He’s shedding light on how to lose weight — and keep it off.
Dr. Tommy Martin said he grew up overweight thanks to unhealthy eating habits, tipping the scale at 230 pounds at his heaviest.
He tried overly restrictive diets and intense workouts but it wasn’t until he changed his mindset and goals about a decade ago that he was able to drop the weight for good.
Now, the Ironman triathlete is sharing his top five weight loss tips that do not involve counting calories.
“For some, counting calories can be very mentally taxing and emotionally hard,” Martin, a Boston-based physician who specializes in internal medicine and pediatrics, explained on TikTok this week.
Martin acknowledges that you need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight, but instead of counting calories, he suggests sleeping seven to nine hours nightly, prioritizing whole foods but allowing for some processed items, finding an exercise you enjoy, staying hydrated and joining a supportive community.
Get sufficient sleep
“No. 1, sleep seven to nine hours a night, every single night. That’s gonna help regulate your hunger hormones,” Martin advised.
Experts suggest clocking this time by maintaining a steady sleep schedule with a set bedtime, turning off digital devices at least a half hour before bed and forgoing late afternoon and evening caffeine.
It’s crucial for adults to get seven hours of nightly sleep because sleep deprivation and insomnia have been linked to a higher risk of diabetes, heart disease and other chronic health problems.
Prioritize whole foods but don’t overly restrict faves
“Still allow yourself to have other foods that you may enjoy that could be packaged or processed,” Martin recommended.
Jenna Rizzo, a women’s weight loss coach from Georgia, said 80% to 90% of her diet comes from fresh, whole food sources and the rest is “fun” food.
She found that planning overindulgent cheat meals was her greatest obstacle to staying in tip-top shape.
Find an exercise you enjoy
“Exercise in a way that you enjoy as often as you can,” Martin counseled. “For me, that’s strength training and doing cardiovascular exercise.”
Martin said he prefers strength training because more muscle mass means a higher basal metabolic rate, which is the estimated number of calories your body burns at rest.
Stay hydrated
“If you don’t like the taste of water for whatever reason, it’s OK to use calorie-free flavor packets, regardless of what the fitness gurus online want to tell you,” Martin said.
Hydration needs vary from person to person, especially in the summer, but experts generally suggest trying to consume ½ an ounce to 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight each day.
Join a supportive community
“No. 5, do not do this alone,” Martin declared. “Find a community that you love and can trust and that you can be real with, that you can share your victories with and your hardships, so that they can help keep you accountable.”
He added: “I know so many people on this journey feel like a failure because they’ve lost weight, regained it, lost it and regained it. A lot of people do that, but that does not mean that you’re done and that doesn’t mean that you cannot achieve sustainable long-term weight loss.”
