. Over time, this cycle strains pancreatic beta cells and contributes to insulin resistance.
The primary sites involved in insulin resistance are skeletal muscles, the liver, and adipose (fat) tissue. When blood glucose levels rise, skeletal muscles typically absorb glucose and store it as glycogen. Any excess glucose that the muscles cannot store is redirected to the liver and fat tissue, where it undergoes de novo lipogenesis (DNL)—a process in which carbohydrates are converted into fatty acids and subsequently stored as triglycerides (Ameer et al., 2014).
With persistent overconsumption of carbohydrates, insulin resistance develops as muscle, liver, and fat cells become less responsive to insulin. In response, the pancreas secretes increasing amounts of insulin, exacerbating metabolic dysfunction (Freeman et al., 2023).
A Case Study: Dietary Habits and Metabolic Health
Consider a 35-year-old woman, a mother of three, standing at 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 175 pounds. Her goal is to lose 45 pounds to achieve her ideal body weight. Her busy lifestyle includes balancing work and her children’s extracurricular activities. Her diet primarily consists of fast food, including pizza, Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s, pasta (such as macaroni and cheese or spaghetti), and sandwiches. She occasionally drinks sweet tea and consumes Pepsi several times a week. When asked about her eating habits, she states,
“I think I eat okay. Most days, I skip breakfast, so I guess you could say I’m doing intermittent fasting.”
Despite her perception of a balanced diet, her consumption of fast food, refined carbohydrates, and sugary drinks contributes to metabolic dysfunction. Though she may not visibly recognize the effects of her diet, long-term health consequences are inevitable unless dietary changes are made.
The Role of Exercise in Weight Loss
Many individuals with similar diets struggle with weight loss despite frequent exercise. The reason lies in how the body utilizes stored energy. When someone consumes excess carbohydrates, glucose is stored as glycogen in the muscles.
During exercise, the body primarily burns this stored glycogen before accessing fat reserves. As a result, individuals may not experience significant fat loss if their diet continues to provide an abundance of carbohydrates.
A common misconception is that walking or weightlifting alone is sufficient for effective weight loss. While weightlifting increases muscle mass, it does not directly burn fat. Walking, though beneficial for overall health, is not the most effective method for substantial weight loss. Similarly, occasional running does not yield optimal fat-burning results.
The Effectiveness of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
The most extensively studied and effective exercise for weight loss is High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Despite its intimidating name, HIIT is an accessible and adaptable workout regimen.
A meta-analysis demonstrated that HIIT workouts significantly reduce body fat percentage, decrease fat mass, and improve fat-free mass (Kodadadi et al., 2023). Additionally, HIIT has been shown to enhance cardiovascular and cardiometabolic health, making it particularly beneficial for individuals with insulin resistance (Atakan et al., 2021).
Research suggests that HIIT burns 25–30% more calories than other forms of exercise, making it one of the most effective strategies for weight management.
HIIT workouts vary in intensity and style, accommodating beginners and individuals with joint concerns. These routines incorporate strength training, stretching, and cardiovascular exercises, allowing participants to progress at their own pace.
A Case Study: Implementing Effective Lifestyle Changes
Consider another woman, age 41, who has also had three children and is 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing 175 pounds. Recognizing the need for change, she adopts a structured dietary approach.
Her diet consists of whole grains, lean protein sources (such as chicken, chickpeas, lentils, beans, salmon, nuts, and seeds), and a variety of vegetables, including Brussels sprouts, squash, and zucchini.
She limits starchy vegetables and fruit intake to ¼ cup per day, restricts refined carbohydrates (such as crackers, cookies, and bread) to occasional consumption, and eliminates sodas and sweetened beverages. Additionally, she consumes at least 90 ounces of water daily—just over half her body weight in ounces—to maintain hydration and support metabolism.
She commits to consuming 80–150 grams of protein per day to maintain satiety and muscle mass.
Complementing her dietary changes, she incorporates HIIT workouts five days a week, dedicating 30 minutes to each session. After three months, she successfully loses 24 pounds.
Within six months, she reaches her goal weight of 127 pounds.
To maintain her progress, she reduces her exercise routine to 20 minutes, 3–4 days per week, ensuring long-term cardiovascular and muscular health.
Conclusion
Effective weight loss is not solely dependent on medication but requires a comprehensive approach incorporating dietary modifications and exercise.
While GLP-1 medications may facilitate appetite control, long-term success hinges on nutritional awareness and consistent physical activity. Eliminating processed foods, adopting a high-protein diet, and engaging in HIIT workouts significantly enhance weight loss efforts. By making sustainable lifestyle changes, individuals can achieve and maintain their weight loss goals while improving their overall metabolic health.
Peak Family Health is dedicated to supporting weight loss efforts through the use of GLP-1 medications or the formulation of customized weight loss plans that integrate both dietary and exercise components.
Additionally, we emphasize the significance of continuous glucose monitoring to accurately track the impact of dietary choices on glucose levels and to understand glucose patterns within the normal range.
Want to learn more about how Peak Family Health help in your weight loss journey?
Contact us at 704-650-2707 or [email protected] 
Learn more at www.peakfamilyhealth.org
References
Ameer, F., Scandiuzzi, L., Hasnain, S., Kalbacher, H., & Zaidi, N. (2014). De novo lipogenesis in health and disease. Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental, 63(7), 895–902. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.metabol.2014.04.003
Freeman, A. M., Pennings, N., & Insogna, J. A. (2023). Insulin resistance. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25162652/
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. (2021). Prediabetes & insulin resistance. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved from https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/what-is- diabetes/prediabetes-insulin-resistance
Kodadadi, R., Farahani, A., van Geel, N., Shad, B. J., & Chamari, K. (2023). The effect of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) vs. moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) on body fat: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Physiology, 12, https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2021.8292807
Atakan, M. M., Rodríguez, D. A., Özkadir, A., Yüksel, M. A., & Wıngelaar, T. T. (2021).Evidence-based effects of high-intensity interval training on exercise capacity and health: A review. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, 6(3), 72. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk6030072