New Light on Getting Lighter
Q. Since I was a teenager, I've been struggling with a "weight problem". I enjoy feeling light and fit, and have tried various programs to keep my weight at what feels ideal, but after a few months, the pounds creep back on. And I feel even worse than before. Am I doomed to this as a lifelong struggle?
A: The answer is no.
Modern research has led to a new understanding of how we can effectively reach our "ideal" weight and keep it permanently - without necessarily eating less!
This is extremely good news because obesity is a major cause of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, cancer (breast, prostate and colon) and gallbladder disease. Twenty to forty percent of Americans are "overweight" according to the National Institute of Health, and their death and disease rate can be many times that of desirable-weight people.
In addition, there is the importance of a healthy self-image. While that may be the main reason why so many of us try to diet away extra pounds again and again, 95% of those who lose weight through dieting gain it back within one to five years. This is called the "yo-yo" syndrome. It's not only exasperating, but very unhealthy. Here's why.
Each time you severely restrict calories, about half the weight you lose will be from fat and one quarter will be water. That's great, but the other quarter will be from "lean body mass" - good old muscle. When you gain weight back, three quarters of the new weight goes into fat and one quarter into water. So, after gaining and losing weight several times, you become progressively fatter, even though you may weigh the same as before. With less muscle tissue, you are more prone to weakness and fatigue. With more fat, your risk of disease increases. And all of this because of dieting!
Despite the drawbacks of dieting, weight loss has become a $5 billion per year industry. The first time, it's usually easy to shed a few pounds by just reducing calorie consumption, and there are many schemes for doing this. But the real trick is to find a way to lose fat, build muscle, and keep it that way - for the rest of your life. How can this be done?
The first step might be to have a medical evaluation to rule out underlying reasons for your obesity.
Thyroid. The thyroid gland is the master timekeeper for the body. If it's functioning is impaired, the metabolic rate will slow down, and weight will accumulate because it is not being burned off efficiently. Blood tests are useful in making this diagnosis, but be careful. A routine "thyroid panel" will miss many cases of hypothyroidism. It's important to get additional, special tests which are more sensitive than the routine ones. Even so, these tests will miss the diagnosis if you have "subclinical hypothyroidism.” This can be detected by checking your basal body temperature. Using a special thermometer, measuring your temperature first thing in the morning can tell us whether your thyroid gland is functioning at a low level, even if your lab tests appear normal.
Food Allergies. Another condition which often contributes to obesity is food allergy. Ironically, we often have cravings and tend to overeat the very foods we are allergic to. This is a protective way of avoiding the withdrawal symptoms we may experience if we go without those foods for a few days. Also, food allergies often cause increased fluid retention, depression and impaired metabolism, all of which may contribute to weight gain. These allergies are often of the delayed (IgG) type, so they can be hard to figure out by experimentation. An IgG RAST blood test will greatly aid diagnosis. As I point out in my article on food allergies, treatment can take the form of avoidance, rotation or neutralization therapy by means of drops taken under the tongue.
Malnutrition. Surprisingly, another common factor in obesity is malnutrition. Many of us eat a diet that is high in junk food, but low in essential vitamins, minerals and protein. Excessive hunger may really represent your body's way of signaling its need for adequate nutrients.
A computerized diet analysis is a useful tool for diagnosing inadequacies; it may also help evaluating which dietary factors, such as fats and refined carbohydrates, are in excess. Therapeutic supplementation with conjugated linoleic acid, l-carnitine, pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), vitamins C and E, and chromium may additionally improve the efficiency of metabolism, encouraging easier weight loss. Hydroxycitrate, present in an herb called Garcinia combogia, can safely prevent food cravings.
Blood Sugar Problems. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) may also contribute to a weight problem. This often develops when one skips breakfast and skimps on lunch, resulting in hunger later in the day, followed by junk food snacking. Sugar and caffeine exacerbate this condition by causing an increase in insulin secretion by the pancreas, resulting in a rapid drop in blood sugar. This causes fatigue and hunger, establishing a frustrating, vicious cycle. The cure involves eating small, frequent meals with high fiber and adequate protein; supplementary vitamin B-complex, vitamin C and chromium are helpful.
Eventually, with obesity, the body becomes less sensitive to insulin, and diabetes can result. Even short of that, when insulin insensitivity develops, blood sugar is shunted from muscle tissue into fat cells, and contributes to the development of even more fat storage in the form of triglycerides. So having fat can result in more fat.
Depression. But don't let all this get you down! Depression is often a major factor in obesity. Counseling and visualization work can help you develop a positive self-image. Supplementation with various nutriceuticals, such as 5-hydroxytriptophan, l-tyrosine, St. John’s Wart, SAMe, thiamine, or niacinamide may be helpful for depression, but seek professional help for appropriate supplements and dosages. As we've mentioned, food allergies, hypothyroidism, and other metabolic problems may contribute to depression. Not to mention the social stigma of being overweight in a society whose fashion models look as if they haven't eaten in the last three years!
