10 Free Things to Try Before Buying Supplements

I still remember the scariest moment I’ve ever had stepping on a scale.

I had just returned home from my junior year of college, and after a year of partying & eating too much, I knew there was bad news ahead.

Beep, beep…. Step, step… 230… read the scale.

With a height of 5 '11 and a habit of ~50 beers a week, this wasn’t the good type of weight.

It was all in my belly, I felt terrible and hated the way I looked.

Just see below, June 2015.

It was at this moment that I recognized I needed to make a change.

So that’s what I did that summer.

Through tireless efforts & hundreds of dollars spent on supplements, I lost 50 pounds.

I felt good, but here’s the better news… I’ve kept 30 of those pounds off for 8 years and added back a good bit of muscle.

Here’s a picture taken this week, January 2024. ~8.5 years later.

There’s nothing revolutionary here - just years of consistency & giving myself grace when I fall short. I’m grateful for this body and am learning to love it more & more each year.

I don’t write about weight loss often because it’s a deeply personal subject that I do not have expertise with, just experience.

It also exists within an industry built off insecurity and a system marked by inequitable social determinants of health.

For example, 40% of all US households do not live within 1 mile of healthier food retailers, and 37% of American adults who eat fast food on any given day.

I’m beyond lucky to have the access & financial means necessary to invest in healthy food, and I recognize that’s not the reality for everyone

So today, I’m excited to share the most effective, free tools I’ve discovered on my weight loss journey.

Three big ideas before we begin:

Consistency trumps intensity every day of the week. You don’t need to throw the kitchen sink at achieving your goals. Rather, it’s more effective to find little habits that fit into your existing life & schedule.

Embracing body positivity: Navigating weight loss involves acknowledging the complexities of body image, such as body dysmorphia & eating disorders. Recognizing that everyone's journey is unique and steering away from unrealistic beauty standards are both important steps - especially in today’s world with social media. This perspective shift can lead to a more holistic & sustainable approach to weight loss & wellness.

Supplements are expensive and often not needed. Eating real foods and moving a bit more is really all you need to get healthier. Your bank account will thank you.

So, here are 10 tried-and-true strategies to explore that come at no financial cost.

1) Get 7-8 hours of sleep. Sleep plays a crucial role in weight loss because of its multidimensional impact on our bodies - hormones & stress being two of the major factors. For example, the hunger hormone, Ghrelin, increases with insufficient sleep, while Leptin, the hormone that signals fullness, decreases. It’s overall impact, however, goes far beyond weight loss, as it’s “essential to every process in the body.”

2) Get morning sun. Sunlight exposure, especially in the morning, helps regulate the body’s circadian rhythm. This natural internal clock influences several physiological processes, including the sleep-wake cycle and metabolism - both of which are fundamental to weight loss efforts.

3) Stop eating 2-3 hours before bedtime. This “no more late meals” strategy plays a massive role in both digestion & sleep quality. If your body is still digesting food when you go to sleep, there are fewer resources to extend to other important bodily functions that take place; such as tissue growth and muscle repair. I’ve been sticking to ~7pm since the New Year and it’s been working well.

4) Stay hydrated. Drinking water is a low-cost & easy-effort way to move towards your health goals. Its impact on waste removal is helpful for overall health, while its effect on appetite control can be an easy strategy for weight loss (you’ll feel fuller & thus eat less). Experts recommend 3-4 liters of water per day. 

5) Eat protein for breakfast - & avoid processed carbs. Protein is the most satiating macronutrient while fast-digesting carbohydrates spike blood sugar. I’ve found that my focus at 4pm is profoundly different based on my breakfast choices.

6) Increase your daily steps. Walking more is a surefire way to weight loss & enhanced well-being. Many of history’s most prominent figures were known for long walks - such as Thomas Jefferson, Beethoven, and Gandhi - so this practice goes way beyond weight loss. Personally, investing in a desk treadmill has been super effective for my work-from-home setup, especially during winter.

7) Take a 5-minute walk after every meal. This habit works well because it’s simple. There’s an obvious habit trigger (the meal) and a clear & effective response (going for a walk). This practice facilitates digestion, dampens the meal’s blood sugar spike, and encourages a consistent movement routine.

8) Resistance training 1-3x per week. Lifting weights is a crucial component of any sustainable weight loss journey. Why? Because of its impact on muscle development & metabolism. Without it, weight-loss plateaus become commonplace, as the body adapts to a reduced caloric intake. Gabrielle Lyon’s work of Muscle-Centric Medicine is a great place to learn more.

9) Measure calories for a day or two. There’s a time & place to measure daily calories, but I don’t think it’s a sustainable strategy. Nor is it necessary for 80% of people. Nonetheless, I believe it’s important to track calories, for even a day, to develop an understanding of portion sizes. The first day I tracked my food, I realized I’d never had only one serving of pasta in my entire life….

10) Explore at-home workout providers. Experimenting with the many online fitness classes could be a worthy investment - Apple Fitness & Open are both great. But you can also find a wealth of free videos on YouTube. Finding a routine that’s both convenient & enjoyable can make exercising remarkably more sustainable.

Thank you for reading

Are there any of these strategies that stuck out? Any questions about them?

Always love hearing from you, and wishing you a great weekend ahead.

With gratitude,

Aidan