Fat Loss Forever: How to Lose Fat and KEEP it Off

by Layne Norton

Diets are failing in an epic way. Chances are you’ve tried one of the popular diets out there. The Atkins Diet, The South Beach Diet, The Zone Diet, The Blood Type Diet, The Eat Clean Diet, The Alkaline Diet, The Ornish Diet, The Insert Name Here Diet.You probably lost some weight… for awhile. Did you keep it off? Chances are you didn’t. In fact, chances are you regained it all back and possibly then some. You aren’t alone. Six out of seven people who are overweight are able to successfully lose weight during their lifetime. But 85-95% of them will fail at keeping it off in the long term. If this sounds bad, consider that ⅓-⅔ of those people will add back on more weight than they lost in the first place! If this cycle is repeated it can turn into ‘yo-yo dieting’, quite possibly one of the worst things you can do for your mental and physical health.Ask anyone and they will tell you that you need to lose weight and keep it off and prevent yo-yo dieting, but no one gives you an idea of HOW to accomplish that. What makes our book different? We discuss WHY diets fail on a physiological, psychological, and sociological level so you can better understand why what you did previously did not work. Then we also detail the MOST IMPORTANT behaviors, methods, and traits for losing weight and KEEPING IT OFF.This book is for everyone who wants to lose weight and keep it off, especially for those frustrated and hopeless chronic dieters tired of trying all the popular diets only to repeatedly fail. There is still hope to be found in these pages. Please give us the chance to guide you.

Genres: Health, Nutrition, Nonfiction, Fitness, Science, Self Help

378 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 12, 2019

Reviews

[Alex Adkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am reading this as I finish my undergrad in Kinesiology and am one year away from finishing my masters in Exercise Physiology.

As a longtime follower and supporter of Layne Norton (cowrote this novel despite what GoodReads says), I had to read this as soon as it came out. After initial claims that this book is as good as if not better than a degree in nutrition by respectable stalwarts in the physiology community, I was ravenous to read this book.

This, along with Eric Helms' Muscle and Strength Pyramids, should be REQUIRED by all Kinesiology/Dietetics/Physiology departments. The amount of evidential, no BS, material in both novels is what I dare say ~75% of my degree condensed.

Fat Loss Forever objectively informs readers of all dietetic information you should know. While there are clearly nuanced biases by Layne against the zealots, it is perhaps deserving. No other nutrition novel has gone into the details, such as even teaching the menstruation cycle, discussing the aspects of mTOR, detailing medication such as Liraglutide, and going into detail on supplements, such as Synephrine.

Fat Loss Forever gives teaches people how to fish in a nutrition world that simply sells fish. This novel will equip you to subjectively find the best way to diet, understand the physiology, and enforce a plan to avoid a hard rebound. 10/10 recommend.

[Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely one of the most helpful books I've read as I have been on my long and difficult personal weight loss journey. The authors do a great job of cutting through the BS and laying down clear, compelling, evidence-based wisdom on how to lose weight and keep it off permanently.

I really appreciated the chapter about the body's 3-pronged self-defense system against weight loss because your body thinks you are experiencing a famine. This was new information to me and was extremely helpful. It helped me not be so discouraged at how hard it is to lose weight when I realized my body is just doing what it is designed to do.

I really appreciated the driving theme that sustainability, adherence, consistency, and diligence to whatever diet you choose is the biggest factor for success in weight loss. As I consider my own experience and the times weight loss has gone well and gone poorly I can definitely see consistent adherence and tracking everything as being the predominant factors determining my personal success or failure.

I appreciated the clear explanation of the science behind calories in VS calories out. That was really helpful in providing a bedrock foundation on which any approach to exercise and nutrition needs to be based. I also really liked how they pointed out how high nutrient/low calorie foods are a common theme across pretty much all successful diets. That was helpful for me to remember and focus on in my own eating choices.

This book gets pretty deeply into the science of it all, which is helpful but was a bit hard for me to follow at times, but I was glad that it was so well-researched. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that wants to be better armed with the knowledge they need to succeed in losing weight and keeping it off permanently.

[Sam D · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great and very typical product from these guys, straight to point, a great balance of science and client info with the odd swear word thrown in. The advice in this book is practical and science based. Great accompaniment to the contest prep book although this book is pitched more towards the general population rather than bodybuilders and models.

