On Weight Loss…
July 30, 2009 / 10:41 am • By Dr. Melissa ClouthierHi guys, I see that you’re having a discussion about weight loss [at MelissaClouthier.com]. It’s not a burden to the website. Thought I’d share a couple thoughts and you guys can continue the discussion:
1. Often, there is an underlying issue around why a person gained weight. A physical trauma like a busted knee that forces immobility, say, or an emotional trauma that causes the cortisol-insulin feedback loop to go haywire.
2. Often, a person has to resolve the underlying issue in order to get to the desired weight.
3. Weight loss is a simple equation: burn more calories than you consume. Simple does not mean easy.
4. Nearly everyone (I see this in practice all the time) knows the answers for weight loss for himself on some level. That is, they know that ___________ thing is bad for them and that they should avoid it, but they often feel a compulsion toward the unhelpful thing. There can be a mind or body component here. For example, many people crave sugar because it is a natural serotonin booster which is the feel-good hormone. Like a nutrition expert I know says, “Diabetics are happy people. It’s the starving super models who are mean.” Sugar makes for a sunnier outlook but can reek havoc on the endocrine system. Eventually, the body gets tired of trying to adjust to the swinging. Some people avoid the very foods they need, too. For example, many vegetarians avoid meat because they feel disgusting eating it while suffering low energy. They need meat–they often also need to resolve the hidden digestion issue. Their bodies aren’t breaking food down properly to get the nutrition.
I.E. it’s not what you eat, it’s what you absorb.
5. Eating unhealthy is easier. People are busy….grabbing carbs–chips, cookies, candy bars, etc. is convenient.
6. Some people need to face the truth: They would rather eat that ding dong (they love ding dongs) than be thinner. I had a diabetic patient tell me, “I’d rather drink Coke and die, than not drink Coke.” Okay, then. I gave advice with that in mind. There were still other things he could do to help himself.
7. Metabolism is closely related to hormones. It IS hormonal. So, especially as we age, our vitality is closely related to our levels of hormones which relates to our activity levels. It’s circular. If the cycle can be broken either by exercising or by intervening with hormone therapy, often a person can get the positive reinforcement needed to press on with the efforts.
8. Weight loss is a very individual thing. What works for one will not work for another. I got into it with the leader of a dance troop who encouraged everyone to eat mostly vegetables and only chicken. Only problem was that one of the dancers was borderline anemic and thrived on red meat. She needed it in a way others didn’t. People need to do what works for them. As my mentor told me, “One person’s pleasure is another person’s poison.” When it comes to diet, it is most definitely true. Also, when and how a person eats is also individual.
Here are some principles (keep in mind, I struggle with this too. I’m healthy, but I am by no means thin.):
1. Start with protein. Start the day with protein–eggs are good. You’ll feel more “full” all day.
2. Eat regularly. That is, don’t stress your blood sugar system by waiting too long between meals and putting your body into a calorie hoarding state.
3. Eat protein with everything. It will regulate your blood sugar and fill you up.
4. Eat socially. Have company.
5. Sit when you eat.
6. Stop eating before you feel full.
7. If food is your non-stop focus, food isn’t the issue.
Anyway, my two cents. Somewhere between obsessive skinniness and obesity, there’s a healthy balance. Genetics plays a big part in longevity. Being at a healthy weight can enhance your genetic potential. These days, I see way more people obsessed rather than living joyfully. Making food a god, either by avoidance or over-indulgence is wasteful. Food is meant to not only be functional but also a sensory and sensual delight. The irony is that for all the focus and fear, people are not getting thinner or healthier, they’re just more miserable. If you’re gonna be fat, might as well be happy!
3 Responses to “On Weight Loss…”
July 30 2009 / 1:17 pm
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I used to be an itty-bitty size 2, even after 3 pregnancies in which I gained 65 pounds each time. With no dieting, eating all I wanted, while nursing the babes, I was back down to my slim 105 pounds by their first birthdays. Through most of my 30s, I was able to eat as I pleased and still kept my slim figure. I had a fairly active job – paramedic – and if a pound or two crept on, a couple days of limitng fat intake would melt it right off.
About 6 years ago, right about the time I turned 40, the weight started piling on. My job was then a sedentary desk job and I was less active overall. My weight topped out at 170 in early 2007. At that time, I joined a gym and got serious about cutting back on calories, mostly by limiting fats, but also making sure there was lots of lean meats, fresh veggies and whole grains and complex carbs. I lost 35 pounds in 5 months.
I let up a bit on the working out, from almost daily to 3 or 4 times a week, and became a bit less strict with my diet, and the pounds all came rushing right back. I redoubled my efforts again this past January, getting back to the gym and a healthy but limited diet of no more than 1200 calories a day.
And nothing. I lost not a single, bloody pound. Not one. At my wedding in March, it was only by the Grace of God and Spanx that I was able to squeeze into a size 14 dress. I cried when I got the pictures and saw how huge I had become.
I have pretty much given up for the time being. I watch what I eat just to stave off further gain – no pizza, ice cream, french fries, etc. I am so incredibly depressed by this, I could just sit and cry for hours – and have done so on several occasions. My new husband is as wonderful and caring and loving and understanding and supportive as I could ever hope for, but he can’t fake desire that isn’t there. Newlyweds – and the sex happens once a month if I am lucky. I seriously can count on one hand our intimate occasions since our March wedding.
At 5′ 1″ and 165 pounds, I rank as obese. I am concerned for my health, and I want to be desirable to my husband. I just can’t understand why I cannot lose even 5 pounds, much less the 30 I really need to in order to be back to a healthy weight.
I have an appointment with my internist, but not until October (if Obamacare happens, I can’t imagine what the wait will be then!) I plan to ask her to test my hormones, thyroid and what have you to see if there is some root cause that is preventing me from losing weight.
Sorry for the ranting pity party. It’s just really bugging me today.
I am wide open to any and all suggestions at this point, and willing to try almost anything!
July 31 2009 / 11:03 am
Reply
I have posted a review of Dr. Kessler’s new book on my blog: http://chl-tx.com/instructorsview/book-review-the-end-of-overeating/
His book is one of the most important books on weight loss I have read so far.
Comments invited.
August 1 2009 / 6:12 pm
Reply
As we get older, metabolism goes down, and losing weight gets harder all the time. Something which is helpful for me (and more than one strategy works best) is using a recumbent stationary bike at home. I can watch TV, videos, or read while on it most days for 2.5 hours. If I get really engrossed with a video or a book, I lose track of time. The onboard computer keeps track of calories burned, which is motivating.
Riding a real bike is better than an upright stationary bike, but the recumbent position makes me use my muscles differently. I got an inflatable sitting disc for work (in theory, it should be somewhat like using a balance ball) this weekend, and, by accident, found that using that on top of the seat on the stationary bike keeps me tensing my abs, and also using muscles to shift from off-balance positions.
Dieting, with the exercise, helps. Cutting way back on diet soda and artificial sweeteners seems to help keep me eating sensibly. As long as I’m losing, I’ve got a day and a half where I can do the icecream or pizza, though I seldom do.
Progress is slow, but encouraging.
Hailey: You will make it. “Even a rock will crumble / If you strike it night and day” ~Richie Supa