Hi, I'm Dr Sally Norton

I've been an NHS consultant surgeon for years, with a special expertise in weight loss and gut health. So, I've seen thousands of people who struggle with their weight.

They often think it's their fault - a lack of willpower that stops them sticking to the diet.  But that makes no sense. There are plenty of good reasons why so many of us fail on diets, especially as we get older......

Hormonal changes, years of fad diets catching up with us, mid-life stresses, changes in our body composition and more, play a part in our weight loss struggles.

Plus, we're so overwhelmed with all the conflicting and confusing information out there that we don't know what to believe, and are too tired to care after years of fighting with our weight.

So, if you are struggling to control your weight, please understand that it isn't your fault. Weight loss is a lot more complex than the fad diets would have you believe. But there are lots of things that can make weight control easier, if only you could tap into them.

Sounds like weight loss is a big priority for you.

But, if it's not working, you need a different approach. Keep doing the same old thing and you'll get the same old results! Weight loss isn't just about eating less and exercising more. There are so many other aspects involved that need to be tackled too. Otherwise, you are wasting lots of energy getting nowhere

It sounds as though weight loss isn't a huge priority for you. 

But, if you do want to lose weight, you need to make it a priority, as it's far too easy for other things to get in the way - as we all know! Going on yet another diet gets really disheartening. But, weight loss doesn't have to involve miserable diets. Do it differently and you'll get different results...and then you'll feel more motivated again!

A big mistake, that many of us make, is having that 'stop-start', 'on a diet - off a diet' mentality.

Either we're denying ourselves food we love, feeling ravenous and miserable - or we're eating everything in the cupboard because we're planning to start again tomorrow / next Monday / in the New Year. But if you keep holding on to that mentality, you'll never win! You need to develop a mindset that isn't about 'going on a diet'. It's about changing a few vital things, each and every day, that get your body's natural weight-loss mechanisms working for you. And then it becomes almost subconscious, rather than a constant battle with willpower.

Another sure-fire sabotage of weight loss efforts is to think you don't deserve to spend time on yourself. 

Lots of people are so busy looking after everyone else that they don't put aside time for themselves. But you can't look after everyone else if you're exhausted! So, don't feel guilty about delegating or just saying 'no'! You need time to look after yourself and get your weight sorted, once and for all.

It sounds as though you aren't sabotaging your weight loss efforts by failing to make time for it - that's good. 

But, if you're not getting control over your weight, maybe you're focusing time on the wrong things - overdoing exercise so that you're always hungry? Obsessing about every calorie - and then giving up and having a blow-out? Researching every diet and ending up confused and disheartened? All of these are issues I come across all the time.

Nearly every diet works to some degree, but the truth is, they only work for as long as you can stick to them.

And most of us can't, for good reason. They usually rely on willpower which fails when we're tired, hungry and stressed. But there is so much info out there on weight loss - most of it is the same old stuff, just repackaged into a slightly new diet. No wonder we get confused and lose motivation.
The reality is, diets alone and that simplistic weight loss approach just don't work long-term. Instead, your body can control your weight for you, if you knew how its natural weight-loss mechanisms work.

Well done - you haven't fallen for that same old advice about losing weight that so many people have been following for years. It hasn't got us very far!

Low-fat eating may be doing us more harm than good, as healthy fats are essential and may actually help us lose weight.  Artificial sweeteners may help us cut back on sugar but can have problems of their own, by damaging our healthy gut bacteria, and more.
Calorie counting alone is too simplistic - the type of food we eat matters as well as how many calories are in it. Eating little and often may make weight loss harder. And breakfast isn't always the best meal of the day!

Sorry - none of these are sure-fire ways to lose weight.

We have been following the same old advice about losing weight for years and it hasn't got us very far! Low-fat eating may be doing us more harm than good - healthy fats are essential and may actually help us lose weight. Artificial sweeteners may help us cut back on sugar but can have problems of their own, by damaging our healthy gut bacteria, and more.
Calorie counting is too simplistic - the type of food we eat matters as well as how many calories are in it. Eating little and often may make weight loss harder. And breakfast isn't always the best meal of the day! There are lots of myths out there and new research being reported all the time. But it's hard to unpick the good from the bad, sometimes.

Sorry - none of those are important either!

For some, regular weigh-ins can be demotivating when the scales don't go down, but they don't just reflect fat. They may be recording muscle, which weighs more than the same volume of fat. Or a healthy, fibre-filled meal we ate the night before.

Over-doing exercise can raise stress hormones, which can actually lead to weight gain! You need to exercise in clever ways to help weight loss - it's not just about burning the calories from the doughnut you may have eaten!

And willpower is over-rated - failing us when we are tired, hungry and stressed. I know it from bitter experience and I'm sure you know it too! 

That's why it's important to use a scientific perspective to identify the things that really do affect our ability to lose weight. It makes weight loss much easier!

Well done - you've spotted that none of those are that important for weight loss either!

