I’m a Weight Loss Doctor and Here Are 4 Easy Things You Should Do to Lose Weight 

Jared McDonald (@themetabolismreboot) is a health expert and influencer who specializes in helping women over 45 lose 20 to 35 pounds in just 6 weeks, via his unique method. In a viral video he reveals his top 4 recommendations for losing weight permanently and quickly. The Body Network asked The Diet Diva, Tara Collingwood, MS, RDN, CSSD, LD/N, ACSM-CPT, a Board Certified Sports Dietitian, to weigh in on his tactics.

You Can Lose Weight Fast and Keep It Off, He Says

He starts off by claiming that “the idea that you can't lose weight fast and keep it off permanently is completely false. Most of the clients we work with on average lose 20 to 45 pounds in six weeks, and we teach them how to eat treats and snacks and travel and go out to eat and not count calories and all that kind of stuff,” he says, adding that “they can actually keep their weight off. They just eat real food. So it's very sustainable.”

It Starts with Stress

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“Now you have to realize that stress is the problem,” says McDonald. “Stress causes your body to store fat, right in your midsection.” He said that the “common approach to weight loss” of eating less and exercising more, “actually then stresses the body out more because your brain doesn't know how to differentiate between eating less and a famine and exercising, running from a tiger. And so we think we're doing something good, but it ends up stressing the body out. So we have to do things a little bit differently.”

Related: I Lost 19 Pounds in 15 Days with the Help of Salt

1. Stop Focusing on Weight Loss

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“First thing to do is stop focusing on weight loss,” says McDonald. Instead, “you have to actually focus on getting healthy,” because “the things that you do to lose weight typically stress the body out more. But the things you do to get healthy will actually promote health and will allow you to lose the weight.” Collingwood “loves” this idea. “Focus on positive ‘I want to get healthier’ instead of just focusing on the number on the scale. It will reduce stress and pressure and have a positive vibe. Focus on behaviors and the scale will eventually follow,” she says.

2. Eat Real Food

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Number two, “eat real food,” says McDonald, explaining that “fake food shakes and prepackaged meals” aren’t the solution. “Most of the time they actually cause more stress, they bring more toxins in,” he continues. “They actually make it worse. And so when we talk about stress, we have to talk about toxins and inflammation and blood sugars and cortisol and fake foods don't actually solve that. Also, they're not sustainable. You can't eat them forever and you can't feed your kids those things. So your first focus needs to be on nutrition through real food.” Collingwood agrees that “food first” is always good advice. “Eat as clean as possible but also be realistic about lifestyle and how much time you have for food prep. Don’t beat yourself up if you need to rely on some convenience foods that are still nutritious and healthy,” she says.

3. Stop Exercising for Weight Loss

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His third suggestion is “you need to stop exercising for weight loss.” He explains that exercise is not bad, but if you are overweight or are over 40 and are hormonally changing, and try to exercise to lose weight, “it's only going to cause more stress on the body.” While “you might feel better, you might like it, you might get stronger, you might have a mental release and that's all good things, but that belly fat is going to stick around. Your number one focus shouldn't be on exercise to lose weight, it should be on nutrition and getting healthy. That's the key.” Keep exercising, but don’t have the focus be on weight loss, agrees Collingwood. “I do believe in moving your body and that we are more sedentary now as a population than we have ever been. Moving and exercise is key, but take the pressure off from weight loss to just moving to feel better and improve mood, loosen stiff joints, build muscle, etc.”

Related: How to Lose Weight Fast for a Special Occasion, According to an Expert

4. Drink Water

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“Number four is that you do need to drink water,” says McDonald, explaining that “one of the first steps in metabolizing fat cells is called hydrolysis. So you need water to actually burn fat. And most of us are chronically dehydrated.” He adds that drinking water alone might not be enough. “You have to actually replenish with electrolytes and minerals as well. So make sure you're getting a good balance of electrolytes with your water.” Collingwood agrees. “Water helps with digestion, temporary fullness, and really all body processes!”