Exercise
Fortunately, there is another cure for depression which is also important for any successful weight loss program. In fact, it is essential. The "cure,” aerobic exercise, is any physical exertion which puts your heart rate into your "target zone" for a sustained period - at least 20 to 30 minutes. This type of exercise should
primarily involves the large muscles of your hips and legs, and does not include isometric (straining) activities like weight-lifting (although small weights can be used aerobically).
To benefit from aerobics, you will need to have at least four to six exercise sessions per week. Long, slow exercise works more effectively than fast, intense sessions in burning off fat, especially if it is later in the day, when your metabolic rate is naturally lowest.
If you're over 40 or have a history of heart disease, check with your doctor before beginning an exercise program. Your "target zone" may have to be lower, at least initially; but aerobic exercise will still be beneficial.
Exercise is important for losing fat only partly because of the calories which are burned off. It takes 46 minutes of recreational swimming to burn off 1.7 ounces of fat (or to negate the 380 calories in a slice of Mom's apple pie). That sounds like a bad deal, until you learn that the real benefit of exercise is not so obvious, an only recently discovered. The National Institute of Health has stated that the Body Mass Index is generally useful to figure out your optimal weight for maintaining health. It's not appropriate for certain athletes who may weigh more because of exceptional muscle buildup. To calculate your BMI, use the Following formula:
BMI= 705 x weight in lbs.
height in inches2
For men: A healthy (medically optimal) BMI is 22-24; an obese (increased medical risk) BMI is greater than 28.5
For women: A healthy (medically optimal)BMI is 21-23; an obese (increased medical risk) BMI is greater than 27.5
In most situations, your metabolic rate and eating habits will conspire to keep your weight at about the same level (called a setpoint). If you eat less on a crash diet, your body will slow down, making it harder to lose fat this is helpful in preventing starvation). But regular exercise will effectively decrease your setpoint; your body will naturally seek a lower "normal" weight. And there's an added bonus: the more fat you have, the more efficiently you’ll burn off calories through exercise.
Not only that, but regular aerobic exercise will help replace fat with muscle (lean body mass), regulate your appetite, decrease your risk of heart disease, and help you fell better all around. In fact, it's been found that once you're established on a training routine, pleasure hormones (called endorphins) are released when you exercise, resulting in a natural "high".
Diet
Eating less fat and more fiber will also help to lower your setpoint. Dietary fat can come from fried foods, dairy or meat (some uncooked vegetable oils are actually good for you in small amounts). Fiber is generally found in plant foods that contain complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains and beans.
The problem with dietary fat is that it gets converted into body fat so easily. Not only is it such a concentrated source of calories, but it burns up very few calories while being processed and stored by your body. Calorie for calorie, dietary fat creates five times more body fat than excess carbohydrates do.
What about carbohydrates (starches)? For some people, it helps tremendously to reduce them, as in a “Zone” diet(40% of calories from carbs, 30% from protein, 30% from fat), or a more extreme “Atkins”-type diet. But this isn’t true for everyone—it all depends on how your body handles carbs and sugars—your “metabolic type”. We can help you figure that out. A low carb diet can be especially (but not always) helpful for those with blood sugar problems, or high triglyceride levels.
For most us, carbohydrates are important in enhancing exercise tolerance, as any endurance athlete knows. This is because complex carbohydrates burn up so much energy while they are being processed. In doing so, they raise your metabolic rate, resulting in improved alertness, stamina and vitality.
Complex carbohydrates can also be efficient foods to help you feel “full" after a meal, so you will not be as likely to crave sweets (simple carbohydrates) that contain "empty" calories (devoid of any lasting nutritional value). By emphasizing high fiber and protein foods in your diet, you may actually be able to eat more, and still lose weight. It just depends on what you eat!
Following these guidelines, only a modest reduction in total calories may be necessary to lose fat in a slow but steady manner. The advantage of this approach is that you do not have to starve yourself, and the program is one you can follow for the rest of your life.
Only in certain special instances might it be useful to follow a more calorie-restrictive, rapid weight loss diet for a while, before switching over to the more gradual life-long approach. Rapid weight loss is best accomplished through an exchange type diet, which restricts calories, but still ensures adequate nutritional variety and a great deal of freedom of choice.
In any case, it might be very difficult to consider changing entrenched eating and exercise habits. It's especially helpful to consult with an experienced practitioner who can help you develop an individualized program. Finally, for many of us, our lifestyle is very much a function of habit. Self-hypnosis and relaxation training may help you convert your desire to be healthy into positive actions.
With a positive attitude, you will once more have the body you desire.
