If I had a dollar for every patient that said to me "I don't eat much and I can't lose weight," I'd be a wealthy woman. So many have thought that they were the exception to the rule, or they had a unique metabolic composition that led them to keep weight on. If this is you, you may never use this phrase again...ever. I chose this topic today because I saw Suzanne Somers on the Today show this morning, spouting crap that I had to force myself to not turn off. I was willing to listen to her when she spoke about bio-identical hormones, because I actually believe that there is some validity (medically or otherwise), and she was actually bringing something almost mainstream (almost) for people to consider after the main-stream boondoggle that was hormone replacement for post and peri-menopausal women. Don't even get me started about the lack of medical validity of her bullshit stories of "leaky gut" and "toxin buildup" as the reasons why people can't lose weight that I heard her spout today. The overwhelming majority of why people don't lose weight (not can't, but rather don't) is because they refuse to create a lifestyle that is inconsistant with being overweight. People ask me all the time how I stay so thin (my contractor asked me that yesterday as he was spackling the kitchen ceiling). I say "two reasons. One, I don't eat (LOL) and Two, I run every single day." Okay I'm exaggerating when I say I don't eat, but to a certain extent, I am not. I will do whatever it takes and whatever is necessary to stay fit and healthy. Was I blessed with some genetics that create an extremely active metabolism? Perhaps. Are there some people who burn a lot less calories per hour doing the same activity as I do? Definitely. However, most peole are in the middle, and do not violate the laws of science.
I learned a lot about weight loss from my two dogs. Camilla, my 5 year old former puppy-mill girl, is crazy. Seriously, she's nuts. She was on doggie prozac a while back, and was evaluated by a dog psychiatrist (no joke), who diagnosed her as 10 kinds of crazy! Anyway, she is hyper. She doesn't ever sit still and relax (except when she sleeps) and paces and plays and walks constantly. Cletus, my 4 year old boy and love of my life, is sedentary, sitting in my lap for hours on end, and is a relaxed boy. Camilla can eat whatever she wants and never gain an ounce. Cletus looks as kibble and puts on weight.
Here are two dogs, same food, same lifestyle (for the most part) with two completely diffrent metabolic rates (genetic predispositions). How can I keep both of them relatively fit? I do, by applying different rules to different dogs, and understanding that Cletus will never look like Camilla (the canine equivalent of a size 2). This also holds true for people. This is why some people can maintain at a size double zero, and some can barely maintain a size 12. I get that, and we have to consider what kind of person we are in order to set goals for ourselves. I would NEVER see an obese person and think they are going to be a size 4, or in the case of men, a size 32 waist. That would be foolhardy and set my patients up for failure (my own failure since I take their progress very personally). In my office, we are getting a machine that will tell us how metabolically efficient someone is, and how many calories per day that their body needs to do its activities and functions (as a baseline). This can greatly aid patients in seeing the reality...the hard science. I may burn 1800 calories per day, and someone else may burn 1300. It just depends on their biology. This takes us to defying the laws of science. Guess what????? You don't. I don't. Gravity has the same pull on you as it does the next person...the clock moves at the same rate for all of us and we are but a walking-talking equation:
Calories consumed - Calories Burned = surplus or deficit (depending)
Simple, right? WRONG. People grossly underestimate their calories consumed. Case in point this patient I treated for years. She had altered eating patterns, and presented with what I considered overly restrictive habits. We got it under control in a few months, meeting w/ me as well as one of our nutritionists and reviewing food records she was keeping. She was even in psychotherapy which personally I believe is underused. She did wonderfully over time....until she felt she was overgaining. The first thing I did was ask her to email her food records. She emailed a meticulous list, with the food name on the leftmost margain and the calorie content listed in a rightmost column. The problem here? It was all wrong. A quarter cup of bean spread in no parallel universe contains 45 calories. It probably contains upwards of 180 to 220, maybe more. The slice of rye toast (regular, not light) does not contain 50 calories, it contains 85-110 easy. Anyway, you get what I'm saying, the calorie counts were quite frankly underestimating her consumption by close to half.