💪🔥Body Booster: Stress isn’t just bad for your mental health, it can result in weight gain. A healthy diet and workout routine can help keep your hormones balanced and stress levels low.

Losing weight after menopause might be harder, but it’s not impossible. In fact, it may be easier than you think. Emitis Hosoda (@doctor.emi) is a hormone and weight loss specialist who has lost a lot of weight herself – in her 50s. In her many viral videos, she gets real about how she did it. “What are five things I would always do as a doctor who lost a hundred pounds in her fifties, kept it off, and still can get away with minimal makeup,” she says in the video.

1. Look at the Sugar Value Instead of Calories

“Number one, look at the sugar value of food rather than its calories. So what I'm looking at is, is this food going to spike my insulin and my blood sugar up and pack on pounds or not? I don't really care about the calories at all,” she says.

While looking at sugar is always a good idea, The Diet Diva, Tara Collingwood, MS, RDN, CSSD, LD/N, ACSM-CPT, a Board Certified Sports Dietitian, maintains it is not the be-all end-all. “Other carbs and also fat and protein can also contribute to glucose levels, although sugar does cause the biggest spike,” she reveals. “I am a fan of looking at sugars, especially added sugars, but I would still encourage taking a peek at the total calories as well.”

2. Take the Right Supplements

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“Number two, take the right supplements for my genetics and hormones,” she suggests. “A lot of people just take supplements, willy-nilly thinking they're going to help with weight loss. But unless you know what you're taking the supplements for and what your genetics are, the likelihood that the supplements are going to help you much is not very high. The only exception would be most of us over the age of 35 have insulin and leptin resistance,” she adds.

“Supplements can be extremely beneficial for many people, but some don’t see or feel any benefit,” says Collingwood. “Getting specific advice from a doctor or dietitian is best so you aren’t wasting money or putting yourself at health risk.”

Related: 9 Ways to Eat to Look Like a Cover Model

3. Make Sure to Drink Enough Water

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Next, drink enough water. “Each of us should be drinking about a half ounce to an ounce of water per pound of body weight, depending on how active we are. If you're really active in sweating, it should be more around the one ounce mark if you're not as active than about a half ounce at least a day. The only exception would be people with heart failure or kidney disease who need to check with their doctors on how much water is okay with them, and also people with low sodium.

But other than that, if you don't have any medical conditions and your labs have been okay, check with your doctor. But that's usually the water intake you want to do. The reason you want to drink water is because you don't want to mistake thirst for hunger," she says. “Water is always a great idea for overall health,” agrees Collingwood.

4. Take Magnesium

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“Next thing is take enough magnesium to handle my sugar cravings and sleep,” says Dr. Emi. “Those of us who are over the age of 35, many of us who are menopausal and perimenopausal know how hard it is to sleep. Magnesium can be a really good aid to that.”

Collingwood agrees that magnesium can be an excellent supplement to add, “but don’t expect it to completely cut sugar cravings or act like a sleeping pill,” she notes. “It may have a slight benefit, but many people don’t necessarily feel any different just from taking a bit more magnesium.”

Related: 11 Targeted Exercise Moves to Eliminate Belly Fat for Men

5. Exercise

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And finally, “do workouts,” she recommends, including strength training. “So a lot of people believe that over aerobicizing, killing themselves doing things is really going to help them with their weight. I'm here to tell you, you're much better off building your strength if you're over the age of 50,” she says.

Collingwood agrees 100 percent. “Weight training is key for maintaining muscle mass, especially when losing weight. Working on muscle is key at any age, but we definitely tend to lose muscle as we age, so it becomes more and more important to work on it as we age.”

💪🔥Body Booster: One of the most important things to do if you are trying to lose weight over 50 is weight lifting, as it will help prevent muscle mass loss that comes with aging.