A: The answer is no.
Modern research has led to a new understanding of how we can effectively reach our "ideal" weight and keep it permanently - without necessarily eating less!
This is extremely good news because obesity is a major cause of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, cancer (breast, prostate and colon) and gallbladder disease. Twenty to forty percent of Americans are "overweight" according to the National Institute of Health, and their death and disease rate can be many times that of desirable-weight people.
In addition, there is the importance of a healthy self-image. While that may be the main reason why so many of us try to diet away extra pounds again and again, 95% of those who lose weight through dieting gain it back within one to five years. This is called the "yo-yo" syndrome. It's not only exasperating, but very unhealthy. Here's why.
Each time you severely restrict calories, about half the weight you lose will be from fat and one quarter will be water. That's great, but the other quarter will be from "lean body mass" - good old muscle. When you gain weight back, three quarters of the new weight goes into fat and one quarter into water. So, after gaining and losing weight several times, you become progressively fatter, even though you may weigh the same as before. With less muscle tissue, you are more prone to weakness and fatigue. With more fat, your risk of disease increases. And all of this because of dieting!
Despite the drawbacks of dieting, weight loss has become a $5 billion per year industry. The first time, it's usually easy to shed a few pounds by just reducing calorie consumption, and there are many schemes for doing this. But the real trick is to find a way to lose fat, build muscle, and keep it that way - for the rest of your life. How can this be done?
The first step might be to have a medical evaluation to rule out underlying reasons for your obesity.
Thyroid. The thyroid gland is the master timekeeper for the body. If it's functioning is impaired, the metabolic rate will slow down, and weight will accumulate because it is not being burned off efficiently. Blood tests are useful in making this diagnosis, but be careful. A routine "thyroid panel" will miss many cases of hypothyroidism. It's important to get additional, special tests which are more sensitive than the routine ones. Even so, these tests will miss the diagnosis if you have "subclinical hypothyroidism.” This can be detected by checking your basal body temperature. Using a special thermometer, measuring your temperature first thing in the morning can tell us whether your thyroid gland is functioning at a low level, even if your lab tests appear normal.
Food Allergies. Another condition which often contributes to obesity is food allergy. Ironically, we often have cravings and tend to overeat the very foods we are allergic to. This is a protective way of avoiding the withdrawal symptoms we may experience if we go without those foods for a few days. Also, food allergies often cause increased fluid retention, depression and impaired metabolism, all of which may contribute to weight gain. These allergies are often of the delayed (IgG) type, so they can be hard to figure out by experimentation. An IgG RAST blood test will greatly aid diagnosis. As I point out in my article on food allergies, treatment can take the form of avoidance, rotation or neutralization therapy by means of drops taken under the tongue.
Malnutrition. Surprisingly, another common factor in obesity is malnutrition. Many of us eat a diet that is high in junk food, but low in essential vitamins, minerals and protein. Excessive hunger may really represent your body's way of signaling its need for adequate nutrients.
A computerized diet analysis is a useful tool for diagnosing inadequacies; it may also help evaluating which dietary factors, such as fats and refined carbohydrates, are in excess. Therapeutic supplementation with conjugated linoleic acid, l-carnitine, pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), vitamins C and E, and chromium may additionally improve the efficiency of metabolism, encouraging easier weight loss. Hydroxycitrate, present in an herb called Garcinia combogia, can safely prevent food cravings.
Blood Sugar Problems. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) may also contribute to a weight problem. This often develops when one skips breakfast and skimps on lunch, resulting in hunger later in the day, followed by junk food snacking. Sugar and caffeine exacerbate this condition by causing an increase in insulin secretion by the pancreas, resulting in a rapid drop in blood sugar. This causes fatigue and hunger, establishing a frustrating, vicious cycle. The cure involves eating small, frequent meals with high fiber and adequate protein; supplementary vitamin B-complex, vitamin C and chromium are helpful.
Eventually, with obesity, the body becomes less sensitive to insulin, and diabetes can result. Even short of that, when insulin insensitivity develops, blood sugar is shunted from muscle tissue into fat cells, and contributes to the development of even more fat storage in the form of triglycerides. So having fat can result in more fat.
Depression. But don't let all this get you down! Depression is often a major factor in obesity. Counseling and visualization work can help you develop a positive self-image. Supplementation with various nutriceuticals, such as 5-hydroxytriptophan, l-tyrosine, St. John’s Wart, SAMe, thiamine, or niacinamide may be helpful for depression, but seek professional help for appropriate supplements and dosages. As we've mentioned, food allergies, hypothyroidism, and other metabolic problems may contribute to depression. Not to mention the social stigma of being overweight in a society whose fashion models look as if they haven't eaten in the last three years!