So that threw off her equation, and led her to have a false sense of her own ability to manage her weight. We also discussed her exercise, and revamped her maintinance program (because I did not feel she overagined at all, and simply wanted to change up her fitness regimine on the treadmill, switching her from the eliptical) and all was well over time. Anyway, my point was that her equation reality was not her perceived equation... which led her to think, "I can't maintain my weight!" At this point, some women (and men) might reach for Suzanne's ideas of leaky gut and food allergies. She stated this morning on the news that she could "look around and tell who has gluten intollerances and thyroid problems." Well, that makes her uniquely psychic and should be studied at the National Institute of Health. A trained endocrinologist needs laboratory tests, so what makes a former 3's Company actress able to tell these things without tests......and without a medical education????? I guess an armchair review of the alternative literature can now substitute for 4 years in medical school (wait, did she graduate college? So maybe it's 4 years in college before the med school) then 3 years in residency then 3 years in fellowship (AT LEAST). I'm so glad you can take the fast-track to telling patients about their biochemistry and all that FACT, and even get licensed by the state. Wait, scratch that. She can't BECAUSE THE STATE WON'T GRANT A LICENSE TO SOMEONE WHO HAS NOT FULFILLED THE PREREQUISITES. Okay, breathe.
image source
Anyway, there are food allergies, there are people with celiac disease (ME!) who cannot eat gluten. But this never led to "leaky gut" and quite frankly led to weight LOSS, seeing I was 85 pounds at the time of my diagnosis, not 185 pounds. I gained weight back once I cut gluten out of my diet, the complet opposite of what Ms. Somers is stating. I digress. I am uniquely angered by the false information being disseminated, and would love her to bring one of her "doctors" on televesion with her to put some science in her words. I do not, however, believe anyone espousing the efficacy of her theories would show their faces in public, but who knows, it may happen yet. I'm a scientist, not a witch doctor. Science tells us that we are all equations....with varying coefficients (calories necessary to exist as we are on a daily basis). We may be equations, but there is a heck of a lot we can do to influence each of the components of said equation. Exercise, Dietary Alterations and Increasing the basal metabolic rate through other means (building muscle, etc.)....the possibilities are exciting, but they do NOT vioate the laws of science, they exist by them. Start today with food records. Start recording your exercise....and go from there. Figuring out your equation, or even just grossly estimating, is the first step.
Are there any apps for the blackberry, Droid or iPPle that will make this easier?
Easier is always better!
Posted by: Scott | January 22, 2011 at 10:12 PM
Oooooo what do you mean easier? Weight loss, or reading my blog, LOL? :) If I can make something easier, I am definitely game! Do tell.
Posted by: Barbie | January 23, 2011 at 01:03 PM
wasn't there a three's company episode where there was a mix up about gluten free and thigh master??
Anyway, wanted to tell you I had bought those anthropologie bowls in Gray around T-giving and LOVE THEM!!
Posted by: liz | January 23, 2011 at 04:16 PM
PPS, I am dessert free but there will be no canned sardines for lunch anytime in the near future.
I can totally do the dessert thing
Posted by: liz | January 23, 2011 at 04:17 PM
You didn't mention people's underestimates of serving sizes, too. I'm leading a discussion of Thin Within via email. It's eating according to hunger and satisfaction, using the size of your fist to determine how much you should be eating. Most people who want to lose weight try to find foods they can eat piles of. I eat what I want but small amounts. Do take it easy on that hip!
Posted by: Mel | January 23, 2011 at 10:02 PM
I was thinking of an app that helps you log your calories, food log?
On paper it will never happen, I will lose it, forget it, etc
On the BB it would be ez squeezy
Posted by: Scott | January 24, 2011 at 10:03 AM
Answered my own question, dowloaded a free food diary to BB. Looks very nice, So far easy to use. Will post a full review.
PS. After reading your review it reminded me of all the times I've heard and adult tell a kid, "don't worry if your not good at math, it's not like you can't read". For one they are two distinct skills, you would never hear someone say, hey at least you only lost one arm. Bad advice, the only free thing that costs a bundle.
Posted by: Scott | January 24, 2011 at 10:20 AM
Now I'm a member of FatSecret, a pretty simple way to food log, exercise log your way to weight loss.
It wirelessly syncs between your my BB and I can access it online
And free
If you're out there and want to be a buddy Barb can give you my Gmail address.
Posted by: Scott | January 24, 2011 at 11:33 AM
I couldn't agree more with this and the prior posts, Barb. You're giving some sage, non-sugar-coated advice -- exactly what needs to be said. "Unlearning" years of bad eating habits isn't easy, but it's certainly achievable. Patience with weight loss and not looking for rushed results help the mindset.
Posted by: Jeff | January 24, 2011 at 01:47 PM
When Suzanne Somers declared she could cure her breast cancer on her own with food (et.al.) and encouraged others to follow her, she officially became a danger to society.
Posted by: Elp6n | February 01, 2011 at 09:57 PM