Why Most Weight-Loss Approaches Are Dead Wrong !

 

Dr Raj Patel, academic and author of the book, ‘Stuffed & Starved: Markets, Power and the Hidden Battle for the World Food System’ recently stated that for the first time in history the number of overweight people (1 billion) in the world has exceeded the number of starving people (800 million).

 

Since the obesity epidemic continues to worsen here in Australia, over the last 12 months the number of weight-loss programs being offered to supposedly combat the problem has also increased dramatically. Unfortunately though, the approach almost all of them use means that participants in these programs are doomed to failure right from the start. In fact, the programs may even contribute to the obesity problem rather than help overcome it!

 

The approach most of them use is to severely restrict food (calorie) intake; they use Very Low Calorie Diets (VLCD). Sometimes this involves having 2 meal replacement shakes and only 1 whole-food meal each day!

 

Whilst they are often successful at getting the weight off fast, these diets present a number of inherent problems to people who follow them.  

 

Sustainability

Any nutritional plan that is designed to achieve a specific goal needs to be followed long term if users want to maintain the results; including a weight-loss nutritional plan. Unfortunately though, VLCDs are virtually impossible to stick to long term because of their severely restrictive nature. Trying to starve the weight off your body simply doesn’t work. It may be effective in the short term but is certainly not a sustainable option. Your body has too many contingency plans in place!

 

Nutrient Deficiency

Since the overall food intake with VLCDs is so low, it is highly likely that your body will become deficient in a whole range of essential nutrients. This nutrient deficiency may lead to uncontrollable cravings, a weakened immune system, low energy and a general decreased efficiency of body functioning.

 

Rebound Weight Gain

Whilst the VLCDs are effective in getting the weight off in the short term, there is an inevitable weight gain that follows once normally eating returns. It is not unusual for people to put on up to 10 kilograms in a few days after returning to normal eating habits! The body is a powerful adaptive mechanism and it will adapt to any stress placed upon it. No matter whether it is a physical stress from exercise or from restrictive dieting, the body will always find a way to overcome it. After following a VLCD, as soon as you go back to normal eating your body soaks up everything. It is just like a dry sponge being thrown into a bucket of water!

 

Metabolism Depression

Whenever a VLCD is followed the body automatically invokes its ‘Starvation Mechanism’. Since the human body hasn’t changed much over the last 100,000 years it still responds to a reduction in food intake the same way. The two main cause of death during those ancient times were infection and starvation so the body adapted to being able to survive a famine. As a result, whenever the brain detected a substantial drop in the blood glucose level, the ‘Starvation Mechanism’ would kick in.

 

One of the things that occurs is that the body reduces its production of thyroid hormones. Since they increase the metabolism of all body cells a reduction in their output will result in a reduced metabolic rate. Also, the body increases its production of another hormone called, cortisol. Cortisol is the most catabolic hormone in the body, which means it goes around the body breaking down lean tissue, particularly muscle. Of course, if you lose muscle your metabolism slows down even further. 

 

Lack of Energy

A severe reduction in your food intake means that your body will be supplied with less fuel than it needs to function each day resulting in very low energy levels. This will affect your ability to properly perform everyday activities and will definitely limit your ability to perform any exercise. 

 

Hunger

Hunger results from a severe reduction in food or calorie intake. VLCDs do exactly that! People who follow them often report that they have hunger pangs virtually all day long and that they constantly think about food as well. If you want to lose weight and keep it off long term it is imperative that you never feel hungry.

 

Irritability

Hunger is often associated with irritability. Since VLCDs lead to uncontrollable bouts of hunger, feelings of irritability may also arise. Unfortunately, these feelings of irritability can have a seriously negative impact on our relationships with other people.

 

Fat-storing Enzyme Production

One of the adaptive mechanisms that the body makes to VLCDs is to increase its production of the fat-storing enzymes, Fatty Acid Synthase (FAS) and Lipoprotein Lipase (LPL). As a result, when normal eating resumes, the body will be more likely to store food as body fat. The body does this so that if it is ever starved again it will have extra stores of fuel (fat) from which to draw from.

 

The Solution…

The best way to lose weight and keep it off is to employ strategies that have been proven to work. Following a Very Low Calorie Diet is certainly NOT one of them.

 

Whilst reducing food intake is effective at getting weight off, a mild calorie deficit is a much better approach for keeping the weight off long term and avoiding the problems associated with VLCDs.

 

If you combine a mild calorie intake with an enjoyable, regular exercise program and an effective supplementation program, not only can you easily lose weight and keep it off but you can also improve your body’s functioning and improve your quality of life.

DRINK AT LEAST 250 ml OF WATER PER 10 kg OF BODYWEIGHT PER DAY

 

After oxygen, water is the most important nutrient required by our body. Without water our body could barely survive more than a few days, even though it can go without some nutrients for weeks or months at a time. This is because water is involved in many metabolic processes that occur within the cells and is a by-product of some of these processes as well.

Water is composed of two hydrogen and one oxygen atom (H2O). It is the most abundant substance on Earth and in the human body. Both the Earth and the human body are composed of approximately 70% water and water is a component of almost every cell in our body as well as the fluids that surround them.