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

No BS, research based, clear and practical explanations. Covers the so often ignored part of the after diet: it’s relatively easy to lose weight the problem is that 95% of people who do put it back.

[Leninraj Gopinathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg this is so amazing! This book simply covers everything and what to follow and what not to follow.
And myths are busted in a separate chapter 😈😈😈

[Katelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so grateful to have found this book! I've finally been able to implement tools that are helping me reach my health goals. This is going to be a life long resource for me!

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone interested in nutrition, and the science of how dieting works this is a must read. So well researched and evidence based - no pseudoscience!

[Satkirath Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's really sad how susceptible human beings are to nonsense. This book, being more than just a guide to weight loss, teaches you how think rather than simply what to think when it comes to nutrition. It is not rocket science, but coming to terms with the simplicity of energy balance is a process made unnecessarily difficult by all the misinformation from nutrition alarmists, populists, and outright science-deniers. I myself used to be an anti-carb ignoramus prior to reading this. But since reading this I've lost 14kgs/30lbs in under a year and have seen all my blood/health markers improve simultaneously. If you want a no-nonsense guide to weight loss that is grounded in science and reality then get yourself a copy of Fat Loss Forever.

[Santi Rodriguez Ruiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting read, I looked into it because I heard Layne Norton multiple times talking about how carbohydrates hardly ever end up as fat in adipose tissue (less than 2% do), but he was never giving the reference to the study that says so and it was difficult to find on Google Scholar. There are hundreds of footnotes in this book to back up what they describe, and finally now I can see where the carbohydrate to adipose data is coming from.
In the end I read it complete, and I'd say it is useful if you need ideas for keeping weight off when you have lost it thanks to a diet (mostly any diet will make you lose weight), something that is a major problem and other books on the subject don't address.

[Amin Abbasi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is for you if:
You're a fan of scientific approach toward gym bro science
You're tired and possibly confused of too many fancy diets afloat along the web

this book gives the holistic insight toward body metabolism and fatloss, and is suitable for beginners too

[Negin · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The first thing you have to remember—and this is something you’ll have etched into your memory long after you finish reading this book, because it’s that important—is that your diet is never-ending.”

I really enjoyed reading this. Not only was it engaging, but also incredibly helpful. I’ve watched the author on a few YouTube podcasts, and I learned so much. Losing weight may be easy for many. Keeping it off, however, is oftentimes a challenge.

Here are some of my favorite quotes. As always, not including them all here.

Behavior
“As my PhD advisor Dr. Donald Layman was fond of saying, ‘Genetics can only load the gun for obesity, behavior pulls the trigger.’”

Caloric Deficit (the most important determinant)
“… it is impossible to gain weight in a caloric deficit.”

“You can get fat from overeating anything; it’s just that some foods are more difficult to overeat than others.”

Daily Weigh-In
“… if you can weigh in daily, it’s the best method for tracking progress in our opinion.”

Diet Wars
“There’s nothing more disheartening—and frankly annoying—than everyone trying to tell you how to diet.”

Fats
“People don’t fail diets because they didn’t have the magic ratio of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. They fail because they can’t sustain them.”

Flexible Dieting
“Flexible dieting is realizing that 112 grams of skinless, boneless chicken breast isn’t much different than 112 grams of skinless, boneless chicken thighs.
Flexible dieting is acknowledging that you can lose body fat on more than white fish, chicken, and broccoli. Flexible dieting is realizing that you are an adult and can make your own decisions when it comes to your body
and food.
Flexible dieting takes the guilt out of food.
Flexible dieting most assuredly is not a free-for-all Pop Tart binge.
Flexible dieting doesn’t eschew any one food (unless, of course, you have an allergy) and embraces all foods.
We can simplify flexible dieting with a quote from Mike Doehla, a colleague and owner of Stronger U: ‘You can eat whatever you want. You just can’t eat how much of it you want.’ Oversimplified as it is, that’s the crux of flexible dieting.
However, to get you started on your flexible dieting journey, there are some guidelines to be aware of. Remember, this whole life- style and the process of developing it is about your health more than it’s about simply being leaner. Though the two are often associated. So, with that in mind, here are some rules:
• Eat enough fiber
• Eat enough protein to encourage tissue growth (not just muscle tissue, mind you)
• Eat enough fat to keep your hormones in check
• Eat enough carbs because you like them, they make you feel good, and they provide you with energy to live life • Or don’t eat a lot of carbs. It’s flexible dieting, so you can decide
• How about this: eat your protein most days, and maybe on some days you can have more carbs than fats and on other days you can have more fats than carbs.
Flexibility is the operative word here. In short, flexible dieting is less rigid than other forms of eating. And there is evidence to suggest that flexible dieting versus rigid dieting yields fewer disordered eating behaviors, less concern with body image, and a lower BMI.”

