Weight loss programs
Managing your weight is the key. And to do this, in our experience, it often comes down to an approach that DOES NOT involve weight loss drugs, counting calories, attending consultations, starving yourself, being unable to eat your favourite foods from time to time.
You want a weight management program that …
- burns fat
- blocks cravings
- control appetite
- boosts energy
- increases metabolism
- fights free radicals
- facilitates improved overall health
Your aim, then, is to get onto a weight management program that allows you to safely reduce your calorie intake while maintaining vitamin, mineral and nutrients essential to good health. And these factors must be provided in an easily digestable form, so your body cells can maximise their level of functioning, even when there has been a history of poor eating, excessive dieting or illness.
Your goal is to lose those unwanted, hormone-disrupting pounds safely, effectively and quickly as scientifically recommended. This is also the time to concentrate of optimal liver function.
High protein diets
Trendy high protein diets favoured by the Hollywood celebrity set have been given the OK by the Australian CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation).
CSIRO researchers found a diet with moderate levels of proteins and carbohydrates prompted faster weight loss than a diet high in carbohydrates and low in protein.
For 12 weeks, researchers studied 100 overweight and obese women with ‘Syndrome X’, also known as metabolic syndrome, insulin resistancesyndrome, or beer gut syndrome.
CSIRO senior research dietitian Dr Manny Noakes said until now, diet books on the subject had been based on conjecture and hearsay. “We’re excited by these findings that demonstrate in a scientific manner that the high-protein, low-fat approach to weight loss certainly offers an edge to conventional diets,” she said.
Karen Inge, a consultant dietitian with the Victorian Institute of Sport, said the diet approved by the CSIRO fitted within normal healthy guidelines.
These finding followed a similar test trial conducted last November by the Australian CSIRO Health Sciences & Nutrition division to determine the effectiveness of meal replacements.
They concluded that meal replacements ARE an effective strategy for weight loss. Participants found meal replacements easy to comply with and they found it easier to dine out on the meal replacement plan.
Liquid ‘meal replacement’ diets, however, have had a lot of bad press in recent years, but now researchers say that they really do work.
A 4-year study found that specially formulated drinks were far more effective than conventional low-calorie diets.
The trial conducted at the University of Ulm in Germany, involved 100 overweight subjects. Half were asked to cut their food intake to 1,500 calories by choosing low fat foods. The rest replaced two meals with a diet shake of around 220 calories and then had a ‘normal’ evening meal of up to 900 calories.
After 3 months, those on meal replacement had lost over a stone (14 pounds), or 8% of their body weight, whilst those on D.I.Y low-fat diets lost just under 2 pounds of body weight. Volunteers taking meal replacements also saw lowering of insulin and cholesterol levels as well as blood pressure, and they also managed to maintain their weight loss over a 4 year period by swapping one meal a day for a shake plus being allowed a low calorie snack bar.
The explanation for the success was that sticking to a meal replacement shake was easier than trying to just ‘cut back’.
Dr Andrew Prentice a nutritionist at the medical Research Council in London said that many specialists were impressed by the results. “Meal replacements do seem to work exceedingly well” he said “originally I was one of those who thought you just have to teach people to eat low calorie foods to get them to lose weight but it is clear that doesn’t work.”
Dr Tony Leeds, a leading nutritionist at King’s College London, said meal replacements had a bad image amongst health professionals. “Most doctors, nurses and dieticians react very negatively to meal replacements after publicity 20 years ago suggested they were dangerous. But that is all in the past because tight legislation controls what manufacturers can put in them. They are a very good source of micronutrients, vitamins, minerals, iron and calcium. At last we have the evidence to show that they are safe and effective and may even lead to people having a better quality diet than before.”
So meal replacement diets actually result in better health and greater weight loss! The key appears to be making sure that the shakes are high in nutrition and the evening meal is low in calories and well balanced.
