Which Weight Loss Supplement Works Best?

My girlfriend and I are both above our goal weights. We would both like to lose about 30 pounds. The problem is, she decided she wants to try weight loss supplements. She told me the other day that she "isnt at a point in life where she wants to give up having sodas and pizza." We dont go to the gym much right now. She wants an easy way to lose weight, but I tell her we have to put in the effort if we want to lose weight. Much of her problem stems from severe irritability if she doesn't eat frequently. She's trying to eat high-protein and low-sugar and has cut back to one soda per day. She told me that I could research and pick a supplement that she would try, but if I didnt she was going to pick one. I am very apprehensive about these supplements. The two types of supplements I have been looking into both seem relatively safe at low doses and have potential. They are EC stacks and DNP (a proton uncoupler for the ETC). Both are pretty drastic, but she has to eat frequently and often goes over her calorie quota for the day (around 1300). Do you have any recommendations? I am going to try to recommend today that we just go to the gym again everyday instead, but wanted to get your advice on the supplements too in case that fails.  Todd N.

Hi Todd,
I appreciate your predicament; you both want to make a change, but your girlfriend isn't ready to do the work.

You can tell her, these supplements don't work, and I have a few reasons to back that up:
1) ALL weight loss supplements come with a suggested diet and weight loss plan to accompany taking the pills. ALL weight loss supplement ads and commercials have a little asterisk * that states "results not typical". Taking an over-the-counter pill alone will NOT cause weight loss.
2) If your girlfriend does not eat less AND exercise more there is no way she will lose weight. It's a simple equation: Calories OUT must exceed calories IN in order for their to be a net energy loss, which results in weight loss.
3) Whenever skeptical/hopeful that a supplement works, I use Oprah as my guide: Is Oprah still overweight? YEP. She has a slew of employees and investigators scouring the world for the secret weight loss potion (Is it Optifast? Is it Garcinia Cambogia?) If there is ANYTHING out there that promotes weight loss, Oprah's staff will have discovered it and Oprah will be nice and skinny. Until I see a skinny Oprah, I know there are no magic weight loss pills available

The bottom line is, your girlfriend may choose EITHER to eat what she likes OR to lose weight. You can't have both. Not every day. That would be like saying "I want to save for my retirement but I must buy these new shoes/new purse/new iphone/new car in the meantime". Pick one; you can't do both. But you can buy a pair of shoes once in a while.

She doesn't have to give up pizza and pop forever, but here's a simple equation: Eat 100 fewer calories a day and lose 1 pound a month (approximately). Give up 3 sodas a day (which it sounds like she has) and lose about 3 pounds a month.
Can she compromise and eat relatively healthy for ONE day a week? Perhaps she can gradually up the number of days per week that she eats in her target calorie range.
Or: If 1300 calories leaves her too hungry, try going up to 1500 per day for an easier day and just a tad slower weight loss.

Burning 100 calories works the same: Burn 300 calories at the gym each day, lose 3 pounds at the end of the month; burn 300 calories 3 days a week, lose 1 pound per month.

She doesn't 'need' to eat frequently and more and junk food, she just WANTS to. Everyone has to put up with a little discomfort when they are making a change--every change is difficult and takes thought and mental energy.

She might try coming up with a list of the reasons she wants to lose weight to find her motivation. At this point the in-the-moment motivation to eat what she feels like is outweighing the desire to lose weight.

One weight loss plan I highly recommend (and lead teleclasses with) is The Beck Diet Solution.

Either way, when she's ready to lose weight she'll have to be ready to do the work.

http://www.mycoachlaurie.com/register_for_life-changing_weight_loss_series

What's the Best Way to Lose Weight?

