WEIGHT LOSS
Treatment Options for Weight Loss
Every year, Americans spend billions of dollars for weight loss solutions.
Losing weight, for some people, is a lifelong struggle. All too often,
the Battle of the Bulge turns into a lost war.
The first step is to address any metabolic functional disorders. Once
these have been ruled out, weight loss should begin with the fundamentals:
consuming less energy than one expends and increasing lean muscle mass
through exercise.
As more discoveries are made about the physiology of obesity, hope
improves for the millions who fight being overweight. Medications are
generally reserved for the morbidly obese, so we have chosen to focus
on Nutritional and Herbal Supplementation followed by Diet and Exercise
recommendations.
Nutritional Supplementation
Chromium
Chromium is an essential trace mineral that plays an important role
in the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats. As a helper for insulin,
chromium enhances insulin’s ability to transport glucose into
cells, where it serves as fuel for metabolism. Favoring the conversion
of glucose to energy reduces the amount of glucose that gets converted
into body fat. In addition to its effects on glucose, insulin, and lipid
metabolism, chromium has been reported to increase lean body mass and
decrease the percentage of body fat.
5-Hydroxytryptophan
(5-HTP)
5-HTP is a cousin of the amino acid tryptophan. In the body 5-HTP serves
as a "precursor"-as starting material so to speak-for serotonin.
One of the body’s main neurotransmitters, serotonin has a major
influence on appetite and eating behavior. Taken as a supplement, 5-HTP
has been used successfully to decrease carbohydrate intake and promote
weight loss. In one double blind study, 19 obese female subjects volunteered
to take 5-HTP every day for five weeks. The study was designed to evaluate
the effects of oral 5-HTP on feeding behavior, mood state, and weight
loss. The study participants were not required to restrict their diets
in any way. At the end of the five weeks, the women had reduced appetite
and food intake.
In another 5-HTP study, 25 overweight individuals with type 1 (insulin-dependent)
diabetes were enrolled in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
The subjects took either 750 mg of 5-HTP or a placebo for two weeks,
again, with no change in diet. After two weeks, those on 5-HTP had significantly
reduced their daily intake of fats and carbohydrates. Body weight also
decreased. This research lends weight to the importance of serotonin
in controlling calorie intake. 5-HTP may be especially useful in helping
diabetics stick to their diets.
Chitosan
Chitosan is a type of fiber that binds to fat molecules in the gastrointestinal
tract, preventing them from being absorbed. Chitosan is derived from
the "chitin," a long-chain molecule found in the shells of
shrimp, crabs, and other shellfish. The best way to use chitosan is
to take 2 to 3 grams along with a minimum of eight ounces of water immediately
before eating a fat-containing meal. The chitosan then absorbs much
of the fat in the meal, before it can be absorbed into the bloodstream.
Chitosan should not be taken together with other fat-soluble nutrients
such as vitamin E, vitamin A, beta-carotene, or CLA, because it will
prevent them from being absorbed as well. While the scientific evidence
for chitosan is still preliminary, reports from people using chitosan
as a weight-loss aid are encouraging.
Herbal Supplementation
Hoodia
The Hoodia Gordonii Cactus is a genus in the Asclepiadaceae family.
There are approximately 20 species in the genus. The unusual flowers
are flat and saucer-like in shape and red, purple to brown or mottled
dark yellow in colour. Flowers form prolifically near the stem tips
in summer. The short stems are many angled with white spikes appearing
at short intervals on each angle. Stems are single or branch forming,
they occur in variable shades of green. Plants are found in a large
part of Southern Africa.
Hoodia contains a molecule that is estimated to be up to 100000 times
as potent as glucose in sending a signal to the brain that the body
is in a state of satiety, or in common terms not hungry. In clinical
tests, rats which normally eat everything given them, stopped eating
when fed hoodia cactus. In humans, two groups were given equal diets
and placed in a setting where there was nothing to do but sit, eat,
read or watch the TV. One group was given hoodia and the other a placebo.
The hoodia group consumed on average 1000 calories a day less than the
placebo group.
Diet and Lifestyle
- Include aerobics and even more specifically weight training routine to build muscle mass. Muscle mass burns more calories per gram of weight. Try to live an active lifestyle; take stairs instead of escalators when possible.
- Drink a minimum of eight glasses of water daily.
- High fiber diet.
- Promotes weight loss
- Reduce or eliminate high refined sugar and refined carbohydrate intake. These foods tend to be calorie dense and nutrient poor.
- Eliminate trans fatty acids from the diet.
- Do not over indulge in carbohydrate rich foods.
- Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Chew food thoroughly.
- Stop eating when the first feeling of satiety takes place.
- Try not to eat large meals before bedtime.
