home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- $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}
- $Log{}
-
- Copyright (c) 1991-92,1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
-
-
- A Complaint About Weight Loss Programs
-
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- 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!
-
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- 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.
-
- ----------------
-
- 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.
-
-