If you’re Googling “best diet for weight loss,” first of all — you’re not wrong for asking the question.
You live in a culture that has conditioned you to believe that shrinking your body is the fast pass to feeling better, being respected, or just finally exhaling in your own skin. It’s normal to want to feel good in your body. It’s human to crave change when you’re uncomfortable.
So let’s just start there: no shame. No side-eye. No lectures.
But here’s the truth that gets lost in the noise: Most of the “best diets” out there set you up to lose a lot more than just pounds. They cost you energy. They damage your metabolism. They erode your ability to trust your body’s cues.
And ironically? They often make sustainable weight changes harder — not easier.
What If the “Best Diet” Isn’t a Diet at All?
When you peel back the hype, the real game-changer isn’t a named plan, a complicated timing strategy, or a trendy list of “clean” foods.
It’s much less marketable — and much more powerful.
The most effective approach is one that consistently supports your energy availability, protects your lean muscle mass, stabilizes your blood sugar and hormonal rhythms, and makes fueling your life — not fighting your body — the priority.
In other words: Nourishment beats restriction every time.
But What If I Do Want to Lose Weight?
You’re allowed to.
Bodily autonomy means you get to set your own goals without shame, coercion, or judgment.
It also means you deserve a plan that supports your physiology, not one that works against it.
At Verdure House, when someone comes to me wanting to explore body composition changes — including weight loss — we start from a foundation of care, not punishment.
We look at how to fuel your metabolism rather than suppress it, how to build sustainable habits that actually feel good, and how to protect the core systems your body relies on for long-term health and vitality — muscle mass, metabolic rate, hormonal balance, and psychological well-being.
Some clients do experience visible body changes as a side effect of treating their bodies better. Some realize what they were actually craving was strength, energy, peace, and mental clarity — not a different number on the scale.
Either way, your success is not determined by a diet. It’s determined by how deeply you support your body through the changes you want to see.
Understanding the Science: Yes, Calories Still Matter — But It’s More Complicated Than “Eat Less, Move More”
Let’s address the elephant in the room: Calories in versus calories out (CICO) still matters.
Even in the context of hormonal shifts like menopause, thyroid dysfunction, or high stress states, the fundamental thermodynamics of the human body don’t disappear. Energy balance — the relationship between the calories you consume and the calories your body expends — remains the central driver of body weight regulation.
What changes, especially in midlife and during periods of hormonal disruption, is the “calories out” side of the equation. Hormonal fluctuations can impact resting metabolic rate, the amount of lean mass you have (which burns more calories at rest than fat mass), non-exercise movement patterns, sleep quality, and even appetite regulation. All of these shifts can subtly — and sometimes not so subtly — lower the number of calories your body burns daily.
The mistake diet culture makes is to interpret this reality with fear. “Your hormones are broken, so you can’t lose weight” gets repeated endlessly.
But the real story is that your body adapts, and your nutrition, movement, and lifestyle strategies need to adapt too — not become more extreme, but become more strategic.
For example, the drop in estrogen during menopause has been associated with reductions in resting metabolic rate and shifts toward increased visceral fat storage. But research also shows that maintaining or increasing lean muscle mass through resistance training and adequate protein intake can offset many of these metabolic changes.
In other words, hormonal changes affect how your body uses energy, but they don’t erase the energy balance principle. They simply demand a more intelligent, supportive approach to how you fuel and move your body.
What That Looks Like in Real Life
Rather than crash dieting or defaulting to blanket calorie cuts, the focus for weight loss needs to shift toward preserving and supporting your metabolic health.
This includes:
- Prioritizing protein intake to maintain lean mass. Research suggests that 1.2–1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily is ideal for supporting body composition during weight loss or maintenance phases.
- Strength training consistently to build and retain muscle, which helps sustain a higher resting metabolic rate.
- Ensuring you’re eating enough to support daily energy demands, training needs, and recovery, especially during periods of stress or hormonal transition.
- Managing sleep and stress, which play massive roles in regulating appetite hormones like ghrelin and leptin, as well as impacting insulin sensitivity and fat storage patterns.
- Practicing psychological flexibility around food and body changes — recognizing that fluctuations are normal, and that the real goal is resilience, not control.
Weight loss, when approached with respect for the body’s biology and complexity, can happen — but it’s often slower, more nuanced, and more durable when built on a foundation of metabolic support rather than relentless restriction.
The Verdure House Approach
At Verdure House, we are not in the business of selling you a diet. We are in the business of helping you build a physiology that works for you, not against you.
Whether that results in weight loss, muscle gain, improved energy, better sleep, or simply a more peaceful relationship with food and your body — the process remains the same: nourish deeply, move intelligently, live fully.
If you’re ready to stop fighting your body and start supporting it in a way that leads to lasting change, I’m here to help.
Check out our services and let’s create a plan that feels like a collaboration with your body — not a battle against it.
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