Weigh-ins assume that the weighing scales are measuring the fat we want to lose. We get easily demotivated when the scales don't go down but it may be recording muscle, which weighs more than fat. Or a healthy, fibre-filled meal we ate the night before.

Maybe you know that over-doing exercise can make things worse by raising stress hormones which can actually lead to weight gain?! You need to exercise in clever ways to help weight loss - it's not really about just burning the calories from the doughnut you may have eaten!

And willpower is over-rated - it usually fails us when we are tired, hungry and stressed. I know it from bitter experience and clearly you know it too! 

Weight loss seems to get harder as women head for the menopause....for numerous reasons.

Some may be helped by HRT - and every woman needs to consider the benefits versus the risks of HRT. Many doctors are too worried about the risks and don't fully understand them, or appreciate the benefits. So, they may not prescribe them when they're needed. Hands up who has struggled with brain fog, exhaustion, lack of motivation, hot flushes, weakness, low mood, painful sex, weak pelvic floor, thinning hair, forgetfulness...and been told to buck up or take a few antidepressants and it will pass. That's not good enough.

But as well as considering HRT, there are lots of other factors that contribute to weight problems around the perimenopause and menopause that may need addressing - no wonder that simplistic diet approach just doesn't work!

Polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS is actually quite common and you're more likely to have it if your mother or other close relatives have it.

It is not fully understood – but it's a hormonal condition where your ovaries produce more male hormones than usual, affecting egg production and release, and making it more difficult for women with PCOS to get pregnant. Also, it's associated with resistance to the hormone, insulin – increasing the risk of metabolic disorders which can affect liver, heart and blood vessels and increase the risk of diabetes too. 

It can make weight loss so much harder - but by understanding the hormonal changes behind it, and considering other treatments too, it can be tackled.

Depression, polymyalgia, ME or chronic fatigue....they can somtimes be a bit of a 'catch-all' when doctors are struggling to help patients with mood and non-specific physical symptoms. But we are understanding more and more how brain, inflammatory, hormonal and other changes play a part. And that means we can find different ways to tackle the debilitating symptoms that cause so many problems - not least of which is weight gain.

And then having low thyroid function in increasingly common, especially around middle-age. And that can make weight loss hard as well, if not properly managed.

Insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes are getting more and more common.

They are associated with being overweight - but can occur in people of normal weight too who have more belly fat. That's because the fat on the inside, so-called visceral fat, is associated with these sorts of issues. And also with high blood pressure, increased risk of heart attack and stroke and fatty liver disease.

And more central fat distribution is also more associated with sleep apnoea - snoring and poor sleep, then falling asleep in the day. And that leaves you tired and searching for food to give you energy. A vicious circle!

The good news is that they can all be tackled by eating better (cutting back on sugar and processed food, sorry!!), exercising more cleverly and tweaking various other lifestyle factors. It's amazing to consider, but changes like this can even reverse type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and more...as well as deal with the weight!

Gut problems may reflect various health problems associated with our diet - and other lifestyle issues too. They may reflect an unhealthy balance of gut bacteria - and I've read no end of research papers recently on the association of our gut bacteria with all sorts of things - from brain function to weight control!

Acid reflux is also affected by our food choices and weight...but can make weight loss harder in return for various reasons.

So, loving your gut may well help your weight control!

If your waist band is getting tighter, you need to take action!

That belly fat is a potential health risk - even if you aren't overweight! Have you heard of a TOFI? Thin outside, fat inside. If your waist is similar in size or greater than your hips, you need to think about how to shift that internal fat by cutting back on processed, sugary foods and more, otherwise you may be at increased risk of diabetes, heart disease and more. As well as having to upsize on your jeans. Heading for the menopause, stress, poor sleep and more can put loads of hormones out of balance, adding to the inches around the waist.

If you haven't yet noticed your waist band getting tighter, you're lucky.

But, beware! It is more likely to occur as you head towards menopause, and that belly fat is a potential health risk - even if you aren't overweight! Have you heard of a TOFI? Thin outside, fat inside. If your waist is similar in size or greater than your hips, you need to think about how to shift that internal fat by cutting back on processed, sugary foods and more.

These are all cries for help that I hear every day and few women, if any, wouldn't recognise one or more of them.

Thinking you can just go on the next fad diet and overcome those issues is unrealistic, clearly. So forget dieting.

But, what's the alternative? You've probably heard advice to 'tackle the underlying causes, be more mindful, use another source of comfort for emotional eating, fill up on low-cal food if you're hungry, eat little and often to control blood sugar, join a gym to push you harder'....all easier said than done and don't deal with the underlying problem, in my opinion.

Instead, there's another way to tackle weight control that makes more sense to me as a doctor - but few people have cottoned on to it! It involves really understanding the complex mechanisms that underlie natural weight control and getting those back in balance - as the way we live our lives nowadays, has thrown them totally out of balance.

