Losing weight can be extraordinarily difficult. Despite our best efforts to eat well and exercise, the pounds seem to creep back on. This frustrating cycle leaves many of us demoralized, wondering if long-term weight loss is even possible.
On a recent episode of the “Health and Wealth Power Hour,” host Harlon Pickett explored this topic in depth with his guest Dr. Cody Golman. Dr. Golman, a former military tank commander turned natural health expert, gave keen insights into why most conventional weight loss methods fail us.
The root of the issue, Dr. Golman explained, lies in how we’ve been conditioned to think about dieting and weight loss. For decades we’ve been told to restrict calories and limit fat intake. But this outdated approach wreaks havoc on our metabolism and hormones. When we take in too few calories, the brain goes into survival mode. An anti-starvation mechanism kicks in, clinging to fat stores because the body thinks famine is imminent. Prolonged calorie deprivation starts breaking down precious muscle tissue as well.
True fat loss requires a different approach—becoming a efficient “fat burner” instead of a dysfunctional “sugar burner.” Our modern western diet with its abundance of sugar disrupts fat-regulating hormones like leptin and ghrelin. We must reset these hormones and retrain the body to use fat as the primary fuel source. Signs that you currently burn sugar rather than fat include constant hunger, low energy, cravings, poor sleep, and emotional imbalances like anxiety and depression.
But perhaps the biggest barriers to sustainable weight loss are the emotional and psychological factors that cause self-sabotage. Through his decades of clinical experience, Dr. Golman has found that many gain weight unconsciously to protect against perceived threats or pains. Women who have been mistreated or abused, for example, may overeat as a defense mechanism. Until these subconscious patterns are unearthed and rewired, any diet is doomed to fail. As Dr. Golman sagely noted, “Pushing your emotions down will literally make you fat.”
Dr. Golman’s four secrets to successful weight loss address all of these issues holistically:
- Lose fat, not muscle. Follow an eating plan that provides sufficient calories from healthy fats and proteins so the body burns fat, not muscle tissue.
- Become a fat burner, not a sugar burner. Reset metabolic hormones so your body uses its fat stores efficiently for energy.
- Reset hormones. Rebalance leptin, ghrelin, insulin and other hormones thrown off by excess sugar consumption.
- Emotional rewiring. Resolve subconscious blocks and conditioned associations that sabotage your weight loss efforts.
Dr. Golman’s insightful perspectives reveal why popular restrictive diets so often fail in the long-term. Sustainable weight loss requires getting to the root metabolic, hormonal, and emotional causes. It is a holistic process, not a temporary quick fix. For those frustrated by years of failed diets, Dr. Golman’s approach provides real, lasting hope and health transformation.
Don’t forget to visit hwpowerhour.com to subscribe to the podcast and not miss out on any of our future episodes. Thank you for reading!