Author: Matthew Nuesse

5 Tricks for More Rapid Weight Loss

Apr 23, 2026

There are ways that you can temporarily trick your body into losing weight more rapidly. We often use these techniques in our weight loss clinic. Let’s go over 5 tricks you can use today to speed up your weight loss journey.

Drink more water. Increasing water will do several things to speed up weight loss. An increase in water intake will increase your metabolism, make you less hungry, and keep your weight from fluctuating due to digestion.
Use alternative products. Using alternative products with no calories or reduced carbohydrates is a good way to keep your diet from becoming boring while also speeding up results. Products like Mio, Zevia soda, and Palmini pasta are used in our weight loss clinics to help patients through their programs.
Snack only when hungry. Don’t snack out of boredom or routine. Learn to identify when you are hungry and snack on protein.
Eat all food in 6 hrs. This is called intermittent fasting. In our weight loss clinic we often use intermittent fasting to speed up weight loss. Research suggests that an 18-hr. fast is ideal for fat loss.
Write everything down. In our offices this is called tracking. This is a great way to understand how your body responds to your specific plan.

Try these techniques out or add them to your program to maximize the speed of your weight loss!

African Mango and Weight Loss

Mar 26, 2026

What does research say about African Mango as it pertains to weight loss? In our weight loss clinics we use African Mango with our weight loss programs because the science says it is safe and effective. So let’s look at the study I find most credible when it comes to African Mangos role in weight loss.

120 participants were given 150 mg of African Mango two times per day. A placebo group was also used and there was no difference in diet between the two groups. So what were the results? It turned out that by the end of the study the participants that took African Mango had lost more weight, had lower body fat, had smaller waist circumference, and had lower cholesterol.

While in our clinics we don’t view African Mango as a miracle weight loss aid, we do view it as a useful tool.

It is our belief that the African Mango helps to control appetite as well as blocks new fat cells from forming. This is why we find it such a useful aid for weight loss and body recompositing.

Does being overweight really lead to health problems?

Mar 05, 2026

In this post I would like to discuss the health implications of being overweight. I want to stick to science and data here, as there are a lot of misconceptions about being overweight and how it affects overall health.

In our weight loss offices our primary focus is to improve the health of the clients we work with. This goal even takes precedent over simply reducing the number on the scale. There are certainly many unhealthy ways to lose weight which may contribute to more health problems. These ways we want to avoid at all costs.

So what does science say about being overweight and the impact it may have on overall health? According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are several health disorders that may increase in incident due to being overweight. This list includes high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, sleep apnea, gall bladder disease, cancer, depression, and arthritis. Certainly, this is not an all-encompassing list, but it comes from one of the most reputable sources available. Harvard University also sites being overweight to an increase in memory loss and reproductive issues.

It is important to note, however, that some people can keep their health and be overweight. Whether this is due to luck, good genetics, or some other factor is unknown.

Does A Poor Diet Cause Depression?

Feb 25, 2026

Today’s blog post is going to focus on the relationship between food and mood. More specifically, does a diet filled with junk food cause depression? First off, it would be easy for me to make a snap judgement and say, “of course it does.” My life, after all, revolves around helping people make healthy changes to their diet to lose weight naturally. Instead of just assuming a poor diet causes any number of health conditions I prefer to look at the data and interpret it.

My simple answer to the question of “does a poor diet cause weight loss?” is NO. As shocking as this revelation may be I believe, based on what I have read, that there is another factor that causes both a poor diet and depression. So let’s look at the research.

One popular study on the link between diet and mood found that: “A dietary pattern characterized by a high intake of fruit, vegetables, whole grain, fish, olive oil, low-fat dairy and antioxidants and low intakes of animal foods was associated with a decreased risk of depression. A dietary pattern characterized by a high consumption of red and/or processed meat, refined grains, sweets, high-fat dairy products, butter, potatoes and high-fat gravy, and low intakes of fruits and vegetables is associated with an increased risk of depression. This sounds like a slam-dunk right. One’s diet obviously effects mood and can lead to depression.

We can’t stop here, however. What if the people in the study were depressed and then turned to easy junk foods for comfort? Luckily, researchers wondered about this as well and in another large analysis they looked at baseline diet and then calculated the risk of participants later developing depression. They found that “A healthy diet (the Mediterranean diet as an example) was associated with a significantly lower risk of developing depressive symptoms.”

So that should put a bow on it. Diet directly affects mood. But wait, earlier I said that I don’t think this is the case. So why am I quoting all this research stating that food does effect mood? The reason is that I still don’t think that the research has dived deep enough to really uncover the source of the depression.

