Dr. Norton says only 5% of the population sustains their weight loss.
Dr. Layne Norton, a distinguished figure in natural bodybuilding and powerlifting, transformed from a once skinny competitor with underdeveloped legs into a world record holder, squatting an impressive 668 lbs (303 kg) at the 2015 IPF. Norton, who holds a Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences, has clinched five national and international titles, underscoring his expertise and dedication to the field.
At 42, Dr. Norton recently shared his insights on sustainable dieting and effective fat loss strategies. In an engaging YouTube discussion with podcaster Chris Williamson, he delves deep into these topics, offering valuable advice on balancing muscle gain with fat loss. The conversation highlighted several vital strategies, providing actionable tips for achieving tangible results.
Dr. Layne Norton on Why Diets Fail
Dr. Norton firmly believes that diets fail because people don’t see the diet process as a lifestyle change. He further elaborates on the problem of obesity:
“SO IF WE DIG INTO THE STATISTICS OF OBESE PEOPLE, SEVEN OUT OF EVERY EIGHT WILL LOSE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF BODY WEIGHT IN THEIR LIFETIME. SO WHY DO WE HAVE AN OBESITY PROBLEM? THE PROBLEM IS ALMOST ALL OF THEM PUT IT BACK ON, AND IN MANY CASES ACTUALLY PUT ON MORE THAN THEY LOST. SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE WEIGHT REGAIN STATISTICS, AND YOU GO OUT LIKE A YEAR, DEPENDING ON THE STATS YOU USE AND THE INCLUSION CRITERIA FOR REGAIN, 50 TO 70% WILL REGAIN WHAT THEY LOST.
IF YOU GO TWO YEARS, IT GETS CLOSER TO 80 TO 85%, AND IF YOU LOOK AT THREE YEARS, I MEAN YOU’RE LOOKING AT 90% PLUS HAVE PUT IT BACK ON. AND SO A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT, BUT THEY ONLY THINK ABOUT A DIET AS AN ENDPOINT. AND SO IF YOU STOP DOING THE HABITS AND BEHAVIORS THAT ALLOWED YOU TO LOSE IT IN THE FIRST PLACE, YOU’RE NOT GOING TO SUSTAIN IT.”
Layne Norton says only 5% of the world’s population lose excess weight and maintain that lifestyle, and there’s a common denominator amongst them:
- Cognitive Restraint: They’re either tracking calories or limiting certain foods they eat.
- Exercising & Self-monitoring: They’re weighing themselves frequently, which is necessary for feedback.
- Forming a New Identity: Aggressively dropping old habits and adopting a new healthy lifestyle.
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Dr. Norton says that seeing the results from dieting takes time. It’s a gradual process that may even take years to achieve. As long as you’re consistent, the results will eventually show.
“IF I LOOK AT THE LAST 10 YEARS OR EVEN 20 YEARS OF MY LIFE, I’M LIKE MY GOD LOOK AT ALL THE STUFF I DID, BUT IF I ZOOM IN TO WEEKS MONTHS EVEN SOME YEARS, I FELT LIKE MAKING PROGRESS WAS COMPLETELY INTRACTABLE, AND IT FELT LIKE I WAS YOU KNOW STUCK IN MUD, BUT WHEN YOU KEEP YOUR FEET MOVING, WHEN YOU ZOOM OUT AND YOU KIND OF GET THROUGH THAT SPOT A LOT OF TIMES, YOU REALIZE OH NO I WAS MAKING PROGRESS. I JUST HADN’T ACTUALIZED IT YET. I HADN’T SEEN THOSE GAINS YET.
WE TALK ABOUT THIS IN POWERLIFTING, WHICH I COMPETE IN A LOT OF TIMES. YOU’RE TRAINING UNDER A HIGH LEVEL OF FATIGUE AND SO YOU’RE GETTING STRONGER BUT IT’S BEING MASKED BY THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE SO MUCH FATIGUE AND THEN WHEN YOU PULL BACK WHEN YOU TAPER ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU ACTUALIZE THOSE GAINS AND I THINK SO MANY PEOPLE STOP IN THAT AREA WHERE THEY’RE UNDER THE HIGH FATIGUE AND THEY NEVER ACTUALIZE THOSE GAINS…
WHAT I WILL SAY IS THE STUFF THAT WORKS IS NOT SEXY, IT DOESN’T SELL, AND IT SEEMS INSIGNIFICANT IN MANY WAYS, BUT IT IS SMALL DAILY REPEATED HABITS DONE OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.”
