DR. NEIL MCDEVITT
Realistic Weight Loss
story and photos courtesy of NOVANT HEALTH
We’ve all been there. You indulged in a delicious dinner, a glass of wine and dessert. You savored every bite at that charming downtown restaurant we all love. The next morning, you forced yourself to go for a walk, a run or hit the gym to “undo” those tasty treats from the night before.
Novant Health nutrition expert and bariatric surgeon Neil McDevitt, MD, loves a good meal at Saltus or Wren himself. And he’s certainly never going to tell you to skip the gym.
But, he explains, you can’t out-exercise a poor diet. If indulgences become more habit than treat, or if you’re struggling to maintain a healthy weight, it may be time to seek professional guidance.
“The truth of the matter is you can’t backfill a bad diet,” McDevitt said. “Our diets over the last 50 years have led us to take in far more energy than we can ever burn off, and that’s created a huge disparity. The average American consumes about 30% more calories than they burn. It’s a major contributor to the obesity epidemic.”
McDevitt explains that many Americans rely on heavily processed meals stripped of fiber and nutrients. “It’s like eating jet fuel. It’s an enormous amount of energy packed into a small package. When we take in that much energy, it’s impossible to exercise enough to offset it. If I go to a fast-food restaurant and eat a burger, fries and a soda, I’d have to walk stairs for two hours to burn that off.”
He adds that we often turn to comfort foods to feel better — which can make us gain weight, feel worse, then eat again to feel better. “It’s the whole theory of starch addiction,” McDevitt said.
“Our body immediately breaks down processed carbs into sugar, which triggers a rush of insulin to pull that sugar into our tissues. The ‘jet fuel’ energy doesn’t even have a chance to be used before it’s stored as fat.”
Instead, he recommends filling your plate with nutrient-rich proteins and complex carbohydrates like fruits and vegetables. These are absorbed slowly and steadily, preventing that addictive serotonin and dopamine spike, and giving your body a chance to actually use the energy.
“Weight is such a sensitive topic, and we carry so much guilt around it,” McDevitt said. “My patients are often so busy caring for everyone else that they neglect their own needs. It’s not a character flaw! They’re being driven by brain chemistry. I help them see how we can adjust that chemistry. Let’s find a diet plan that makes sense, understand why we make certain food choices and put up guardrails to help break old habits.”
For patients aiming for lasting weight loss, he counts off the big five to avoid: bread, rice, potatoes, pastas and sugars. “We have to start by eliminating those, adjusting brain chemistry and finding better fuel for the body. It’s not no carb — our bodies need carbs — but I want patients to get them from fruits and vegetables.”
Eventually, he pointed out, it’s okay to sometimes work in the big five again, when you’re maintaining your habits and want the occasional treat.
McDevitt practiced in Beaufort almost ten years and maintained a satellite clinic here for 15 years before opening his Novant Health General and Bariatric Surgery clinic in Mt. Pleasant.
“I just opened another clinic here in Beaufort, and it’s so nice to be back home,” he said. “I wanted to be closer to my patients in this thriving, active community. I’m here not only to provide surgical weight loss options, but also to help patients understand nonsurgical strategies and the vital role nutrition plays in fighting obesity.”
DR. MCDEVITT’S LOWCOUNTRY MENU
SUBSTITUTION IDEAS
Appetizer
Steamed/raw oysters instead of fried shrimp
Soup
Fish stew instead of She-crab soup
Entrée
Marinated, grilled swordfish instead of creamy seafood pasta
Side
Roasted veggies instead of French fries
Dessert
Fruit and cheese plate instead of cake or pie
