$Unique_ID{BRK01386}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{A Complaint About Weight Loss Programs}
$Subject{diet weight loss program community social problems programs lose food
diets lack calories metabolism foods nutrients lifestyle lifestyles dietary
calory metabolize metabolic}
$Volume{Q-23, Q-26}
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Copyright (c) 1991-92,1993   Tribune Media Services, Inc.


A Complaint About Weight Loss Programs


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QUESTION:  Don't think me dense, but I am really trying to lose weight that I
have been carrying around for years.  I have gone the route of every type of
diet, calorie restriction, liquid, meal replacements, you name it.  If there
has been a promotion about weight loss diet or plan, I've tried it.  Well, for
several weeks at a time at least.  The experience is always the same, a good
weight loss at first, then less, and then nothing at all despite the fact that
I practically starve myself.  Surely there must be a way out of this
predicament, and you should know the answer.  Please share it!

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ANSWER:  I see an answer for you, if you have been honest in spelling out your
program to me.  And since your complaint about weight loss programs is a most
common one, and there is something else you can do, I am happy to offer you my
advice.  It seems as though the body reacts to a lack of food by cutting back
on the way it burns calories.  The rate of metabolism actually drops in people
with reduced caloric intakes, perhaps to preserve the reserves against the
anticipated prolonged period of reduced availability of foods and nutrients.
That means that it takes more time to burn off the calories, and a reduced
effectiveness of the diet, in that the rate of weight loss become slower or
perhaps nonexistent.  Lowering your food and caloric intake only makes the
problem worse.  You can overcome your body's reluctance to give up its fat
reserves by starting a simple exercise program that begins with a brisk walk
for as little as 10 minutes twice a week, and building up gradually over time
to an average of 30 minutes three to five times a week.  Nothing complicated
about that, just adding the necessary activity to your system that keeps those
calories burning.  Another strategy suggested by recent research that shows
that weigh loss becomes quite difficult for some people after three months of
dieting is to take all the weight loss you can achieve in three months,
perhaps 10 to 15 pounds, and then return to a diet that merely maintains the
loss.  This allows the body's metabolism to reset.  After 6 months, start your
restricted calorie diet again with the increased chances that you can lose
another 10 to 25 pounds over the next six months.  A weight loss of almost 30
pounds in one year is certainly a fine result.

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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.