We all gain weight the same way. It is difficult to lose weight if you cannot understand how you gained it in the first place.
1. We take in more calories than we burn. When you burn more calories than you consume you lose weight. One of the biggest problems in our Western society is that we super size everything. It only costs 39 cents more to get a sizeable portion added to your fries and coke. When you eat out at restaurants like the Olive Garden, the portions are huge. Have you ever gotten a 4 ounce steak at Texas Roadhouse? Yes, super size portions are making super size people.
2. We choose the wrong foods. Foods that are highly processed and easily digested cause you to gain weight. They do this by the rapid rise of blood sugar and the body's sudden insulin surge. That insulin surge is known to cause obesity. In addition, westerners commonly take in a large amount of fat in their diets. Fat is calorie dense and leads to rapid weight gain. Combine fatty foods with highly processed foods and you have a nightmare.
3. We do not get enough exercise. Physical activity raises your metabolic rate. That means you burn more calories per day. Not only do you burn more calories while you exercise, you burn more at rest also. That's right! You even burn more calories while sleeping. The more calories you burn, the more weight you lose. In addition, your body and mind will feel much better too!
2. What is Doctor Simond's approach to weight loss?
Now that we know the factors that lead to obesity, we can conquer them and get to our ideal weight. My approach to weight loss is three-fold:
1. Eat a proper diet. You must take in the right kind of carbs, the right balance of fats, the correct proportion of proteins, and supplement with vitamins.
2. Exercise 3-4 days a week. Start with very modest goals. A little bit goes a long way.
3. Prescription appetite suppressants and sometimes hormone shots. This is a vital part to controlling your appetite while you are losing weight.
3. What kind of medicine will I have to take?
There are several kinds of medicines that are being used to suppress appetite and assist with weight loss.
1. Amphetamines like phentermine and meridia have been used with great success for a long time. These medicines are FDA approved for weight loss and usually lead to impressive results. Side effects could include insomnia, nervousness, dry mouth, and elevated blood pressure. Patients with uncontrolled high blood pressure and history of seizure disorder should not take amphetamines.
2. Diuretics and Vitamin B12—Low dose diuretics are used to cause loss of excess fluid weight. There are no significant side effects. Vitamin B12 injections give a boost of energy and an improved sense of well being”.
3. HCG hormone shots are another option. Although popular in the lay press, there is no conclusive study that shows these shots work. If patients are well informed of the risk and benefits, they can be prescribed. If you are interested in the hormone shots just ask Dr. Simonds about them at your appointment.
4. What kinds of carbohydrates should I be eating?
The subject of carbs can be complex. However, Dr. Simonds explains this in easy to understand terms and principles. In short, certain foods are easily broken down and digested. The result is a rapid rise in blood sugar. Your body compensates for this by releasing a large amount of insulin from your pancreas. This insulin brings down your blood sugar. However there are some unintended negative consequences. High levels of insulin are known to be responsible for obesity. In addition, high insulin levels are responsible for hypertension, high cholesterol, and coronary disease. Hence, it is very important that we understand which foods cause this "insulin hyperactivity". This can be accomplished through a concept called the glycemic index. Dr. Simonds spends a lot of time explaining this concept so you can harness its power to keep you healthy and make you lose weight. The Glycemic index can be used to separate the good from bad carbs. It is essential to permanent, healthy weight loss.
5. Which proteins should I be eating?
Lean proteins such as chicken, fish, and pork are essential to maintaining muscle mass. It is important to preserve as much muscle as possible while losing weight. Muscle burns more calories than fat while at rest and during exercise. The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolic rate will be. Without adequate intake of protein, you lose some of that muscle mass while dieting. This leads to a lower metabolic rate, decreasing the rate of weight loss. This is self defeating. So how much protein is enough in 1 day? That answer depends on how much exercise you are doing. If you do little exercise or only light exercise, then you need to take 1/2 gram per pound of your body weight per day. If you exercise heavily then you need 1 gram per pound per day.
It is true that all fats are high in calories. However, as humans we do need a certain amount of fat to make our bodies function. If you go on a no-fat or low-fat diet you will crave fat because you need it for survival. The key is picking the right kinds of fats.
Saturated fats are bad. These are found in red meats, packaged snacks, fried foods, etc. In addition "trans fats" are also a very bad kind of fat that you need to avoid.
Unsaturated fats are better. These come in 2 main varieties: Omega 3 and Omega 6. These names are derived from the chemical structure of the fats. Currently in our western diet the ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 is too large. In short we need some omega 3 fatty acid in our diet and less omega 6. When we actually accomplish this our desire for fatty foods markedly decreases. What this means is that our desire for pizza, burgers, cheese, etc. essentially disappears. In addition, this will have several health benefits including increased mental sharpness, less joint pain, lower triglycerides, and a lower risk of sudden death from heart attack.
While dieting, 30 grams of fat daily is appropriate. However if you are also exercising an hour a day then 30-60 grams is more appropriate. Of course you will want to have your diet include the right amount of omega 3 fatty acids. Dr. Simonds explains where to get these fatty acids and how to incorporate them into your diet.
7. What if I have some health problems already?
Many of our patients have pre-existing medical illnesses such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and hypothyroidism. These are only a few examples. This diet can be done by almost everybody, regardless of health history.
