Successful weight loss programs are at times difficult to come by, specifically sensible weight loss programs; I have come up with a specialized successful and sensible weight 7-step weight loss program that anyone can follow:
1. A correct ASSESSMENT.
2. OBEJECTIVITY.
3. CUSTOMIZED – Individualized approach.
4. Balanced and HEALTHY nutrition program.
5. Includes LIFESTYLE changes – Behavior modification.
6. SUPPORT system.
7. COMPLIANCE system – Facilitators.
We will expand on these 7 keys below:
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Key 1 - Making a correct assessment.
What caused the obesity? Why are you overweight? It’s important to get an answer to that question and identify the causative factor or factors. When we know what caused the weight gain, we can not only address these causes but also make sure we control them while trying to maintain a healthy weight.
First question we need to ask is WHEN the weight gain started?
- Post-partum (during pregnancy and after delivery of baby), during pre-menopausal period or menopause?
- As a result of a metabolic disease or chronic condition such as diabetes, arthritis, fibromyalgia which all can affect your ambulatory status or activity level?
- As a result of a trauma: a physical trauma such as a car accident, or an emotional trauma such as the loss of a spouse or family member. These traumas cause significant amounts of stress which in turn slow down metabolism. Also, many people with a lot of stress cope by eating more and find comfort in foods.
Next, what does the current diet consist of? How much do you currently consume? This is called the ‘current diet assessment’. What are your current eating habits? What is your current diet composition? Are you on the “Standard American diet” (SAD)? How much fast food do you consume? What macro – and micronutrients are you lacking? Do you use supplementation? In what circumstances do you grab for food? Are there any important environmental factors?
We also need to inquire about one’s current physical activity level or exercise regimen.
We need to look at one’s medical history and family history, and discuss previous attempts to lose weight. What diets and weight loss programs have you tried? What were the results? What was your experience? Why did you quit?
When we suspect hormonal imbalances (weight gain started during menopause or after a hysterectomy for example), we need to prescribe for a complete hormone panel and also screen for cancer (we don’t want to administer hormones when there’s a cancer present). Even a great weight loss program will produce limited results if one’s hormones are out of balance. The test results will indicate deficiencies and/or excesses of specific hormones, and with the prescription of bio-identical hormones we can safely replace these ‘missing’ hormones and re-establish a healthy hormonal balance.
Key 2 – Objectivity.
With most popular diets and weight loss programs, the scale indicates whether you lost weight or not. However, the scale does NOT indicate WHAT was lost: body fat, lean muscle mass or water? Therefore, the scale is really not an objective way of measuring the effectiveness of a weight loss program. People on a diet or weight loss program usually need to lose excess body fat and maybe even gain some muscle mass, but certainly can’t afford to lose valuable muscle tissue or water! There is NO way to really measure ‘true’ progress with a scale and evaluate the effectiveness of the program.
What we need is measure our body composition with a body composition analyzer, such as the InBody520. This accurate piece equipment measures your percentage of body fat, water balance and segmental lean muscle mass. Now, we will be able to set specific goals (eg. Lose 40 pounds of fat and gain 10 pounds of lean muscle mass), monitor progress and revise the plan of action if indicated. With the results of the body composition analysis we also will be able to design a personal exercise regimen based on the segmental muscle mass measurements.
Does this make sense? We just want to make sure you are losing fat, not muscle or water AND with a body composition analysis we can accurately monitor this! That’s what I call OBJECTIVITY. It also motivates the participants when they see objective progress is being made.
Key 3: CUSTOMIZED – Individualized approach.
We need to get away from these “One-Size-Fits-All’ approaches and customize the client’s weight loss program, including nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle changes.
Besides basing your weight loss program on the results of a complete body composition analysis, we also recommend blood chemistry labs, including cholesterol levels, lipid profile, CBC, and fasting glucose. And, if indicated, we also prescribe a complete hormone panel. We also recommend the ELISA/ACT test which reveals the food items we should eliminate from our diet. Each individual’s nutrition program will be designed based on the results of all these tests! A customized approach will be far more effective and promotes better and lasting results.
Blood Chemistry – ELISA/ACT Test.
One of the major advancements in medicine in recent years has been our expanded understanding of the immune system and its far broader and more important role in general health and wellness. Initially, it was thought that our immune system was only involved in defending our bodies
Key 4 – A balanced & healthy nutrition program.
