Most people arriving for weight support have already lost weight several times. The difficulty is rarely losing it — it is that the methods used to lose it are impossible to sustain, and the weight returns with interest.
Weight is not simply a matter of willpower. Thyroid function, insulin resistance, PCOD, sleep debt, chronic stress, certain medications and years of restrictive dieting all influence how the body stores and releases fat.
So the first question is not which diet, but why is this body holding weight — and what would a change look like that survives a bad week.
Signs you may recognise
- Weight that has crept up gradually over years
- Losing weight repeatedly and regaining it each time
- Weight concentrated around the abdomen
- Strong cravings, or eating in response to stress
- Diagnosed PCOD, thyroid dysfunction or insulin resistance
- Persistent fatigue, poor sleep, or joint pain limiting activity
Recognising several of these does not confirm a diagnosis. It is a reason to have it looked at properly.
What we look at underneath
Insulin resistance
High circulating insulin favours fat storage and makes stored fat harder to release. It is frequently the reason a straightforward calorie deficit disappoints.
Thyroid and hormonal factors
Underactive thyroid, PCOD and perimenopausal change all alter metabolic rate and fat distribution, and all are common enough to be worth ruling in or out.
Sleep debt
Short sleep raises ghrelin and lowers leptin — increasing hunger and reducing satiety. Persistent under-sleeping works directly against any dietary effort.
The history of dieting itself
Repeated restriction reduces metabolic rate and lean mass, which is why each successive attempt tends to be harder than the last.
Stress eating
Food used to regulate emotion is a genuine physiological pattern, not a character flaw, and it needs addressing as such rather than through discipline alone.
How Dr. Priyanka approaches it
Find the obstacle before prescribing the diet
Thyroid, insulin, PCOD, sleep and medication are assessed first. Prescribing a diet without knowing which of these is operating is guesswork.
Protect muscle while losing fat
Adequate protein and resistance training, so that what is lost is fat rather than the lean mass that maintains your metabolic rate.
Eating patterns you can hold
Built around your regional cuisine, your family's meals and your working day. A plan requiring separate cooking or unavailable ingredients will not last, and a plan that does not last has no value.
Sleep and stress addressed directly
Because appetite regulation depends on them. This is frequently the missing piece for people who have repeatedly failed on diet alone.
Measuring more than the scale
Waist measurement, energy, sleep quality, blood work and how clothes fit. Scale weight alone is a noisy and often demoralising measure.
What your plan may include
- Assessment for thyroid, insulin resistance and PCOD
- A nutrition plan built around your regional and family cooking
- A progressive strength and activity programme
- Sleep and stress work targeting appetite regulation
- Strategies for cravings and stress-driven eating
- Tracking that goes beyond the scale, reviewed regularly
Common questions
How much weight can I expect to lose?
Sustainable loss is typically around half a kilogram a week, and it is rarely linear. Faster loss usually costs muscle and tends to return. We would rather set a realistic pace than an impressive-sounding one.
Do you use meal replacements or detox programmes?
No. Neither builds the eating pattern you need afterwards, which is precisely why weight returns when they end. The work here is on food you actually cook and eat.
I have PCOD and cannot lose weight. Why?
Insulin resistance, which accompanies PCOD in a large share of cases, actively favours fat storage. Weight loss in PCOD generally requires addressing insulin sensitivity first — which is why our PCOD and weight plans overlap considerably.
Can I do this while breastfeeding?
Yes, but carefully and not through restriction. The postnatal period is not the time for a calorie deficit; the focus is nourishment, gradual strength rebuilding and protecting your milk supply.
This page is general information, not medical advice for your situation. It does not replace diagnosis or treatment by a qualified medical practitioner, and nothing here should lead you to stop or change prescribed medication. Please read our medical disclaimer.