Ask The Doctor: Diet and Weight Loss Myths Edition—Cutting Through Misinformation To Get To The True Science Of Weight

My Ask the Doctor series was built around the idea that functional doctors have SO much incredible information about transforming our health, but the really great ones can be hard to find, tricky to get appointments with, and unfortunately quite expensive. On these episodes, I invite on the best doctors in the world and ask them all of my questions—and yours!—about a topic. We have Ask the Doctor episodes about hormones, longevity, gut health, anxiety, skincare, and more, so definitely check those out!

This episode features Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, one of the most influential medical doctors in the UK. Dr Chatterjee is the host of the most listened to health podcast in the UK and Europe, Feel Better, Live More, and has written four Sunday Times best-selling books, including his most recent, Feel Great, Lose Weight. He hosts his own wellness show on BBC Radio, regularly appears on BBCNews and Television, and his TED talk, How To Make Disease Disappear, has been viewed over 3 million times. On this episode, we cover:

• The efficacy of calorie counting
• The impact of various diets on weight, including more wellness-y diets like keto and paleo
• The role that protein, fat, and carbs in weight loss
• The overlooked lifestyle elements that play a HUGE role in our weight
• How our microbiomes impact our weight
• What our metabolism actually IS, and what impacts how fast or slow it goes
• What changes Dr. Chatterjee recommends as we get older
• How the hormones leptin, ghrelin, cortisol, and insulin all impact our weight
• The role of privilege in weight management
• A 3-step exercise to deal with food cravings—and figure out what you’re really hungry for
• How different types of workouts (cardio, weight lifting) impact our weight
• Plus his take on caffeine, fruit, intermittent fasting, alcohol, and more!

IMPORTANT: I want to be completely clear—this is not an episode that will tell you to count calories, restrict your food, or maintain an unhealthy weight to look a certain way that the media tells you to. This episode is all about BUSTING the myths and lies of diet culture and getting to a place of food freedom, arming with you with the real science you need to feel your best and support your health.

But—if the topic of weight loss, even around the concept of reframing it, rejecting diets, and taking beautiful care of your body—is at all is triggering, I totally get that, and I’d invite you not to listen to this episode—I won’t be at all offended. As you’ll hear in this episode, so much about our weight involves figuring out what’s best for US individually, and I want you to feel empowered to decide whether listening to an episode that talks about weight in any way fits into that for you.

Dr Chatterjee and I would love to hear any thoughts, feelings, things you’ve learned as you’re listening, so definitely screenshot and tag us on Instagram—I’m @lizmoody and he’s @drchatterjee. I’d also so love if you’d share with anyone in your life you think could benefit from this episode!

Healthier Together cover art by Zack. Healthier Together music by Alex Ruimy.

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