Medical Review by Jennie Stanford, MD, FAAFP
Summary:
- Nutrition is the foundation of medical weight loss. While medications and exercise play important roles, evidence-based dietary strategies provide the essential framework for sustainable results.
- Eating the right balance of macronutrients is extremely important. Focusing on adequate protein intake, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates can help you stay lean and healthy while dieting.
- Portion control helps manage caloric intake. Simple strategies, like using smaller dishes, eating slowly, and pre-portioning meals, can prevent overeating without the need for strict calorie counting.
- Many people attempting weight loss are deficient in essential vitamins and minerals. Foods rich in micronutrients can help bridge these gaps.
- Healthcare providers can help you create a tailored weight loss strategy based on your unique lifestyle, medical needs, and goals. It may also include exercise, or medication (if clinically indicated).
Here’s why what you eat is the foundation of your weight loss plan
Nutrition is a cornerstone of any successful weight loss program. While weight loss medications, exercise, and other lifestyle changes can also play a role, following a different diet under the guidance of a healthcare professional often provides the foundation for achieving sustainable results.
When you talk to your healthcare provider about creating a medical weight loss program, expect nutrition to be a central focus. Your care provider will most likely work with you to create a tailored dietary strategy based on your individual needs. By following scientifically supported practices under the guidance of an expert, you can set out to lose weight in a way that also promotes good health and overall well-being.
Below, we go into detail about how proper nutrition supports medical weight loss, as well as the kind of support you can expect from your healthcare provider along the way. Read on and learn how to create a weight loss plan based on healthy nutrition practices.
How important are macronutrients for weight loss?
Although weight loss is complicated, the basic principle behind it is that you lose weight when you burn more calories than you consume. But, while caloric intake is the most important factor for weight loss, macronutrient composition may be a close second.
Macronutrients are compounds that your body needs to consume in large amounts for essential tasks, like providing energy and producing hormones. They differ from micronutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, which are needed in smaller amounts for more specialized body functions.
The main macronutrients are proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids (fats). Because they play different roles in body composition and general health, it’s generally accepted that eating the wrong balance of these macronutrients—specifically, too many carbs or fats—can cause you to gain weight.
Research suggests that protein may behave differently from carbs or fat. According to some studies, eating more calories than necessary on a high-protein diet will still cause you to gain weight—but more of the weight you gain is likely to be lean muscle mass as opposed to fat.
So, while you shouldn’t just eat as many protein-rich foods as you want if you’re trying to lose weight, focusing on high-protein foods (instead of meals with lots of fat or carbs) may help you stay lean while you’re dieting. However, this doesn’t mean you should cut out carbs or fat entirely, since too much or too little of any macronutrient can create problems.
Recommended macronutrient balance for most adults
Everyone’s macronutrient requirements are different. They vary based on factors like age, weight, physical activity, and medical conditions. That’s part of why talking to a healthcare provider before you go on a diet is so important. Generally, however, here are some guidelines on how to balance the amount of each macronutrient you eat:
- Protein: In most cases, protein should comprise 10–35% of your daily calories. This helps preserve your muscles and reduce the amount of muscle loss you experience as you age.
- Fats: The recommended intake for most adults is 20–35% of daily calories. Saturated fats should be limited to less than 10% to reduce cardiovascular risk. Focus on healthy fats from sources like avocados and nuts.
- Carbohydrates: Carbs should normally make up 45–65% of your daily calories, with a focus on complex carbohydrates such as whole grains and vegetables. Added sugars should be limited to less than 10% of the calories you eat each day.
Portion control & caloric awareness
To reach or maintain a healthy weight, how much you eat matters as much as what you eat. Portion control can be an effective way to manage the number of calories you eat without the need for detailed calorie counting.
Here are some portion control tips that can help you avoid overeating:
- Use smaller dishes, bowls, and glasses to encourage smaller portions.
- Measure servings with tools like portion plates or measuring cups to avoid overeating.
- Serve food on a plate instead of eating straight from the container.
- Avoid distractions while eating—focus on your food to fully enjoy and recognize when you’re satisfied.
- Eat slowly and allow at least 15 minutes for your brain to signal fullness.
- Pre-portion snacks into single servings to prevent overindulgence.
- Freeze leftovers in single portions to make future meals easy and manageable.
- Plan meals at regular times to prevent extreme hunger and overeating later.
Addressing nutritional deficiencies
It’s possible to be malnourished even if you struggle with obesity or being overweight. Many people who struggle with weight loss are actually low in key micronutrients, like iron and vitamin C—and traditional dieting doesn’t always help. In fact, not getting enough of these micronutrients while dieting and the increased demand for them in people who weigh more may make these deficiencies even worse.
Given the above, it is extremely important to eat foods with high micronutrient density if you’re dieting to lose weight. Multivitamins and mineral supplements may also help to control your risk of micronutrient deficiency, although it remains a risk. Always follow a personalized diet plan recommended by your healthcare provider to ensure that you are getting an appropriate amount of the nutrients you need.
Learn More: What Makes Medical Weight Loss Different from Traditional Diets?
Personalized dietary plans
Unlike fad diets, medical weight loss programs focus on creating personalized dietary plans based on your individual needs. Consulting a healthcare provider on how to lose weight may be valuable because they can help you in the following ways:
- Helping you understand what body weight is healthy for you
- Providing assistance on setting realistic and achievable goals for weight loss
- Creating a strategy you can follow to lose an appropriate amount of weight based on your lifestyle, genetics, medical considerations, and other unique factors.
Behavioral approaches to nutrition
In addition to creating a diet plan, your healthcare provider may also suggest exercise or medication to support your weight loss goals. Exercise can increase the number of calories your body burns, which can support weight loss when combined with proper nutrition and portion control.
Learn More: The role of exercise in a medical weight loss plan
Some medications can also support weight loss in clinically indicated cases. These include GLP-1 receptor agonists (like Wegovy®), which uses semaglutide to mimic a natural hormone normally used to signal fullness and satiety to your body after eating.
Learn More: The ultimate guide to GLP-1 medications: uses, side effects, options available
Create a plan for sustainable weight loss with Lemonaid Health
Nutrition is at the heart of healthy weight loss. By focusing on balanced macronutrients, portion control, and addressing nutritional deficiencies, a personalized program overseen by a qualified healthcare practitioner can empower you to achieve your weight loss goals. Exercise and medication may also help support your efforts if they are appropriate for your case, making it easier for you to achieve and maintain long-term success.
If you’re considering a medical weight loss program, consulting a healthcare provider is the best first step. Providers can help you create a tailored dietary plan that meets your needs and provides ongoing support throughout your journey. To learn more about evidence-based weight loss strategies and find expert guidance, get started with Lemonaid Health today.
Ozempic® and Wegovy® are registered trademarks of Novo Nordisk A/S.
