Crooked Thumb

Photo: Losing the war: three months ago and six pounds lighter. U.S. Senior National Cycling Championships, August 2025.

I know the bad news even before stepping on the scale. Over the last several weeks, my pants fit tighter, I feel heavier and my stomach is prone to bouts of indigestion; familiar signs of weight gain. Stepping up I look down and see the hard truth: 166 pounds. Since last summer’s U.S. Senior National Cycling Championships and a seven day backpack trip in Wyoming, I am up six pounds. Typical of men my age (71), it’s all located in my mid-section. It’s time to take off the kid gloves.

As a personal trainer working with hundreds of clients, weight-loss is by far the most common goal of my clients. Why is it so hard to lose weight? Read my article: Body Set Weight: Why It’s So Hard To Lose Weight. This article is about seven strategies I have developed for helping clients lose weight, achieve a normal body set weight, and maintain that body weight.

Strategy 1: Reduce consumption of added sugar and processed foods.

Added sugar and highly processed foods create the strongest insulin response. Consumption of these foods leads to insulin resistance and weight gain. The most dangerous added sugars are high-fructose corn syrup and sucrose. Read the labels. Almost all processed foods have added sugar. Beware of sugar pseudonyms: maltose, dextrose, cane sugar, and agave nectar.

Avoid soft drinks and fruit juices with added sugar. Reduce consumption of highly processed grains. The toxicity lies in the processing which increases the rate of glucose absorption and amplifies the insulin effect. Our bodies are adapted to the balance of nutrients in natural foods. Refining destroys that balance.

Most of your carbohydrate consumption should be from non-processed, low glycemic index foods. The glycemic index (GI) is a measure of how quickly a carbohydrate-containing food raises blood sugar levels compared to pure glucose, which has a GI of 100. Low glycemic foods include vegetables, lentils, and beans.  

Strategy 2: Exercise at low to moderate intensities

Through a combination of strength and aerobic interval training, my clients improve their body’s ability to burn fat as fuel. This improves cardiovascular health. The stronger our cardiovascular system, the more efficient our muscles become in using fatty acids for fuel rather glycogen.

To improve our body’s ability to burn fat, I train my clients with intervals in their maximum fat burning zone: 50 to 65% of your maximum heart rate. Over time, I push those intervals longer and at higher intensities. The body adapts and your fat burning efficiency rises.

Strategy 3: Increase consumption of natural fats.  

A teaspoon of margarine is not the same as an ounce of avocado. Vegetable oils and partially hydrogenated vegetable oil are high in Omega 6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and are highly inflammatory. Avocados, nuts like almonds, and cold water fish such as Salmon are high in Omega 3 fatty acids and anti-inflammatory. Historically the ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 has been one to one. In the modern American diet the ratio is more likely 15:1 or even 30:1.

Eating healthy fat does not make you fat, but protects you by decreasing glucose and insulin spikes. I recommend approximately a third of your daily caloric intake come from healthy fat.

Strategy 4: Increase your consumption of fiber.

Studies show diets high in fiber are less likely to produce weight gain. Fiber decreases the palatability of food so you eat less. Meals rich in fiber increase the volume in the stomach increasing satiety. Digesting high fiber foods slows the rise in glucose and insulin levels.

Studies indicate ancient diets consumed 77 to 120 grams of fiber and traditional American diets consumed 50 grams of fiber. Modern American diets average just 15 grams of fiber per day. Low fiber diets are indicated in studies to contribute to a number of gastro-intestinal diseases and other health related problems. Natural food fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, whole unprocessed grains, flax and chia seeds, beans, nuts and unprocessed oatmeal.

Strategy 5: Add vinegar to your diet.

Studies show vinegar reduces insulin spikes and insulin resistance. Two tablespoons of vinegar with a high-carb meal lowers blood sugar and insulin by as much as 34%. Sushi rice with vinegar lowers the glycemic index of white rice by 40%. The health benefits of Balsamic vinegar are well documented. One of my favorite foods high in vinegar is Korean Kimchi.

Strategy 6: Pay attention to when you eat.

Insulin resistance keeps insulin levels elevated. High insulin levels promote a high body set weight. In order to break the cycle, the body needs recurrent periods of very low insulin levels. Eating proper foods prevents high levels of insulin and fasting lowers insulin levels. Studies indicate fasting improves insulin sensitivity.

I have had significant success helping clients lose weight thru intermittent fasting. Studies show after eight hours, fasting reduces insulin levels and the body switches to burning fat for energy. My experience is that fasting durations of sixteen to thirty six hours are most effective.

Strategy 7: Reduce stress and get a good night sleep.

Cortisol is the hormone that prepares the body to deal with perceived threats. Cortisol enhances glucose availability providing energy for muscles and action: the flight or fly response. Once danger is past, cortisol returns to normal levels. However, chronic stress elevates cortisol levels and elevates insulin levels—which leads to insulin resistance and weight gain.

Sleep deprivation is a potent psychological and physical stressor. This stress stimulates cortisol production resulting in high insulin levels and insulin resistance. Studies show a single night’s sleep deprivation can raise insulin levels by more than one hundred percent and remain elevated over the next twenty four hours. Studies show sleep duration is associated with higher body weight, decreased leptin (satiety hormone) and increased ghrelin (hunger hormone).

Reducing stress is difficult, but critical for improving your health and losing weight. My clients have had success reducing stress with a regular exercise program; intensity matters! Studies on mindfulness intervention find participants are able to use guided yoga and meditation to successfully reduce cortisol and abdominal fat. Regular exercise and meditation will help you sleep better.

Conclusion

Every fall I put on weight. It’s my winter coat. My fitness routine mellows after summer cycling competitions and mountain adventures. My diet discipline relaxes: more salty, nutritionally void snacks and after dinner desserts. The combination produces predictable results. No worries. I’m on it. It’s time to train for winter ski season.

All of us are different. Getting to a healthy body set weight is a personal journey. It starts with understanding why we gain weight and continues with what we can do to lose unwanted weight. Weight loss is not only a physical challenge, but also a mental, psychological and emotional challenge.

If I can help you get to a healthy weight, please email me at steve.crookedthumb@gmail.com.