This a very common question--with so many diets, diet books, fad diets, diet pills and meal plans, how do you know what really works, or what may even be harmful? I've come up with a short list to help you determine if a diet will work long term for you. Check to see that it incorporates these 5 F's:

1) Food: Is there real food on this plan? Or do you have to make powdered shakes, heat frozen meals, or order supplements from a company? The closer the plan is to how you usually eat, the easier it will be for you to follow. Consider what will happen if you run out of pre-packaged meals or feel like munching on something instead of drinking your breakfast. Sometimes substituting a shake in place of a meal will work; but if you have to keep it up, will you be able to for long?

2) Flexibility: Ideally the diet plan will allow for some changes. If it's a set-in-stone, "this is what you must have for lunch on Tuesday" type of diet, think about what will happen if you have company, want to eat out, have lunch served to you at a business meeting, etc. Good weight-loss plans shouldn't be only black or white: You should be able to substitute a food item, switch off meals during the day and between days, and include some "free" foods if you need a snack. Weight Watcher's is a great example of a flexible plan: you get a certain number of points to use during the day and YOU choose what you eat and when.

3) Financials: How expensive is this plan to follow? If it's all organic or requires a certain brand of snack bar or pre-made meals, you could be in for some sticker shock. How long will you be able to afford this meal plan? There are lots of diet plans that don't require any expensive add-ons. 

4) Filling: Will you be satisfied, or starving? If a diet leaves you continually empty and miserable, chances are you won't be able to stay with it for long. Healthy diet plans incorporate lots of fiber-containing foods to assure your stomach isn't growling long before it's time to eat again. The DASH diet is a great example of a filling and healthy diet.

5) Forever: The best diet is one you'll be able to stay on forever, literally. If you learn to change your habits, eat a bit less and move a bit more, it will simple become your lifestyle; not something you go on and off repeatedly.
The Beck Diet Solution is a great example of how you can change the way you think to change the way you eat. Judith Beck has books and workbooks available to guide you day by day to make these changes. Join us for a group teleclass (that means you can live anywhere in the world and participate with us); find out more and register here. Grab a friend and join us now!

Plateau on the Atkins Diet

I've been in the induction phase of atkins now for 5 months and have lost 65lbs. My daily calorie intake is 1500 average and doing 1:45 excercise 5 days a wk.60 yrs old male.I still need to lose 35lbs. 2 questions please. Why has my loss rate gone down to 1 kilo per week ?When I exercise on atkins am I primarily burning fat,indifferent to whether I work in the aerobic" Fat burning zone" or "cardio zone"?  Larry G.

Dear Larry,
First of all, my congratulations to you for such a significant weight loss. Hats off to you, also, for sticking with a diet and exercise program for 5 months! That is super :)  The longer you stay with it, the more likely you are to make these daily habits part of your life. This means weight loss for long term!

The fact that your weight loss has gone "down" to 1 kilo (2 pounds) per week means you have been losing weight super-fast all this time. Two pounds per week is the high end of a recommended weight loss and is by no means considered a plateau. Plateauing is when you have zero weight loss for many weeks in a row and that's when you have to shake up your routine a bit. You are still losing at a rapid pace and should continue to be encouraged.

Second, while you exercise you burn various substrates (fat, carbohydrate or protein) depending on the activity and on the length of time you are exercising. It is not dependent on what you eat. Once you have been exercising for more than 20 or 30 minutes your body does convert to burning mostly fat.

Keep up the good work!!

Is Coca-cola Really Fattening?

Hi,
I am 15 years old and would like to lose a few pounds, but I drink  lot of coke. I figured out I can lose weight on 1200 calories, and I know going lower than that is not healthy. But if 300-400 of the calories are from coke, will that keep me from losing weight?
Jenny R.

Dear Jenny,

Three hundred to 400 calories of Coke is not more fattening than 300-400 calories of anything else. If you can lose weight on 1200 calories it doesn't really matter what composes those calories--it could be all fruits or it could be all ice cream and you would still lose the same amount of weight!

What does matter is the nutrition you're getting. The diet you have proposed has you getting 25-30 percent of your daily calories from COKE! The reason 1200 calories is a recommended minimum healthy diet is because it takes that many calories on a balanced diet to meet your needs for protein, essential fats, vitamins, and minerals. You won't be meeting your needs when only 800-900 calories is coming from food even if all those foods are highly nutritious.

