Trainer spotting man during overhead press with dumbbells

Adult obesity rates have been steadily climbing for decades. Unfortunately, being overweight is linked to a long list of health issues.

The good news: losing just a modest amount of weight can help improve sleep, blood sugar levels, cholesterol profile and blood pressure readings, which can lower the risk of obesity-related diseases like diabetes and heart disease.

This is one reason why GLP-1 drugs have become so popular. But many people are not interested in taking a GLP-1 drug, can’t tolerate them or can’t afford them. If you’re trying to lose weight without pharmaceutical assistance, check out these five tips.

Tip 1: Get Enough Sleep

Sleep, nutrition and weight management are more deeply connected than most realize. Poor sleep triggers junk food cravings, and weight gain interferes with quality sleep. Understanding these connections is the first step in preventing this vicious cycle.

There's an "ideal" amount of sleep: roughly seven to nine hours nightly. This applies to adults of all ages—whether you're 18 or 88, although the rule varies slightly. If you’re between 18 and 60 years old, you need seven or more hours; if you’re between 61 and 64 years old, you need seven to nine hours, and if you’re older than 65, you need seven to eight hours.

Sleep recommendations are based on the length of time your body needs to restore and repair itself. When you fall asleep, thousands of neurons switch modes and send repair signals throughout your body. Without enough sleep, your body systems don't complete the necessary repairs, leading to cloudy thinking, poor concentration, low energy and mood swings.

Beyond rest, sleep regulates cortisol, the stress hormone. A poor night’s sleep can elevate your cortisol level, which disrupts hormones like progesterone and estrogen and affects your thyroid, slowing metabolism. Sleep deprivation also interferes with hunger-related hormones—insulin, ghrelin and leptin—leading to weight gain and insulin resistance, contributing to pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes.

A sleepless night leaves you craving junk food. Northwestern University researchers found that sleep deprivation increases endocannabinoids, compounds that heighten the sense of smell and boost appetite. Sleep-deprived participants chose calorically dense foods such as chips, cookies and donuts. Brain regions responsible for your sense of smell and food signals communicate poorly when endocannabinoids were elevated, causing participants to select foods with enticing smells regardless of nutritional value.

Can’t sleep? Try these 23 tips. And talk to your doctor if you struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep or if you’ve been told that you snore.

Tip 2: Limit Ultra-Processed Foods

Nearly 60 percent of the typical American diet consists of ultra-processed foods, which include soft drinks, fast food, packaged baked goods and frozen meals. Even some of the foods you find marketed as healthy options, such as energy bars, flavored yogurt and breakfast cereals, are nothing more than ultra-processed foods.

Ultra-processed foods are popular because they're fast, convenient, easy and affordable. However, they tend to be low in nutrients and high in sugar, salt and additives. Combining these unhealthy ingredients strips foods of nutrients, disrupts the gut-to-brain signals, raises insulin and creates sensory effects that keep us wanting more. Studies have found that some ultra-processed foods are as addictive as cigarettes and alcohol and can cause hedonistic hunger (eating for pleasure rather than need), release large amounts of dopamine (creating sugar addiction) and trigger physical cravings. A National Institutes of Health study found that most people who consumed a diet high in ultra-processed foods averaged an additional 500 calories per day compared to those eating whole foods. Here are six tips to help control these cravings.

Understand your cravings. Cravings are often linked to physiological or psychological cues. Understanding them helps you control them.
Get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation disrupts hunger hormones and increases compounds that heighten the sense of smell and boost appetite.
Prepare a meal plan. Planning meals helps you consume healthier nutrients. Include a wide variety of unprocessed ingredients in every color of the rainbow.
Shop strategically. You should stick to the store's perimeter where fresh staples are stocked. Interior aisles contain processed foods.
Leave your house full. This will help stave off the desire to pick up fast food.
Manage stress. When you're stressed, cortisol levels rise, prompting cravings for sweet, salty or fatty foods.

Still craving junk food? Here are some better food swaps.