Exercise
Fortunately, there is another cure for depression which is also important for any successful weight loss program. In fact, it is essential. The "cure,” aerobic exercise, is any physical exertion which puts your heart rate into your "target zone" for a sustained period - at least 20 to 30 minutes. This type of exercise should
Computing Your Target Zone Pulse Rate
Target Zone = 145-155 pulse beats per minute. Reprinted from Heart Briefs ( Spring 1979), a publication of the American Heart Association, Alameda County chapter, 11200 Golf Links Road, Oakland, CA 94605. |
primarily involves the large muscles of your hips and legs, and does not include isometric (straining) activities like weight-lifting (although small weights can be used aerobically).
To benefit from aerobics, you will need to have at least four to six exercise sessions per week. Long, slow exercise works more effectively than fast, intense sessions in burning off fat, especially if it is later in the day, when your metabolic rate is naturally lowest.
If you're over 40 or have a history of heart disease, check with your doctor before beginning an exercise program. Your "target zone" may have to be lower, at least initially; but aerobic exercise will still be beneficial.
Exercise is important for losing fat only partly because of the calories which are burned off. It takes 46 minutes of recreational swimming to burn off 1.7 ounces of fat (or to negate the 380 calories in a slice of Mom's apple pie). That sounds like a bad deal, until you learn that the real benefit of exercise is not so obvious, an only recently discovered. The National Institute of Health has stated that the Body Mass Index is generally useful to figure out your optimal weight for maintaining health. It's not appropriate for certain athletes who may weigh more because of exceptional muscle buildup. To calculate your BMI, use the Following formula:
BMI= 705 x weight in lbs.
height in inches2
For men: A healthy (medically optimal) BMI is 22-24; an obese (increased medical risk) BMI is greater than 28.5
For women: A healthy (medically optimal)BMI is 21-23; an obese (increased medical risk) BMI is greater than 27.5
In most situations, your metabolic rate and eating habits will conspire to keep your weight at about the same level (called a setpoint). If you eat less on a crash diet, your body will slow down, making it harder to lose fat this is helpful in preventing starvation). But regular exercise will effectively decrease your setpoint; your body will naturally seek a lower "normal" weight. And there's an added bonus: the more fat you have, the more efficiently you’ll burn off calories through exercise.
Not only that, but regular aerobic exercise will help replace fat with muscle (lean body mass), regulate your appetite, decrease your risk of heart disease, and help you fell better all around. In fact, it's been found that once you're established on a training routine, pleasure hormones (called endorphins) are released when you exercise, resulting in a natural "high".
Diet
Eating less fat and more fiber will also help to lower your setpoint. Dietary fat can come from fried foods, dairy or meat (some uncooked vegetable oils are actually good for you in small amounts). Fiber is generally found in plant foods that contain complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains and beans.
The problem with dietary fat is that it gets converted into body fat so easily. Not only is it such a concentrated source of calories, but it burns up very few calories while being processed and stored by your body. Calorie for calorie, dietary fat creates five times more body fat than excess carbohydrates do.
What about carbohydrates (starches)? For some people, it helps tremendously to reduce them, as in a “Zone” diet(40% of calories from carbs, 30% from protein, 30% from fat), or a more extreme “Atkins”-type diet. But this isn’t true for everyone—it all depends on how your body handles carbs and sugars—your “metabolic type”. We can help you figure that out. A low carb diet can be especially (but not always) helpful for those with blood sugar problems, or high triglyceride levels.
For most us, carbohydrates are important in enhancing exercise tolerance, as any endurance athlete knows. This is because complex carbohydrates burn up so much energy while they are being processed. In doing so, they raise your metabolic rate, resulting in improved alertness, stamina and vitality.
Complex carbohydrates can also be efficient foods to help you feel “full" after a meal, so you will not be as likely to crave sweets (simple carbohydrates) that contain "empty" calories (devoid of any lasting nutritional value). By emphasizing high fiber and protein foods in your diet, you may actually be able to eat more, and still lose weight. It just depends on what you eat!
Following these guidelines, only a modest reduction in total calories may be necessary to lose fat in a slow but steady manner. The advantage of this approach is that you do not have to starve yourself, and the program is one you can follow for the rest of your life.
Only in certain special instances might it be useful to follow a more calorie-restrictive, rapid weight loss diet for a while, before switching over to the more gradual life-long approach. Rapid weight loss is best accomplished through an exchange type diet, which restricts calories, but still ensures adequate nutritional variety and a great deal of freedom of choice.
In any case, it might be very difficult to consider changing entrenched eating and exercise habits. It's especially helpful to consult with an experienced practitioner who can help you develop an individualized program. Finally, for many of us, our lifestyle is very much a function of habit. Self-hypnosis and relaxation training may help you convert your desire to be healthy into positive actions.
With a positive attitude, you will once more have the body you desire.
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