I would suggest you try different ways to cut down your coke consumption, at least by half. Try using the smaller cans, substituting one can a day with another beverage, or mix half a coke with diet coke to cut the calorie and sugar intake. Not only will you be able to lose weight, but you'll probably reduce the number of cavities you get as well!

How Can I Increase My Metabolism?

I would like to increase my metabolism as much as possible. I am 29 years old and can remember having a very good metabolism as recently as age 24 where I didn't really need to exercise and wouldn't really gain anything. I am 5' 11" and 205lbs, and at least Wii Fit is telling me I'm in the middle of the overweight category. Are there charts that tell people by how much their metabolism tends to slow down by age, as well as when a person moves away from an ideal BMI? I'd really like a guide to have a clear idea of the norms. Particularly how much metabolism I have to gain by getting myself back down to say 160lbs. -- Mike J.

Dear Mike,

My favorite site for computing your BMI is by the NHLBI . 

Just enter your height and weight. They also explain the body mass index.
As for your goal weight, that is very reasonable for your height.


Changing your metabolism has so many variables there are not really instructions on how to do it... everyone is different. What were you doing differently in your daily life when you were 24? Even without feeling like you were exercising it's likely you were more active. Maybe you walked more in your job or played on a sports team. Maybe as you've gotten older you've been able to afford to eat out more and that generally comes with more calories.

If metabolism slows with age it's probably due to a decrease in muscle mass and there's evidence that does not have to occur if you always work on keeping your muscles in shape. Usually that starts after age 35 for women, and older for men so that's probably not what's at work with you.

My best advice is to start keeping a food and exercise diary. There are many sites that help you do this online if you have regular access to a computer, such as http://www.thedailyplate.com/, http://www.fitday.com/ or http://www.sparkpeople.com/ . You may realize after keeping track that you are eating more than you thought or moving much less.

Remember to take your time losing those 45 pounds. More than 2 pounds each week means you may be cutting calories too much. You're much more likely to keep the weight off by changing your habits to include about 500 fewer calories per day and upping your activity by another 250 calories. All these reputable diet sites listed above can translate that into daily foods and activities!

Is Orange Juice Fattening?

I was wondering if 100% fresh squeezed orange juice is going to slow my weight loss on my diet?  Chris. R.

Dear Chris,

There is no one food that's going to blow a diet. It totally depends on the sum of the foods you eat, and the portions are also quite important.
Orange juice has about 11 calories per ounce, so a 6-ounce glass in the morning will be a valuable contribution for your daily intake of vitamin C, folic acid, and other nutrients. I would definitely put orange juice just about last on my list for giving up on a diet. However, do keep in mind that drinking four 12-ounce glasses a day is another story!

Foods that will really hamper your weight loss efforts are those high in sugar and fat: donuts, pies, ice cream, soda, fried foods--these I would give up for a diet because you aren't missing out on anything that's very good for you by avoiding these, but you are giving up a tremendous number of calories.

Good luck!  And for more information on a healthy and well-balanced diet during weight loss I always like the food guide pyramid site http://www.mypyramid.gov/ for their wealth of information.

Are Meal Replacements a Good Idea?

Meal replacement diets such as slimfast, medifast, and Jenny Craig have been around for decades. Do they work? The answer is, "Yes! As long as you stay on the diet". For years dietitians fought the idea of having their clients use these pre-packaged powders and potions, insisting that people need to learn how to prepare a balanced meal and train themselves to eat proper portion sizes. But now conventional wisdom says the most important outcome for people with health issues is to lose weight.

If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, or other conditions affected by obesity, losing just 10% of your current body weight can make a huge difference. So, by all meals consult your dietitian and other health care professionals to get the best advice for you. But the bottom line is, use whatever works--as long as it provides the nutrients you need in the right balance for you--to help get your weight down.