Best Dieting Practices for Fat Loss
After several meta-analyses and observations, Dr. Norton clarifies that the best diet for an individual is the one you can consistently adhere to. He looked at various diets and found that none are better than the other with weight reduction. Dr. Norton further explains:
“ONE META-ANALYSIS LOOKED AT FOUR DIFFERENT POPULAR DIETS; ANOTHER ONE LOOKED AT 14. THEY RANGED FROM LOW-CARB, HIGH-FAT, TO LOW-FAT, HIGH-CARB, TO EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN. WHEN I SAY LOW-CARB, I MEAN KETOGENIC UP TO ORNISH DIET, WHICH I THINK IS LIKE 80 PERCENT CARBOHYDRATE.
WHAT THEY FOUND WAS OVER THE LONG TERM, NONE OF THEM WERE ANY BETTER THAN THE OTHER ONES FOR LONG-TERM WEIGHT LOSS… THERE’S ANOTHER META-ANALYSIS DONE THAT’S WHAT ONE OF MY FAVORITE STUDIES WHEN WE GET IN THESE ARGUMENTS ABOUT LOW-CARB VERSUS THIS. IT LOOKED AT EQUATING CALORIES AND PROTEIN, VARYING CARBOHYDRATE AND FAT. IT’S IMPORTANT TO EQUATE CALORIES AND PROTEIN.”
To validate these studies, Dr. Norton explained that some participants had to be placed in a food jail to check the effects of various types of diets on these participants:
“WHEN THEY VARY CARBOHYDRATE AND FATS, THIS META-ANALYSIS USED ONLY STUDIES WHERE AT MINIMUM, ALL THE MEALS WERE PROVIDED TO PARTICIPANTS. VERY CONTROLLED FEEDING STUDIES WHERE ADHERENCE WAS VERY HIGH… THEY BASICALLY HAD THEM IN FOOD JAIL AND FOUND THAT THERE WAS ESSENTIALLY NO PRACTICAL DIFFERENCE IN FAT LOSS BETWEEN THESE DIETS. IN FACT, IT ACTUALLY SLIGHTLY FAVORED THE LOW-FAT DIETS, BUT IT WAS LIKE SIXTEEN GRAMS OF EXTRA FAT LOSS PER DAY. IT WAS CLINICALLY IRRELEVANT.”
Types of Dietary Strategies
Norton states that there are three dieting restrictions and emphasizes that one must implement one to achieve fat loss.
- Tracking Restriction: tracking calories and macronutrients
- Dietary Restriction: low-fat, low-carb, clean eating, paleo
- Time Restriction: intermittent fasting, alternate-day fasting
Dr. Norton says you have to choose the form of restriction that is more comfortable for you and remember that what works for you doesn’t work for everyone.
Lifestyle Hacks for Dieting
As part of rounding up, Chris Williamson asks Dr. Norton for any general tips he has for dieting. He lists out the following:
- Activity is important. Dr. Norton shares a study showing that four minutes of vigorous activity daily decreases cancer risk by 20% (1).
- Get more steps in.
- Stop snacking. “In the studies where people lose weight and keep it off, one thing that commonly pops up is they do not snack,” says Norton.
- Weigh your food for about a week to help you properly determine your serving sizes. This can also help you develop healthy eating habits.
Wrapping Up
Dr. Layne Norton advocates that dieting strategies are the key to losing fat and maintaining a healthy weight. He suggests employing one of three approaches for optimal results: dietary restriction, time-restricted eating, or tracking your food intake. Watch the YouTube video below for a deeper dive into Norton’s methodology and additional discussions.
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References
- Stamatakis, E., Ahmadi, M. N., Friedenreich, C. M., Blodgett, J. M., Koster, A., Holtermann, A., Atkin, A., Rangul, V., Sherar, L. B., Teixeira-Pinto, A., Ekelund, U., Lee, I. M., & Hamer, M. (2023). Vigorous Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity and Cancer Incidence Among Nonexercising Adults: The UK Biobank Accelerometry Study. JAMA oncology, 9(9), 1255–1259. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaoncol.2023.1830