In order to function at maximum efficiency, our body requires at least 1500-2000 mls of water per day. A number of factors will affect our daily requirement of water, though. These include:

➟ Exercise When exercising, our requirement for water increases due to an increase in the amount of fluid lost by our body through sweat.

➟ Environment The environment in which we live also influ­ences our water requirement. Living in hotter environments increases our bodily fluid losses and these must be replaced. The opposite occurs in cooler environments, although air-conditioning and space heating in homes, workplaces or in aeroplanes can increase our need for water.

➟ Diet If we consume a diet high in fruits, vegetables and sprouts our overall water intake will be greater than if we consume foods with a low water content. If you currently consume few fruits, vegetables and sprouts then you should definitely increase your water intake.

➟ Special circumstances Under special circumstances our body has an increased requirement for water. These special circumstances may include conditions like diarrhoea, kidney disease or fever. Any situation where excessive fluid loss occurs through normal body elimination processes, an increase in our water intake is required.

➟ Body size People with a larger frame have a greater water requirement. This is due to the greater amount of water in their body and therefore the greater loss of fluid due to the above factors.

Water is essential for all life especially if we want to maintain good health. Insufficient water intake causes dehydration of the body resulting in impaired functioning of the body’s cells and organs. Without water the following problems occur:

• The blood becomes thicker forcing the heart to work harder.

• The body cannot sweat efficiently resulting in an increase in core temperature.

• Blood volume decreases resulting in a slower passage of nutrients throughout the body.

• The kidneys can’t produce urine, which causes a build-up of toxins within the body (this leads to a number of problems).

• Cell building becomes impaired, including building muscle. In fact, a dehydrated muscle cell goes into a catabolic state, which means it starts to break down. This results in a reduction in metabolic rate.

• Energy production is impaired, including fat loss.

For the above reasons it is imperative that an ample amount of water is consumed daily.

Make sure that the water you consume on a daily basis is just that, water! Try to avoid drinking fruit juices or soft drinks because of the high amounts of sugar in them. The sugar causes an increase in blood glucose and therefore insulin production, which in turn, may lead to fat storage (this will be discussed later). Not only this, but the sugar also contributes to an increased calorie intake.

Many people make the comment, "but what about 100% natural fruit juice, isn’t it good for me?’ Whilst it may be good for you because it contains vitamin C, it is still a concentrated source of sugar (because the fibre of the fruit has been removed). No matter whether it comes from natural sources or not, any concentrated source of sugar is still going to promote insulin release and in turn, increase fat storage.

Consuming diet drinks (soft drinks or cordials) is alright because they use artificial sweeteners instead of sugar and therefore have minimal calories. However, the safety of artificial sweeteners may still be questionable and therefore I suggest minimising your intake of these ‘foreign’ substances. Furthermore, the sweetness of artificial sweeteners still causes a mild rise in insulin (taste receptors in the mouth stimulate insulin secretion by the pancreas), which may contribute to fat storage and may also contribute to fluid retention in the body. Perhaps add a slice of lemon to your water to improve the flavour. Ideally though, try to stick with plain old water (preferably filtered or bottled water); it is the best drink for losing body fat and enhancing the health of your body.

If you work in an office keep a bottle of water on your desk at all times and sip it throughout the day. If you are on the road, invest in a fridge bag or a small esky. This will not only make it easier to transport your meals and water but it will also keep them cool.

 

 

The Multi-Action Weight Loss System

Nutrition & Exercise

 

Higher Strength and Fitness Means Better Insulin Sensitivity

 

A study conducted at the University of Sydney has found that higher strength and cardiorespiratory fitness is strongly correlated with better insulin sensitivity in children and adolescents. This result is likely to be applicable for adults too. A higher insulin sensitivity means a more stable blood sugar level, less cravings and easier access to fat stores for use as fuel; just another reason to make regular exercise a part of your life.

 

Int J Pediatr Obes. 2006;1(4):222-31.

 

 

A Higher Protein Intake Boosts Metabolism and Suppresses Appetite

 

A study published in Metabolism earlier this year found that a higher protein intake has greater metabolism- boosting effects and appetite-suppressing effects compared to a higher carbohydrate intake. It is believed to be related to the hormonal impact that protein has on the body compared to carbohydrate. If you want to lose body fat make sure you have a portion of protein with every meal throughout the day.

 

Metabolism. 2007 Aug;56(8):1051-9.

  

 

Thermogenic Ingredients Boost Metabolism More Than Placebo

 

The reputable journal, The International Journal of Obesity have published a study showing that thermogenic ingredients similar to what is found in XLR8 Thermogenic increased 4-h thermogenesis compared to a placebo. They also found that the effect was maintained after using the combination for a period of 8 weeks and overall fat mass decreased during this time. If you want to speed up the fat-burning process in your body XLR8 Thermogenic can help.

 

Int J Obes (Lond). 2007 Jan;31(1):121-30. Epub 2006 Apr 25.

 

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October 2007

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