How to lose weight

Summary

Paul Saladino argues that sustainable weight loss should be a by-product of improving health, rather than the result of severe calorie restriction or punishing exercise. His central recommendation is to improve food quality and make meals more satisfying. His views—especially on seed oils, animal-based eating, and raw dairy—are his interpretation of the evidence.

Strategies and ideas discussed

• Prioritize health over a target weight. Saladino says the aim should be to become healthier, with weight loss following. He cautions against pursuing very low body fat through prolonged restriction, which he believes can undermine hormonal health and be difficult to sustain.
• Improve diet quality instead of relying on calorie restriction alone. He accepts that calories matter, but argues that “calories in, calories out” is incomplete because food choices, activity, and the body’s metabolic responses affect both intake and energy expenditure.
• Reduce highly processed foods. His practical starting point is to cut back on seed oils, refined grains, and processed sugars, which he describes as features of a “Westernized” dietary pattern.
• Aim for satiety and adequate nutrients. He suggests that meals should help people feel full and provide sufficient protein and micronutrients. He discusses meat and organ meats as nutrient-dense options and argues that inadequate nutrients may contribute to ongoing hunger.
• Consider dietary patterns that emphasize minimally processed foods. He points to studies of Paleo-style diets and a traditional Aboriginal diet as examples in which weight or metabolic measures improved without the same emphasis on strict calorie counting. He also discusses animal-based eating—including meat, organs, fruit, honey, and dairy—as his preferred approach.
• Treat exercise as supportive, not a punishment. He discourages excessive cardio as a weight-loss strategy and favors maintaining lean muscle through resistance training or other manageable movement. He also recommends getting outside and being active without requiring intense workouts.
• Use health markers as feedback. He suggests that people undertaking weight loss might monitor hormones and thyroid-related measures, including testosterone, cortisol, TSH, T4, and T3. This is presented as his advice, not as a substitute for individualized medical guidance.
• Be cautious about interpreting nutrition research. Much of the discussion relies on animal studies, observational research, or small and short-term trials. Saladino presents these as evidence supporting his hypotheses, rather than as definitive proof.
• Raw dairy. He discusses European observational studies linking farm milk consumption with fewer childhood allergy-related conditions and suggests that heat-sensitive whey proteins might explain the association. He favors raw dairy, but that conclusion is his interpretation of the research.

Presenters and sources mentioned

Presenter

• Paul Saladino, MD

People and works referenced

• Jeff Nobbs — food-consumption graphics
• Herman Pontzer — Burn and research on energy expenditure
• Tucker Goodrich — discussion of linoleic acid
• Mark Sisson — chronic-cardio commentary
• Stefan van Vliet — proposed animal-based versus plant-based diet research

Research and studies discussed

• “Dietary linoleic acid elevates endogenous 2-AG and anandamide and induces obesity” (animal study)
• Rimonabant obesity trials, including the RIO studies, and the CRESCENDO trial
• Research on omega-6 fats, adipose-tissue development, and childhood body composition
• Studies on linoleic acid and thyroid-hormone binding
• “Novel aspects of health-promoting compounds in meat”
• “Milk and dairy products: good or bad for human health?”
• The PARSIFAL and GABRIELA studies of farm-milk consumption and childhood asthma and allergies
• “Marked improvement in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in diabetic Australian Aborigines after temporary reversion to a traditional lifestyle”
• Paleolithic-diet trials, including studies published in 2014 and 2016
• The MedWeight study and a systematic review of the Mediterranean diet and long-term weight loss
• “Dietary carbohydrate restriction improved metabolic syndrome independent of weight loss”

Organizations and products mentioned

• Heart & Soil
• Animal-Based Nutrition Research Foundation (ABNRF)