It's by understanding how you can actually reduce hunger, rather than try to use willpower to fight against it. It's by understanding how lots of different hormones affect our weight - and how we can make sure they're working with us. And it's by understanding how some of the things you're doing may actually be making your weight loss efforts more difficult.

Once you get things working the way they are supposed to, it becomes less of a fight! 

My weight loss ethos 

I think there's a better way to tackle weight control. Years of working in the field have changed my traditional beliefs about weight loss.

• Previous weight loss advice was well-meaning but scientifically flawed in many respects.

• Fad diets, diet foods and drinks and even some so-called health foods, can cause more harm than good to weight loss and health. And so can other things we do, that we think are helping!

• We need to adapt our weight loss strategy to suit different stages of life, varying circumstances and individual health concerns. We aren't all the same and there's not a one-size-fits-all solution. But the underling principles are the same.

• Our body should be able to control our weight for us, if only we stopped messing with its natural mechanisms. Weight control should happen with minimal input from us, rather than all-consuming, making us miserable and taking over our lives.

• WEIGHT CONTROL JUST DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THAT HARD!

A new approach can make a heap of difference

Ditching dieting and changing mind-set can help you lose weight and keep it off for good.

I post regular tips and science updates on instagram and Facebook @drsallynorton - feel free to take a look. And, there are various blogs and more advice on my website drsallynorton.com

Added support via my online programme

If you need more guidance and support, I offer a 12 week online Weight Loss for Life programme. It's in the process of being updated - but sign up now at a discounted rate and I will give you free access to the updated 16 week version when it's available (not long now!)! 

It takes you through all the steps that will help you get your natural weight-loss mechanisms back in sync and forces you to take the time to actually ingrain them! Because I, for one, find it difficult to focus on myself when so much else is going on.

Weight loss medication now available

And, I have just started to offer weight loss medication too - as for the first time, I have identified a drug for which I think the research is strong enough for me to feel comfortable offering it.

I'm pleased to say that your BMI is in the healthy range. So you're doing something right! But, BMI is only part of the story. You may have more fat and less muscle than is good for you. Also, where fat is distributed is important. Fat around internal organs - even if you haven’t got much fat on the outside – can be a risk for disease.

And being a 'normal weight' may not be a huge amount of consolation if it takes every ounce of energy to keep you there or if you are noticing more of the unhealthy fat around the middle.

You aren't eligible for weight loss medication at this BMI but feel free to book in an appointment with me, to chat about how to make weight control easier and reduce the risk of your weight creeping up with time. Or consider my online Weight Loss for Life course which isn't just about weight loss, but how to make long-term healthy weight control easier.

Or simply check out my blogs and social media posts. And feel free to ask a question at the end of this quiz.

I'm afraid your BMI puts you in the category of being just overweight. Being a bit overweight may not be much of a health problem if you are eating healthily and keeping active. The trouble is most people aren’t, and then being overweight can increase your risk of many diseases. It’s also true that BMI isn’t always a completely accurate guide to a healthy weight. You can have a high BMI in a good way if you have a lot of muscle rather than fat. And a low BMI may still hide a problem of fat on the inside.

You aren't quite eligible for weight loss medication at this BMI but feel free to book in an appointment with me, to chat about how to make weight loss easier. Or consider my online Weight Loss for Life course.

Or simply check out my blogs and social media posts. And feel free to ask a question at the end of this quiz.

I'm afraid your BMI puts you in the category of being overweight. Being a bit overweight may not be much of a health problem if you are eating healthily and keeping active. The trouble is most people aren’t, and then being overweight can increase your risk of many diseases. It’s also true that BMI isn’t always a completely accurate guide to a healthy weight. You can have a high BMI in a good way if you have a lot of muscle rather than fat. And a low BMI may still hide a problem of fat on the inside.

You have a few options....

You are potentially eligible for weight loss medication at this BMI. If that's of interest or if you just want some general advice, feel free to book in an appointment with me, to chat about how to make weight loss easier.

Or consider my online Weight Loss for Life course.

Or simply check out my blogs and social media posts. And feel free to ask a question at the end of this quiz.

Your BMI, I'm afraid, puts you into the 'obese' range - a step up from overweight. Sorry!  Being obese isn't just about not fitting into your clothes comfortably, it can increase your risk of many diseases. But, I can show you how to lose weight in a healthy way that you can keep up.

You have a few options....

You are potentially eligible for weight loss medication at this BMI. If that's of interest or if you just want some general advice, feel free to book in an appointment with me, to chat about how to make weight loss easier.

Or consider my online Weight Loss for Life course.

Or simply check out my blogs and social media posts. And feel free to ask a question at the end of this quiz.

I am happy to help you understand if you are eligible for medication, or if it will be worthwhile for you.

Please check out the medication page on my website for further information about Saxenda. You will receive a link when you submit your form as well as an email with information if you provide your contact details.

If you want to ask me anything else about easier weight loss, feel free to enter your question as well as your name and email and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

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