We also have to make sure that this customized diet or nutrition program is balanced and healthy, and provides the body with all the essential nutrients it needs on a daily basis! Through nutrition and supplementation, we will try to RESTORE normal health and balance in the body, including pH levels and metabolism. An acidic pH slows down metabolism, and by introducing more alkaline foods into someone’s diet or nutrition program, we will help speed up metabolism and restore normal functioning of the body, therefore assisting in effective weight loss. We also will discuss detoxification practices and compare the most popular supplements on the market. The nutrition program of our SENSIBLE weight loss program is easy to follow, does NOT dictate participants WHAT to eat which increases compliance, and makes sure the participant is NOT starving or has to sacrifice all the time!
Key 5 – Lifestyle changes.
A diet or weight loss program that does not address lifestyle changes will ONLY produce short-term results. It’s absolutely necessary to address eating habits, emotional eating, and portion size and break some bad habits while re-learning new ones. We will provide what we call “behavior modification” techniques to assist you in making these crucial lifestyle changes.
Key 6 – Support system.
It’s hard to do things by yourself, especially when we want you to make some lifestyle changes. General website support, phone support or online support, chat rooms etc. may be of valuable assistance. However, physician support is even better. He or she understands your personal medical conditions and history, and can communicate with you on a personal level, monitor your progress and modify your plan of action if indicated; and most importantly physician supervision makes your weight loss experience SAFE! If you don’t have a personal doctor or health care professional available to assist you in weight loss, find some outside support (online, weekly conference calls with Q&A, a knowledgeable physician that can assist you personally through email or by phone etc.).
A great tip is that when you decide to enroll in a SENSIBLE weight loss program, try to involve all the members of your household; or find a friend to do it with you! How difficult would it be to try and eat healthier and lose some weight while everyone else at home continues to eat fast food and CRAP all the time? It would benefit everyone you love to participate so you can support each other, and end-up a healthier and happier family!
Key 7 – Compliance.
Compliance is one of the major reasons why people quit diets and weight loss programs. They are too difficult to follow, you feel like you are starving and/or you have to sacrifice too much…you try, but it won’t last and eventually you will quit. Overcoming compliance issues is therefore of utmost importance in establishing a successful weight loss program! Our SENSIBLE weight loss program is designed specifically to increase compliance and make it easier for the participant to follow.
The prescribed nutrition program is simple, yet very effective and ONLY incorporates foods that are palatable to the individual’s taste.
The personal exercise regimen is short, simple and effective and conveniently can fit in everyone’s daily schedule without interrupting that schedule.
Because the nutrition plan is balanced and healthy, participants do NOT encounter the well-known “plateau”. For those who may not know what a “plateau” is….it means that suddenly stop losing weight on a particular diet after you lost some. This usually discourages the participant and he/she quits. The reason why people on most popular diets and weight loss programs hit the plateau is because the diet is unbalanced and tricks the body in losing weight. The body will eventually try and protect itself from health hazards, or is unable to retrieve the necessary energy from its own resources such as muscle tissue.
Personal support and guidance, with the ability to customize, monitor progress and modify the plan of action increases compliance.
Long-term results are maintained by simple continuing to implement the nutrition program, new habits, and exercise regimen. It’s a lifestyle change and it has become part of you. You feel great, you have obtained an optimal body composition, a metabolic and hormonal balance, and you are taking the road to optimal health. Nothing will stop you!
|
Popular diets & weight loss programs |
SENSIBLE Weight Loss |
| One-Size-Fits-ALL | Individualized |
| General guidelines | Physician supervision |
| No medical history | Medical history |
| Un-healthy | Healthy |
| Subjective | Objective |
| Subjective progress | Monitor progress |
| General support (if any) | Individual support |
| Plateau | No plateau |
| Poor compliance | Excellent compliance |
| Short-term results | Long-term results |
Yours in Optimal Health,
Dr. Mike
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Besides basing your weight loss program on the results of a complete body composition analysis, we also recommend blood chemistry labs, including cholesterol levels, lipid profile, CBC, and fasting glucose. And, if indicated, we also prescribe a complete hormone panel. We also recommend the ELISA/ACT test which reveals the food items we should eliminate from our diet. Each individual’s nutrition program will be designed based on the results of all these tests! A customized approach will be far more effective and promotes better and lasting results.
<strong>Blood Chemistry – ELISA/ACT Test.</strong>
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One of the major advancements in medicine in recent years has been our expanded understanding of the immune system and its far broader and more important role in general health and wellness. Initially, it was thought that our immune system was only involved in defending our bodies
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Tags: Sensible Weight Loss, sensible weight loss plan, sensible weight loss tips
Great steps to keeping off the pounds, great website Dr. Mike
Comment by Rick — January 4, 2010 @ 11:20 am
Diets are temporary, time to make a lifestyle change.
Comment by Marcia — January 4, 2010 @ 2:10 pm