Health Matters

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5 weight-loss strategies that don't work

By Angela Haupt

Editor, Health and Wellness

Losing weight and keeping it off can feel like herculean tasks. That’s true for a variety of reasons, including genetic predisposition, but also because we tend to latch onto weight-loss methods that fail.

In an essay for TIME, author Robert J. Davis shares helpful strategies from his latest book, Supersized Lies: How Myths About Weight Loss Are Keeping Us Fat—and the Truth About What Really Works. Here are three of his insights:

It’s hard to accurately count calories, setting many up for frustration and failure. Instead, keep a food journal in which you log what and how much you eat and drink every day. That will help identify patterns you might need to change.
Wiping out an entire category of food will inevitably backfire and lead to elevated cravings. It’s better to focus on the overall quality of your diet: emphasizing all the foods you know you should eat, and making the exceptions (like chips and cookies) occasional treats.
Over-the-counter weight-loss supplements aren’t proven to be safe or effective. For those who are eligible, Davis instead suggests considering prescription weight-loss medications or bariatric surgery.

READ ABOUT THE OTHER TWO

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AN EXPERT VOICE

"I like box breathing: breathing in through your nose for four seconds, holding for four, and then breathing out through your mouth for four and holding for four. I typically do that for a couple minutes before every client session."

—Kelly Neupert, a therapist based in Chicago, talking to health and wellness editor Angela Haupt about her favorite breathing exercise

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Today's newsletter was written by Angela Haupt and edited by Mandy Oaklander.