Doctor reveals secrets to lasting weight loss without counting calories

Weight loss is analyzable – and goes beyond counting calories, according to experts.

Dr. Jason Fung, a kidney master and writer of nan caller book "The Hunger Code," said lasting weight nonaccomplishment requires a displacement successful really group understand and respond to hunger.

"Most of nan time, we attraction connected eating little aliases what we're eating, but that's not ever a very bully attack because it doesn't get to nan guidelines of nan problem," he told Fox News Digital.

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"We eat because we're hungry, and we extremity eating erstwhile we're full," Fung went on. "So if you deliberation astir nan problem of overeating, it's really a problem of over-hunger."

If hunger didn’t exist, he said, it would beryllium easier to eat nan correct foods aliases moreover participate successful fasting – nan cardinal logic that GLP-1 medications, which suppress hunger, are truthful effective.

"If you deliberation astir nan problem of overeating, it's really a problem of over-hunger," nan master said. (iStock)

"Until you understand what hunger is – what causes it, really to woody pinch it – past you can't conscionable eat less, because if you simply eat less, your hunger will increase," Fung said. "And past you're ever fighting pinch yourself."

3 types of hunger

There are 3 different types of hunger: homeostatic, hedonic and conditioned hunger, Fung shared.

Homeostatic hunger, aliases beingness hunger, is driven by hormones – nan body’s earthy denotation that it requires food.

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"It’s important to understand nan hormonal determinants of hunger and why you eat," he said. "And that includes things for illustration insulin and cortisol."

For immoderate people, lack of sleep tin summation hunger successful immoderate people, arsenic elevated cortisol levels from accent and fatigue thrust nan assemblage to eat more, nan master noted.

Hedonic hunger is nan conception of eating for pleasure, not because you're hungry. (iStock)

Hedonic hunger is related to pleasance – eating erstwhile you want to, not because you’re physically hungry.

"That’s nan thought of dessert," Fung said. "It's a rewarding experience. It sets disconnected nan pleasance centers successful nan brain, releases dopamine … and it tin spell excessively far."

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Ultraprocessed foods, including products pinch artificial chemicals and sweeteners, tin create much hunger, making it harder to extremity eating them.

Conditioned hunger is "social" hunger triggered by nan environment.

Dr. Jason Fung is nan writer of nan caller book, "The Hunger Code." (Bernard Okulaja; Greystone Books)

"You spell to nan movies; you person to eat. You watch a sporting event; you person to eat," Fung said. "You watch TV; you person to eat," he said. "Everything is creating this conditioned hunger, and that’s nan food noise a batch of group talk about."

"You person to commencement reasoning astir nan broader implications of why you're really eating what you're eating," he advised. "Why are you truthful hungry? That's nan really important question." 

Top tips for lasting weight loss

Fung offered 3 "golden rules" for semipermanent weight loss.

1. Avoid ultraprocessed foods

Because of nan measurement they’re formulated, ultraprocessed foods tin trigger aggregate types of hunger astatine once, Fung said. They thin to beryllium little filling while besides expanding nan body’s thrust to eat, making it easier to overconsume.

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Feeling afloat has "nothing to do" pinch calories, he noted.

"For example, you could eat a three-egg rootlike omelet, which mightiness beryllium 700 aliases 800 calories, and beryllium rather afloat aft breakfast," he said. "Or you could portion a sugary java positive a donut and still person nan aforesaid 800 calories, but beryllium quiet 30 minutes later."

Asking yourself why you're quiet is important to mastering weight loss, nan master advised. (iStock)

2. Have an capable fasting period

Fasting is an eating shape that alternates betwixt periods of eating and not eating, and has been shown to support weight loss, amended metabolic health and thief modulate hunger signals.

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Fasting tin beryllium done astatine immoderate clip during nan day. Fung recommends mounting a norm that you won’t eat during a circumstantial play of time, specified arsenic while watching TV aliases aft 7 p.m.

"Rules for illustration that let your assemblage to digest," he said. "You digest nan calories that you ate … and usage those calories and merchandise nan assemblage fat."

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3. Redesign your environment

Equipping yourself pinch nan due habits and mindset starts pinch shifting your societal and beingness surroundings, according to Fung.

"Everywhere we go, we person each this conditioned hunger – but it's besides very easy to eat each nan time," he said. "You spell to nan java shop, but location are donuts and sandwiches."

Recognizing these temptations and uncovering a workaround – specified arsenic ordering coffee ahead, truthful there’s nary other clip spent successful beforehand of nan donut lawsuit – helps to forestall overeating, he suggested.

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Another illustration is labor emotion inclined to drawback free bagels aliases cookies that are provided during an agency meeting, which cues hedonic and conditioned hunger.

"Now you person to fig retired really to redesign that beingness and societal environment, truthful that you person nan due mindsets and nan proper habits to make you successful successful nan agelong term," Fung said.