The 3 S’s of Weight Loss Success

One of my favorite things about working at Clinical Nutrition Center these past 22+ years is learning from my patients. That’s you! You have blessed ME showing me that anything is possible!

While every person I have worked with has ups and downs, trials and tribulations, successes and unfortunately, relapses, I have had the pleasure of helping many people through all of these phases for 10 years, 15 years, or even longer. I was fortunate enough to see one such patient back at clinic last week. She has lost over 50 pounds — and kept it off. She tells me that she is at the best weight of her adult life. She is confident she can sustain it, because she has found the winning formula.

Many people working on losing weight think it is primarily a function of calories in / calories out — eating less, moving more. But this ignores the body’s basic biology — why do we eat, how do we eat, and why do we move the way we do? Over the years, this individual took my suggestions to heart. I asked her, “What is the reason you are able to be so successful?” She replied, “It’s actually quite simple — instead of worrying so much about food or exercise, I focus on 3 things: Sleep, Stress, and Schedule.”

On further discussion, she explained to me that if she gets the right amount of sleep every night, keeps her stress levels manageable, and sticks to a good schedule, she is able to sustain the weight loss, because she isn’t starving and exhausted all of the time.

I saw another patient back this week — she has sustained a loss of 107 pounds — and is still losing — over the past 8 years. Again, I asked her the same question. She replied, “I left a super high stress job — I was working insane hours at my firm, often over 100 hours per week! Now I am in a different job that has nearly no stress, and I work normal hours.”

In both of these scenarios, weight loss happened in several spurts over several years — it was not lost all at once. The body and brain were given time to adjust to the new weight and it came off in steps. There was also always some regain between the steps.

Both patients also explained to me that support visits at CNC were crucial to their success, as was getting the medication correct to keep their appetite under control. Today, we have even more tools — including GLP-1 medications like Wegovy, Zepbound, and foundayo — that help control the biology that makes sustained weight loss so hard. But medications are one piece. The 3 S’s remain as relevant as ever, because they address the underlying drivers: a body and brain that are fighting to regain weight.

So, there you have it — the very word SUCCESS has 3 S’s — one for sleep, one for stress, one for schedule. If you can find your optimal sleep routine, control your stress, and find a good schedule, you give your body the best chance to hold the weight off. This is true whether you’re using medication, nutrition coaching, or both.

A few additions I’ve learned from patients over the years:

• Movement matters beyond calories. A 30-minute walk isn’t just exercise — it’s a cortisol reset and a sleep promoter. Patients who move daily, even at low intensity, consistently do better at maintaining weight.
• Social eating environments are underestimated. Happy hours, family dinners, vacations — these are where progress goes off track. Having a plan — and a provider who asks about these situations — makes a difference.
• Consistency beats perfection. Weight loss doesn’t happen in a straight line. The patients who succeed have bad weeks and bad months. They get back on track faster, not perfectly, but faster.

Perhaps if you find your pathway to the healthiest “You” — and share your success story with us — you’ll inspire someone else the way my patients continue to inspire me.

Again, “Thank You!” to all my patients — past, present, and future — for giving us a chance to be part of your journey.

Dr. Lazarus Owner / Physician

Physician at Clinical Nutrition Center. Helping patients full-time with medical management of obesity and life-long weight control.

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