Correlation does not mean causation. Just because two factors happen together does not mean that one causes another. So what could cause both a poor diet and depression? The research is clear on this. Income-inequality, more specifically, having an extremely low income compared to the general society can contribute directly to a depressive state. People with a lower income are also much more likely to choose cheap, fatty, and unhealthy food.

In conclusion, I believe that maintaining a healthy diet can be beneficial in countless ways. It may even make you feel a little better emotionally. I don’t however believe that diets directly cause depression. Depression and poor diet can be seen to be more easily caused by having low income.

0 calories is not actually 0 calories

Feb 19, 2026

In this week’s blog post I want to discuss an obscure food labeling law that allows product manufacturers to label their products as “0-calories” even when they do contain calories. I will cite a couple examples, but this is not to bash these products. Certainly, products with calories are not “bad.” Consuming them will not necessarily lead to weight gain either. In fact, each of the products I will mention is approved in all the weight loss programs we prescribe to our patients. This post is simply about information. If you are trying to get healthy, lose weight, etc. you need to know exactly what you are putting into your body and food labels should not be misleading.

The basic rule is that if a product contains less than 5 calories per typical serving size than it can legally be labeled as a “0-calorie” or “calorie free product”. The key term here is “typical serving size.” As I will show you in the following examples, the serving size can be manipulated by food manufacturers so that they meet this 0-calorie requirement.

The first example I will share is the breath mint Tic Tacs. They are clearly labeled as a “0-calorie” product. However, the first ingredient listed is sugar. Of course, sugar contains calories, so what’s the deal here? Again, the important thing to note is the serving size. Tic Tacs serving size is listed as 1 individual Tic Tac. 1 Tic Tac is .5g and .5g of sugar is about 2 calories. So every Tic Tac is 2 calories. This is clearly under the 5-calorie cutoff, so it is labeled as calorie free. I don’t honestly know anyone who has ever eaten just one Tic Tac however, so I find this “typical serving size” a bit hard to believe.

Next, I will cite a 0-calorie cooking spray. There are a number of these containing canola oil, olive oil, etc. For this example, I will use one containing avocado oil. Although this example would be applicable to any other “0-calorie” spray as well. The avocado oil spray can was labeled as 0-calories per serving size, but the serving size was listed as ¼ second of a spray. This would equal about .25g of avocado oil. In each spray there are about 2 calories if somehow you can use only this amount. Again, I find this serving size hard to believe. I think that a 1-2 second spray to coat a pan is much more realistic.

In closing I will again state that these products can be used as part of a weight loss program. They add variety and flavor. One of the worst things that can happen during a weight loss program is boredom or the feeling like you are continuously eating bland, blah foods. When this happens either, we need to find out how to make things interesting or else the client is headed down the path towards inevitable failure. What is important is knowing that using these products does add calories. If you use them around or even a bit above the serving size, you will be fine. It is important to note that if you use them way over the serving size that you are not adding “0-calories” to your diet and these calories may add up to be significant.

Keto Diet is Not for Weight Loss

Jan 29, 2026

In this article I want to briefly discuss the keto diet and why it might not be the best weight loss solution. Let’s start by defining what the keto diet is because this can even be tricky. Saying you are doing keto is like saying you have a pet, without saying what animal it is. There are many different varieties of pets, just as there are as many varieties of the keto diet (clean keto, dirty keto, keto carnivore, etc.). In general terms I think that the best way to define “keto” is that it is a way of eating that focuses more on consuming proteins and fats, and by doing so, one gets the body to produce ketones. The production of ketones enables the body to metabolize fat at a higher rate.

So now that we have defined “keto” let’s talk about why it might not be best for weight loss. The truth is that ketogenic diets were not intended to help people lose weight when they were first developed. Ketogenic diets were originally intended for seizure prevention. It turns out (science still doesn’t understand exactly why) that eating in this way can help treat epilepsy. Weight loss just happened to be a side effect of the diet.

Due to books/programs like The Adkins Diet and celebrities starting to do similar diets in the late 90’s and early 2000’s a shift occurred to use this way of eating with the intention of losing weight. The popularity of keto then exploded because eating in this way does help with weight loss. The question it “Is it the best thing you can do to lose weight?” Even more appropriately put, “Is it the best thing you can do to burn fat?” Here I am going to reference two research studies that compared keto dieting to low calorie dieting (which was the standard before the keto craze). Both studies showed that the results were indistinguishable from one another. This means that low calorie dieting is just as effective as keto.

