Pull the levers
This summer I learned a useful framework for how I can manage my weight. I was outside taking a work break walk when I heard Peter Attia describe how he uses the concept of “three levers” to describe his approach to managing weight. Attia described how he thinks about weight management as ‘pulling’ levers: (1) what you eat; (2); how much you eat; and (3) when you eat.
I’ve found that how well I control my diet through these three factors determines most of what I weigh.
Physical exercise is not a weight loss solution
While physical exercise has a ton of benefits, I recognize that diet plays a much larger role in weight management. Studies show only a tenuous correlation between amounts of physical exercise and weight. For example, a 2011 meta-analysis indicated that “[p]rospective studies, [] find little evidence of the more physically active members of a population gaining less excess weight than those who are the least physically active.”
How can the three levers help with your weight management?
When working to lose weight or to maintain your target weight, consider which of the levers you can utilize better. Are there some categories of food you could remove from your diet or substitute for healthier alternatives? Could you be more intentional about your meal portions? Is early morning or late-night snacking adding extra calories to your diet? Could intermittent fasting or occasional prolonged fasting provide a boost to help you lose weight or control your calories?
Listening to Attia, I realized that much of my focus to maintain and lose weight was based on “what” I ate and “how much” and that I’d unknowingly begun limiting “when” I eat in the past year. For me, I’ve found modulating what and how much I eat to be the most effective and consistent tools for managing my weight. To lose weight or to bounce back after a few days of overindulgence or poor eating habits, I’ve found fasts between 12-36 hours to be effective supplements to my usual routines. For you, one or more of the levers may play an outsized role. Experiment. Pull some levers and learn from what happens.