Good and Bad Foods
“… it’s so important to use a form of eating that does not attach labels to food and instead focuses on sustainability. There are no good or bad foods. Some foods have more calories than others, and some have less. Some have more sugar, and some have less. Some have more fat, and some have less. None of these make foods inherently good or bad, but rather they must be considered in the context of the entire day’s intake and caloric “budget.” While flexibility is crucial, too much flexibility can also be a bad thing. If you’re too flexible and sporadic, you may struggle with adhering to your diet, because tracking and self-monitoring becomes more difficult. When you’re eating similar meals every day, tracking is easier. If you’re eating completely different things every day, then tracking will take more time and energy, and you’re more likely to end up with weird numbers at the end of the day that are difficult to hit. Thus, it’s probably good to eat in a structured way for most of your day and allow flexibility for ‘fun’ meals a few times per week, while still making sure you’re tracking those foods. If you know that you want to have a higher calorie meal or a meal out with friends/family, then you can accommodate for that in a few different ways:
1. Fast until your calorie-dense meal so that you have more macros avail- able for the big meal.
2. Eat mostly protein and fiber until your big meal so you have more carbs and fats to allot to your fun meal. Since most events and restaurant outings involve carbs and fats, this can be a helpful strategy.
3. Best case scenario is to plan your fun meal ahead of time and pick out what you’d like to eat ahead of time. Subtract those macros from your daily intake and then simply hit the remaining macros the rest of the day.”

“… this doesn’t mean that all calories are equal. … both protein and fiber may have metabolic advantages, but when it comes to carbohydrates and fats, it appears that there are no differences in fat loss when calories and protein are equated.”

Life’s Ups and Downs
“Even our best laid plans are subject to the chaos of life. Life will happen to you during a diet. You might have bad days at work or even lose your job, you might get divorced, you might lose a loved one, you might have a new baby, or any number of stressful life events. Trust us, life doesn’t really give a damn about your diet. This is all the more reason to use a sustainable approach. When life is good, it’s easy to focus on the little things to improve ourselves. It’s when life takes a nosedive into the shitter that our willpower for things like diet goes into the tank. Our friend Dr. Kori Propst said it best: ‘Self-control is fatiguing.’ Knowing this, why would you not pick an approach to dieting that requires the minimum self-control to be adherent? This will increase your likelihood of being able to remain adherent even when things are stressful, which in turn increases your long-term odds of success. It’s not for us to decide what will work best for you; that’s why we’re providing you the information and strategies to help put you in the best position for long-term success.”

Opportunity Cost
“You must always remain mindful in this process. Gone are the days of magic diets, where you can do ‘whatever you want’ and you’ll magically lose weight and keep it off. If you’re reading this book, then you know that is false. Everything you put in your mouth must be an inner conversation and decision regarding the pluses and minuses. We like to think of it in terms of opportunity cost. Opportunity cost is usually a term used in economics, wherein the focus is on the best use of a resource.”

Snacking
“People who successfully maintain weight loss don’t engage in frequent snacking.”

Sustainability
“Success is only success if you can sustain the weight loss. Therefore, any form of diet you can’t sustain ought to be banned from consideration as a long-term solution.”

“… just because you can eat anything with flexible dieting, doesn’t mean you should. In fact, the majority of your foods should come from whole-food, nutrient-dense, filling sources of foods. What we’re saying is that if you have some treats here and there to keep your sanity, that’s totally cool. Just fit them into your macro budgets.”

“If you’ve dieted for a long time and lost a decent amount of weight, there’s a chance that your calories are pretty low compared to when you first started. By itself, that’s not necessarily a negative. You can live well like that, but you have to ask yourself two things:
1. Am I happy with how I’m eating in the context of my lifestyle?
2. Can I keep living this way?”