Based on this information a new way of eating to lose body fat has started to gain traction. This is referred to as low calorie/low carb dieting. In our health clinics we often refer to this as Low-Cal Dirty Keto. What this means is that you do low carbs but also control fat intake. At the same time in our programs we will allow certain artificial products that may be frowned upon in traditional keto programs to make the eating change more enjoyable. Using this method of eating we have observed some incredible results in our offices. You can learn more about our methods at LearnOurSecret.com.

Eating Protein Aids Weight Loss

Jan 22, 2026

I recently read an article on Yahoo.com about the effects of eating protein when it comes to weight loss. The exact title of the article was “Eating Protein 4 times a day combined with fasting may help you burn belly fat faster than calorie cutting alone, research suggests”. There are 4 key words in this article that I want to highlight specifically. These words are, “protein,” “fasting,” “belly fat,” and “research.” I will expand why these key words/phrases are so important in this blog as it pertains to the article.

First let’s talk about eating protein and how that can benefit weight loss. In our weight loss clinics we have been using a protein-focused diet to help clients lose weight for years. This does not mean that all you eat is protein. You certainly want to get a variety of fruits and vegetables as well. Protein, however, helps to suppress hunger as soon as it is digested. This can obviously be massively beneficial to weight loss. Protein also will not raise insulin. Keeping insulin levels low helps your body access body fat to use for fuel.

Now let’s talk about the second important point of what the participants did to lose weight faster. They fasted during the process. Again, this validates one of the major principals we use in our weight loss clinics. Fasting can be extremely important when trying to lose weight. It helps control hunger and allows your body to burn fat. From everything I have read the sweet spot is an 18-hour daily fast for maximum fat loss. The combination between increasing protein and fasting can be powerful for weight loss but most specifically on the type of weight you are losing.

It really does no good for a person to lose weight and that weight to be water or even muscle mass. You want to lose body fat. The next key point in the title “belly fat” shows that the participants in this study not only lost weight but the weight that they lost came from their midsection. This can be extremely beneficial to one’s health as excess fat around the belly can lead to multiple health conditions. In our offices we never want a client to simply manipulate the scale by dehydrating or, even worse, losing muscle. We want to ensure that most of the weight they lose will be fat.

Finally, and certainly not of the least importance at all, it is the fact that they based the writing of this article on research. It does one absolutely no good to assume that any one diet plan will work for everyone. This is at least one of the reasons that “diet culture” in the United States has become so toxic. People are out there trying random things they find on the internet with no rhyme or reason. Sometimes these “diets” are not only ineffective but also unhealthy. Following science is obviously extraordinarily important.

I was so happy to read another article justifying our methods. Our methods are not set in stone, however. We often tweak our programs slightly when new research comes out.

How to Lose 1 lb. of Fat Every Day

Jan 15, 2026

A while back I did a video on the science behind losing up to 1 pound of fat every day. You can find this video on the Brand NUE Weight Loss YouTube channel. I quoted some research and did the calculations that proved that losing weight at this pace was possible for a lot of people. The intent of the video was just to prove that it was realistic to expect this kind of loss not to show how to go about losing 1 pound of fat per day. Naturally, most of the feedback I received in the comments of this video were like “yeah that’s great but how do we actually do it?” In this blog post I want to answer this question. Here I will give the top 4 things you can do immediately to start burning body fat at an accelerated rate (a video supplement to this post will also come out shortly).

One of the most powerful techniques that we have our weight loss clients rely on when they are actively trying to lose body fat is intermittent fasting. For most of our clients we recommend eating all food for the day in and either 6- or 8-hour window. The remainder of the day the client would fast. This is a relatively simple thing you can do that has multiple fat loss benefits. Intermittent fasting (IF) helps control insulin levels (the hormone that shuts down fat loss). IF also, surprisingly, helps control hunger. I have been using IF in some form for years and am very rarely hungry during the fasting period. In general, people who participate in just consume fewer calories per day as well.

The second thing we have most of our clients do is to follow a low-carb and low-calorie diet. We allow a variety of non-organic products to add variety to meals (salad dressings, sauces, etc.). This ensures that the “diet” does not get too boring. In our weight loss office we call this way of eating Low Calorie Dirty Keto (LCDK). This is the absolute best diet to follow to maximize daily fat loss. Our clients eat low carbohydrate meals to control insulin, but they also avoid excess fats (butter, nuts, etc.) which WILL slow weight loss. We replace these with approved products that typically wouldn’t be allowed in a clean keto program.

