Motivation

Why Do You Want to Lose Weight?

Your reason matters more than you think — and it changes over time.

Before we can talk about how to lose weight, it's worth asking a more basic question: why do you want to?

In my experience, the answer depends a lot on where you are in life.

Under 35: Looking Good

Most people in their 20s and early 30s come in with a straightforward goal — they want to drop 20 pounds before summer. Beach season is real, and so is the motivation that comes with it. There's nothing wrong with that. I'll help you get there, and I genuinely hope I never see you again after that.

That kind of motivation is seasonal by nature. It gets people in the door. And sometimes it's the start of something that becomes a longer-term commitment. But I'm realistic about it too.

35 to 50: Wanting to Feel Better

Around the mid-30s to 40s, something shifts. It's no longer about the beach. It's about the knees. The breathing. Sleeping through the night. Moving without pain. People in this group aren't chasing a look — they're chasing a feeling they remember having and want back.

This is often where real, lasting change happens. The motivation is tied to daily quality of life, which means it doesn't disappear after Labor Day.

Beyond 50: Time and Energy

In the older population, the motivation gets even more specific. I hear it regularly: *I don't have any energy. I want to keep up with my grandkids. I want to go to the park without being afraid I'll fall and not get up. I don't want to have a heart attack while I'm playing with them.*

That's powerful motivation. It's not abstract. It has names and faces attached to it.

The Goal Is the Same, Regardless of Reason

Whatever brings someone through my door, the destination is the same: lose the weight, understand what you were doing wrong, and don't put it back on. The reason gets you started. Knowledge keeps you there.

And knowledge is exactly what this country is being sold too little of.

$4 Billion a Year in Weight Loss Advertising

That's what gets spent annually in the U.S. on weight loss advertising. Jenny Craig. Golo. Every program you've seen on TV or in your social media feed. What are they all selling? Meal plans. Products. Subscriptions. Something to buy.

None of it is built around the truth of how weight actually works.

I'm not interested in selling you a meal plan. I want to give you the knowledge to understand your own body — because here's the truth: you don't need me to lose weight. You might need my help to get started, especially when it comes to managing hunger. But the only thing you actually need to lose weight is understanding.

What's Possible When the Weight Comes Off

I've lost count of how many patients came to me convinced they needed a knee replacement. They'd been told to lose weight first, so they did — sometimes a hundred pounds or more. And then the knee pain was gone. No surgery needed.

Could we have gotten there 20 years earlier? Probably. But we work with where people are, not where they could have been.

If losing weight means putting off a joint replacement, avoiding diabetes medication, sleeping through the night, or keeping up with your grandchildren — those are real, measurable outcomes. That's what this is actually about.

One More Thing

If there are situations you can't navigate without derailing — a family dinner that turns into a 24-hour eating event, a coworker who brings donuts every Friday — you're allowed to avoid them. At least for a while. Knowing your triggers isn't weakness. It's strategy.

Ready to figure out yours?

‍