Here’s How to Lose Weight and Keep it Off: Optimizing Your Health

Abraham Lincoln once said,

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”

Most people trying to lose weight skip straight to swinging the axe. They cut calories, increase cardio, and try to push harder. When it doesn’t work or doesn’t last, they blame themselves. And the cycle starts all over again.

The real problem isn’t effort, It’s that the axe is dull.

When your metabolism is slow…

When your muscle mass is low…

When your sleep is poor…

When your body isn’t running well…

It doesn’t matter how hard you try. Progress will always be limited.

If your goal is to lose weight and keep it off, your body has to function properly. It needs to be stronger, more efficient, and better prepared. That’s what it means to sharpen the axe.

Start with TDEE: Your Body’s Daily Calorie Burn

Your body burns energy all day, not just during workouts. This total is called your TDEE, or Total Daily Energy Expenditure, and it has 4 parts.

1. BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)This is the number of calories your body uses just to stay alive. Breathing, digestion, circulation, and basic function.BMR makes up the largest portion of your daily burn. Most people fall between 50 and 70 percent.

2. NEAT (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis)This includes movement that isn’t part of a formal workout. Walking, doing chores, standing up, and even fidgeting. NEAT typically makes up 5 to 15 percent.

3. TEF (Thermic Effect of Food) This is the energy it takes to digest what you eat. Protein takes more effort for your body to break down, which increases this number. TEF is usually about 10 percent.

4. EAT (Exercise Activity Thermogenesis)This is the number of calories you burn through exercise. Running, lifting weights, fitness classes, and anything structured. EAT is the smallest slice along with TEF, often between 5 and 15 percent.

Why Most People Struggle

Most people only focus on exercise (EAT). But the majority of your calorie burn comes from BMR, NEAT, and TEF. If those areas are low, your body is not equipped to lose fat consistently.

That’s why training harder without a plan doesn’t always work. The solution is to get your body running at a higher level. That’s what sharpening the axe looks like.

Here’s How you sharpen the axe

Eat More Protein

Protein plays a major role in how your body performs, and most people consume much less than they should. It keeps you full, helps stabilize blood sugar, and burns more energy during digestion. It also helps preserve or build muscle. And the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you’ll burn just simply surviving.

Because most people do not get enough, my initial recommendation is to start adding more lean protein into every meal, and if you can eat that first. Don't worry about adding veggies or about cutting out food just yet.

Eventually, the goal is to start consuming 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per pound of your goal weight. For example, if your goal is 170 pounds, aim for 135 to 170 grams per day.

Lift Weights

Muscle supports your metabolism. It helps regulate energy, blood sugar, and body composition. The more muscle you have, the more calories your body uses throughout the day. Lift weights at least 2 times per week, focusing on compound movements.

Move More Throughout the Day

NEAT is one of the most overlooked parts of fat loss. You don’t need to do more intense workouts. You need to find more ways to move in daily life.

Try taking short walks after meals. Stand up more often. Park further from entrances. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Stretch or fidget when you’re at your desk. Aim for 8,000 to 10,000 steps each day if possible. Small movement adds up in a big way.

Prioritize Sleep

Your body can’t perform at its best without sleep. Poor sleep increases hunger, cravings, and stress. It also lowers your ability to recover and slows down your metabolism. When you sleep, your body regulates key hormones like cortisol, insulin, leptin, and ghrelin. These affect how hungry you feel, how well you burn energy, and how much fat you store. Sleep also supports muscle repair and growth, which helps increase your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), since muscle burns more calories at rest.

Ideally, most people function best with 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep. But this is real life, and sometimes that’s not possible. If you’re consistently getting 5 - 6 (or less), start by adding 30 minutes. Put the phone down. Turn off screens earlier. Stick to a simple bedtime routine. Even small changes can make a big impact. Improving your sleep is one of the easiest ways to support everything else you’re working toward.

Why All This Works

Eating more protein, lifting weights, moving more, and sleeping better all help raise your TDEE. That means your body starts burning more calories throughout the day—even when you're not working out.

Here’s why this matters: Fat loss still requires a calorie deficit. There’s no way around that. You have to burn more than you consume. But most people try to create that deficit by eating less and doing more—while their body is running inefficiently. That’s why they burn out, stall, or regain the weight.

When you build muscle, improve sleep, and increase daily movement, you raise your TDEE. Your metabolism speeds up. Your body becomes more efficient at burning calories.

Now, when you enter a calorie deficit, it actually works. You lose fat without wrecking your energy or losing muscle. You feel better. You perform better. And the results stick.

If your past attempts haven’t worked, that doesn’t mean you failed. It means your body wasn’t set up for success.

So instead of swinging harder with the same dull axe, take the time to sharpen it.

That’s how real change happens, and how you finally make it last.