“Remember it’s a way of life, not a series of steps to get to the end.”

“You want to choose the method that requires minimal willpower, since it will be easier to adhere to when life gets stressful, which it invariably will. Just keep in mind that whatever works for you as an individual is not going to work for everyone else. What worked for someone else won’t work for you. What we can unequivocally say is that this process is not something that you can do with ‘one easy trick’ or with no sacrifice. Every single one of the strategies for weight loss will require some kind of sacrifice and restriction.”

Think Long-Term
“People who maintain weight loss tend to be able to think about the long term, and they don’t let short-term feelings and desires dictate their behavior. Rather, they keep their focus on the ‘prize.’ For example, they may feel hungry in the short term, but they use self-control and self-talk to realize that hunger doesn’t last forever.”

[Twig · Rating 4 out of 5]

tl:dr A very good book to learn the science behind weight loss that I'd recommend to anyone with a history of yo-yo dieting and quick short cuts to lose weight. It has a tendency to be repetitive at times and has a few errors so I still recommend doing your research before relying on it for your weight loss journey.




This is an incredibly insightful book that's taken a lot of the guesswork out of weight loss. It's non-judgemental and doesn't pressure you to be perfect like a lot of weight loss programs do. It debunks a lot of the myths about fitness and weight loss and is also a proponent of flexible dieting and not labelling foods as good or bad to break the unhealthy mindset diet culture as given us towards food.

There's a tonne of math equations to get a more accurate estimate at what your calories and macros should be while also being generally fun to read for the most part. The last 3 chapters were a bit tedious and not very interesting to read in my opinion though. There are lots of sources that back up their claims and they generally tend to be correct when I double checked them an exception, however, would be the section on sugar.

The authors seemed to rely on a singular study that was focused on if weight loss could be achieved with a high added sugar intake where health effects were only measured in the short term and used that to "prove" sugar isn't actually that bad for us. There are several comprehensive studies that isolate for different factors over long periods of time and find that sugar is a driving cause of diabetes and insulin resistance.

I don't know if other errors like this occur in the book though I overall recommend checking the sources they give and doing your own research before relying on any of the information in the book on your weight loss journey.

Another con is that the authors have a tendency to spend too long on topics or repeat things over and over again. An example of this is the several pages dedicated to debunking the Insulin Model of Obesity or how frequently math equations are repeated in extensive detail.

Despite that it's a very informative book that I'd still recommend to anyone that wants an accurate, science backed way to lose weight.

[Mar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yes, so.. I found it a real struggle to finish this book. As everybody was ranting about the greatness of it (it was recommended in my naturopath course), I thought I should finish it as the best would yet be to come. But..,all information certainly is well substantiated, what horrifies me is the absolute joy-less calculations and rules you should adhere to to be able to sustain weight loss. It would suck all life out of me if I would have to track everything I ate, calculate my body fat mass and lean muscle mass, calculate how much calories I could take from protein, fat etc. For me, it would be a miserable life and I think there are other ways to approach fat loss.
What I also didn't like was that there was no eye for the qualities of food. Every calorie is the same, whether you get it from a donut or a broccoli. that is something I find difficult to wrap my head around as I'm learning that certain foods contain certain qualities and can help the self-healing capacities of your body. So, if your goal is purely fat loss (which has a lot of health benefits on its own, of course) and you like accounting, this might be the way to go for you. But if you want to achieve optimal health and more quality of life (body and mind are connected you know) I suggest other paths to look at (like Ayurveda for instance;)

[Jeff Hayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good info and well-cited, but too long and too many examples.

[Cindi Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Last Book You’ll Need to Get and Keep the Weight Off

If you’ve looked for a bible that will give you a no nonsense, factual way to lose weight...and more importantly, how to keep it off, this is the book. Layne and Peter pull no punches and sling no bullshit. You’ll get solid science presented in layman’s terms to understand and help you get started to be a healthier you. You’ll feel like you can take on the world after reading this because they have put the dieting world on a silver platter for you to eat from. I’ve highlighted and booked so many pages, I can’t wait to go back and dig into the work. This book is the BEST!

