Quick answer: To lose weight and keep it off, drink more water, lift weights, eat real whole foods (protein, vegetables, fruit, and good fats), control your portions, keep a food log, consider intermittent fasting, and plan for cravings. Lasting weight loss comes from changing your behaviors, not from a quick fix. If you want a plan built around your body, our physician-supervised medical weight loss program can help.
Change is hard, especially when you’re trying to lose weight. Once you decide to lose weight, you also have to look honestly at your daily habits.
Why Is It So Hard to Lose Weight?
In my practice, I hear the same things all the time: “I really don’t eat that much,” or “I’m up and down stairs all day.” So I ask:
- How many calories do you eat in a day?
- What kinds of foods do you eat?
- Do you log your food or calorie intake?
- Can you run at least half a mile?
The answer is usually a definite “No!” or “I don’t know.”
As a weight loss specialist, I focus on breaking the cycle of harmful habits and teaching you to build healthy new ones. That means being critical of everything that goes “hand to mouth.” Weight gain is gradual, and without close attention, fat mass can rise while muscle mass falls. As fat mass increases, your body burns calories more slowly. You’re also more likely to lose weight when your calories come from nutrient-dense foods instead of small portions of high-calorie, low-nutrient ones.
Even as “The Philadelphia Diet Doctor,” I understand that we eat out of stress, happiness, and boredom. But when those habits repeat, they put your health and longevity at risk.
Medical weight loss is not about hoping and praying for change. It’s about taking action. The most successful patients I see have a plan of attack and real determination. Here’s where to start.
1. Hydrate: How Much Water Should You Drink to Lose Weight?
Drink water, not sugary vitamin waters or sports drinks. Water supports digestion, appetite control, and metabolism. Try these habits:
- Drink a glass of water before every meal to help prevent overeating.
- Sip water throughout the day.
- Aim for about half your body weight in ounces per day (for example, 80 ounces for a 160-pound person).
You can live without food for a while, but you cannot live without water.
2. Exercise: What Is the Best Exercise for Weight Loss?
For weight control, I promote resistance training over cardio. Twenty minutes of weight training beats an hour on the treadmill. If time is short, hit the weights.
You may think you don’t have time for a full workout. So start small and commit to a set number of movements every day:
- 30 to 50 push-ups or crunches
- 100 jumping jacks
- 15 minutes at the gym
Your muscles get used to the resistance, and because muscle has memory, you’ll build up to more reps and more exercises. Keep your routine, and get creative. Weightlifting, crunches, and push-ups can all be done while you watch your favorite show.
3. What Should You Eat to Lose Weight? Eat Real Food
Stick to the basics: proteins (turkey, ham, meats, fish, poultry, and eggs), vegetables, and fruits. The logic is simple: protein builds muscle, muscle improves metabolism, and metabolism burns fat.
Good fats to eat: meat, fish, avocado, real cream, and olive oil.
Bad fats to avoid: hydrogenated oils such as Crisco, margarine, cheese whiz, and processed foods.
Load up on vegetables. They’re digested slowly, so they control hunger and keep you full longer.
Cut back on sugar, wheat, and flour products. That includes bread of all kinds, pasta, cereals, oatmeal, grits, bran, whole grains, and multi-grains. These calorie-dense foods cause rebound hunger and throw off your blood sugar and insulin levels. Many people also find that modern, highly processed wheat products fuel inflammation and cravings. After two weeks without wheat, most patients feel so good they don’t miss it. Not sure where to start? Our nutrition and diet guidance walks you through it.
4. Portion Control: How Much Should You Eat?
Use your palm to gauge your portion size. Set boundaries with your food, and try to leave the table feeling a little hungry. You will not starve.
Remember that you create your appetite. It’s an eating behavior you built, so you have the power to change it. Your stomach expects food at certain times, but you control those expectations. Success starts with changing your eating behaviors, and you’re not giving up anything except pounds.
5. Keep a Food Log: Does Food Journaling Help You Lose Weight?
Yes. A food diary is crucial. Most people are amazed at how much they really eat in a day. A food log holds you accountable and keeps you on track.
It’s also part of a lifestyle change, and that doesn’t stop for Christmas, birthdays, or celebrations. Think of yourself as a perpetual “athlete in training.”
6. Intermittent Fasting: How Does It Work for Weight Loss?
Intermittent fasting means going 8 to 12 hours or longer without eating during part of the day. The best time to fast is the evening:
- Stop eating at a set time, such as 7 p.m.
- Fast overnight and drink only water.
- In the morning, keep hydrating and eat your next meal at your regular time.
- Repeat this pattern 3 days on and 2 days off.
It’s fine to exercise while fasting. I use fasting as a tool for portion control and calorie awareness, especially during holidays and vacations when temptation is high. Researchers are still sorting out how much it helps on its own, and a review published through the National Institutes of Health found most human studies show minimal weight loss and marginal metabolic improvements, so see the research on intermittent fasting and talk with your doctor about whether it fits you.
7. Cravings: How Do You Stop Food Cravings?
Everyone has cravings, and there is no pill or magic potion that eliminates them for good. With practice, proper preparation, and the support of our weight management services, you can learn to control them.
It’s completely reasonable to enjoy an occasional piece of chocolate, birthday cake, or pizza. Just keep your boundaries in place. The tools above will help you do that.
8. Put It All Together
Combine these tips with the 3 general rules we teach every patient in the office, and you’ll be equipped to succeed. This is a mental change as much as a physical one, and it develops as you go. It’s a commitment for life, but believe me, it’s cheaper and easier than heart disease, diabetes, or morbid obesity.
Working on yourself is the hardest and most rewarding work you will ever do.
Good luck and God bless,
Dr. Fortino
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fastest way to lose weight safely?
Combine resistance training, a diet built on protein and vegetables, controlled portions, and a food log, ideally under a physician’s supervision.
Is weight training or cardio better for weight loss?
Dr. Fortino recommends resistance training first. Building muscle raises your metabolism, and 20 minutes of weights can beat an hour on the treadmill.
How much water should I drink to lose weight?
A good target is about half your body weight in ounces of water each day.
What is medical weight loss?
Medical weight loss is physician-supervised care that pairs a personalized plan with coaching and accountability. It addresses the behaviors and metabolism behind weight gain.
Where can I see a weight loss doctor near me?
We have offices in Philadelphia, PA and Turnersville, NJ.
Ready to Build a Stronger, Healthier Body?
Voted 2026 Philly Favorites Gold Winner for Weight Loss Center, Dr. Fortino’s practice is one of the Philadelphia region’s original medical weight loss leaders. If you’re searching for the best weight loss doctor in Philadelphia, experience the difference of dedicated, physician-supervised care.
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Appointments available at our Philadelphia, PA and Turnersville, NJ offices.
Results vary. This content is for education and is not a substitute for medical advice. Talk with your doctor before starting a new diet or exercise program.Partner with one of the Philadelphia region’s original medical weight loss leaders. Experience the difference of dedicated, physician-supervised care.
Appointments available at our Philadelphia, PA and Turnersville, NJ offices.