Third, let’s talk about supplements. This is by far the easiest thing you can do to aid your body in its fat burning quest. Now, just to be clear, there are no miracle pills that you can take that melt all the fat off your body. There are, however, some powerful natural supplements that can rev up fat loss. In our office we have a product called Ultra Diet which contains natural weight loss aids such as African mango and rhodiola. It also acts as a natural appetite suppressant. We also often use green coffee bean extract which we have found aids our clients in losing fat about 20% faster. There are also multivitamins, stress support, etc., that may be helpful. Products that have solid science behind them should absolutely be a part of a weight loss plan in my opinion.

Finally, let’s discuss water intake. Hydration is often overlooked when it comes to weight loss. Keeping yourself hydrated is, however, essential in maximizing your body’s ability to metabolize fat efficiently. In our weight loss offices we typically recommend drinking about 80 ounces of water per day. Some of this can be flavored but you do want a portion to be plain old boring water. Drinking plenty of water keeps your metabolism running correctly and it can decrease your hunger. Keeping yourself hydrated consistently can also take out daily water weight fluctuations that can occur if you are weighing yourself daily.

These are four of the simplest things you can do right away to begin losing up to 1 pound of fat per day. Before you try any of these techniques you should consult your doctor to make sure that you stay safe and healthy.

Can you drink beer and lose weight?

Dec 18, 2025

In our weight loss clinics we are often asked about alcohol and whether it can be consumed during a weight loss plan. Our standard answer is that if you can avoid drinking alcohol, then you should. We do, however, make exceptions for people who occasionally drink socially. In this article I am going to focus on beer consumption, specifically.

Beer is one of the alcoholic beverages that we did not approve for consuming across the board for a long time. In our weight loss clinics we advised that if patients were going to drink alcohol, they should stick to liquor or wine in lesser amounts. We have recently retracted this hard line, however. With the emergence of ultra-low-calorie beers we feel that some can be consumed during a weight loss program. Our general rule is that a beer must contain 100 or less calories -AND – 3 or fewer carbohydrates. Beers such as Michelob Ultra or Yuengling Flight would fit this bill. We still put a 2 drink per week cap on during programs. Staying within these limits does not impact weight loss progress. I hope this helps to answer if beer can be consumed when trying to lose weight.

Complications from Weight Loss Drugs

Nov 26, 2025

In this week’s blog post I will review an article I read on Yahoo.com. It featured several patients who were currently using or had used weight loss drugs. The article focused on their stories of the complications that arose for them while taking drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound. I want to briefly review the statements that these patients made to Yahoo.com to hopefully shed more light on the possible risks of taking these drugs.

Joanie Knight was the first patient to share. She was diagnosed with gastroparesis (stomach paralysis) after taking Ozempic. She states, “I wish I never touched it. I wish I’d never heard of it in my life, this medicine made my life hell. So much hell. It has cost me money. It cost me a lot of stress; it cost me days and nights and trips with my family. It cost me a lot, and it’s not worth it. The price is too high.” She goes on to state, “I thought, ‘I hadn’t eaten. How am I throwing up this much?”

Roy Webster was next, and his story is truly heartbreaking. He states that his wife, Trish, died after taking Ozempic along with weight-loss drug Saxenda to lose weight for their daughter’s wedding. When he found her, he states, “She had a little bit of brown stuff coming out of her mouth and I realized she wasn’t breathing and started doing CPR, it was just pouring out, and I turned her onto the side because she couldn’t breathe.” Her death certificate lists acute gastrointestinal illness as her cause of death.

Derron Borders had a less tragic but disgusting story to tell. He said that he experienced “Burps that taste and smell like rotten eggs — I think that’s what I typed in Google,” The Ozempic website lists nausea, diarrhea, stomach pain, vomiting and constipation as potential side effects, but it doesn’t mention burping.

Jaclyn Bjorklund is suing Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic. Her lawsuit states that she experienced “severe vomiting, stomach pain, gastrointestinal burning, being hospitalized for stomach issues on several occasions including visits to the emergency room, [and] teeth falling out due to excessive vomiting, requiring additional medications to alleviate her excessive vomiting, and throwing up whole food hours after eating.”

At the end of the article a few prominent doctors are interviewed. I found one of the doctors’ statements to be particularly enlightening. Dr Kunal Shah stated “gastrointestinal issues are relatively common. People will have a baseline level of nausea or will have diarrhea or constipation — that usually does go away after a period of time.”

Obviously in some cases the symptoms don’t simply “go away.”

Unfortunately, these risks are accepted by a majority of the public. Certainly not all patients who take Ozempic, Wegovy, or any of the other popular weight loss drugs develop these problems. That said, we need to ask ourselves, “Is it actually worth it?.” Is the risk of losing a little weight worth the potential side effects? This is a question I have an answer to, but it obviously isn’t the popular answer. No.