[Wendy Stanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The smartest book on weight loss I've ever read. Based in science. Imagine that. Loved every chapter. To me it debunked the theories I've mistakenly believed in and failed from. I walked away knowing the science behind macros and calories, and that adherence is the key to the lock. Extra bonus: Exercise= effective weight management tool, joy, and health protection. Got it. Mindset changed.

Note: If you don't want to get bogged down by the complex terms used in the first few chapters, skip to Chapter 5 and read from there. You can read the opening chapters at the end when you're secure in the overarching information.

[Alberto Vernacchio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Layne Norton has some of the best content on the internet. With a biochemistry physical science degrees and powerlifting and bodybuilding championships he has all the bases covered . He is k own for debunking bullshit . His flexible diet is probably most realistic for most people . “don’t let food be the enemy of perfect” a big proponent of calories in and out and why caloric restriction and adherence are the most important factors to healthy eating . Do yourself a big favor before going keto paleo zone carnivore carb cutting etc etc… if you can’t sustain it forever you WILL gain it back . That’s why flexible dieting maybe be most appropriate for most people. Great book .

[Jodie Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mindblown! Incredibly amazing!

It feels like I've just attended a 3-month course on weight loss and nutrition.

I'm now so equipped with all the knowledge I need to lose fat, maintain and build a sustainable diet plan. Not only for myself but for everyone around me as well.

The best part I love is how Layne and Peter are not biased at all. No bullshits, no zealotory diets, it's just facts and facts and facts.

If you're trying to lose weight (or have been trying to), this book will be the best help you need.

[Rustic · Rating 1 out of 5]

Moved to trash. IF YOU’RE JUST STARTING ON WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY,THIS BOOK IS NOT FOR YOU! It’ll leave you more discouraged. It dives into unnecessary things and drags everything unnecessarily. I had to force myself into it at the beginning to sort of give it a chance even tho i sensed it was BS and wouldn’t leave me with any useful info in my weight loss journey and what it did was discourage me even more morally by complicating the things that didn’t need to be complicated. It also repeats things almost on every paragraph and every page making you not wanting to read it.

[Roque Castro · Rating 2 out of 5]

Un desastre, se pierde en la ciencia y sus contradicciones. No tiene ni idea de dietética ni como afectan los alimentos al cuerpo.

Leer a Arnold Ehret. La Antidieta de Harvey Diamond no está mal tampoco. Pero nada como Ehret, ni M. Greger, ni Ornish, ni Esselstyn, ni C. Campbell, ni Pritikin quizás Cyrus Khambata un poco mejor que estos (que aún así son de lo mejor del sigo XX-XXI) ver su libro/canal de Youtube Mastering Diabetes sobretodo los videos sobre Omega 3. Pero repito:

Leer a Arnold Ehret.

[Badr Choukairi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book, Biolayne explains fat loss in a simple direct way without sexy marketing words false promises or magic tricks. Only pure evidence-based truth.

Sometimes the reality is hard to digest but that’s exactly what gives this book its value, it tells you what actually works not what sounds good.

If someone wants real results and wants to understand fat loss on a deeper level: ( the body’s self defense system, the diet after the diet, sustainability… ) this is one of the best books to start with

[Travis C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Real Honest Info- extremely applicable

This is an education not a diet. If you only read one book on how to lose weight this is the one. Only wish I could have read this 10 years ago. If you want the truth and lasting results read it. If you don’t want the truth don’t. Well spent money. Kudos

[Rumen Nikolaev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really practical and informative book. Delving into the science of fat loss, supplements and other strategies for dieting. Providing practical recommendations and debunking all of the fad diets out there. I would recommend it to everyone who wants to lose fat, learn more about nutrition for training and generally all trainees should read this!

[Sakthi Praveen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read book, cuts all bull shit and gives practical advice to design your own diet

[Dennis Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good stuff guys!

[Brad]

AoM episode 475
Aligned with anecdotal evidence I’ve seen with patients and my typical counsel, time to look deeper.

[MohamedMoniem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great information

Great information with enough evidence and citation to support the arguments and explain all topics with data and studies. Very well written

[Vishal Thakur · Rating 4 out of 5]

jhji

[Andrew Contreras · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many “ah-ha” moments that I found helpful to explaining my lived experience and fat loss journey. Confident now that the fat won’t come back. Great tools to implement.

[Vee]

Covers all the bases for anyone interested in the science of nutrition and sustainable eating