Potato chips → Tortilla chips, pita chips or simple kettle chips
Flavored cereals → Oatmeal with rolled or steel-cut oats
Soda → Sparkling water
Frozen potato flakes → Fresh frozen potatoes
Flavored yogurt → Plain yogurt with fruit

Tip 3: Manage Stress

Nearly 50% of Americans are stress eaters. Research has shown that stress reduces our ability to make wise decisions, prioritizing short-term gratification over long-term consequences. While educating people about healthy choices helps, teaching stress management is equally important.

There's a physiological link between stress and weight gain. Stress signals the hypothalamus (the part of the brain that regulates body functions) to release cortisol. When stressed, your body requires more energy. As a result, cortisol releases stored sugar into the blood. Cortisol also converts fat and carbohydrates into energy, stimulating your appetite. After stress subsides, your body continues releasing cortisol, often leading to overeating and abdominal weight gain.

There are many ways to manage your stress. Relaxation, exercise and mindfulness are just a few examples. If you need help managing stress, talk to your primary care physician.

Tip 4: Understand the CICO Formula

Losing weight comes down to burning more calories than you consume. It’s known as “calories in and calories out,” or CICO. Though simple, it’s often easier said than done. Why? For many of us, our personal CICO formula is off balance. In a nutshell, we’re eating too much and not exercising enough.

The average American consumed 20% more calories in 2000 than they did in 1983, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA attributed these additional calories to eating a lot more meat compared to the 1950s. But meat isn’t the only problem. There has also been an uptick in grain consumption since the 1980s in response to the 1977 Dietary Goals, which recommended increasing carbohydrate intake to 55 to 60% of our daily calories while decreasing saturated fat.

When manufacturers began removing fat from processed foods, they had to strip out conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a compound that helps promote fat loss. Manufacturers also realized that they were removing flavor from food. To compensate, they added ingredients such as sugar, salt and high-fructose corn syrup. However, studies from 1997 to 2012 suggested that obesity rates began rising after we lowered red meat and whole-fat dairy consumption and substituted butter with margarine.
Moreover, over the last couple of decades, Americans have been eating larger portion sizes, relying on fast food and drinking sugary beverages such as sodas, smoothies, juices and energy drinks.

Meanwhile, we are burning 120 to 140 fewer daily calories than we did in the 1970s. And experts estimate that 80% of Americans don't exercise enough.

Work with your doctor to determine the number of calories you should be consuming each day. Tracking calories can be tedious, but there are mobile apps that can help. You should also follow a healthy eating pattern, such as a Mediterranean-style diet.

Tip 5: Commit to an Exercise Routine

Exercise isn't required to lose weight, but it helps. Exercise burns calories and builds muscle, which raises your metabolism.
Your first step is discussing exercise with your physician. Your doctor can help you determine what kind of exercise is best for you. You may also want to consult a personal trainer who can educate you on fitness and develop a workout regimen that can help you meet your goals, while taking your health history, including previous injuries, into account. An exercise routine should include at least aerobic activity, strength training and stretching, but ideally, incorporate core training, balance challenges, coordination and agility drills. Trainers can design the best approach for you and select the most appropriate exercises.

Moving Forward

Healthy weight management without the use of GLP-1 drugs involves getting quality sleep, managing stress, eating a nutritious diet with the appropriate number of calories and exercising. The key is understanding these connections and making sustainable changes. Your primary care physician can help you set realistic goals, support your journey and help you achieve sustainable changes.

MDVIP-affiliated physicians work with their patients to help them achieve their weight loss goals. They begin by offering the MDVIP Wellness Program, a comprehensive battery of advanced screenings and tests that are not covered by insurance. The program helps the doctors assess your individual risk factors, rule out underlying medical causes and develop a personalized plan that's safe and effective for a patient’s unique situation.

If you don’t have a primary care physician, consider joining an MDVIP-affiliated practice. MDVIP-affiliated physicians have more time to help you in your pursuit of a healthier lifestyle. Find a physician near you and begin your partnership in health »