Ask Dr. Denton: Is it Safe, or Possible, to Lose Weight Fast?

In the midst of all of the competing and apparently contradictory claims, many people are suffering from what I call "Weight loss Confusion". What do the Experts Say?

PORTSMOUTH, VA. (Catholic Online) - "I am looking for the fastest way to loss weight. I know there is a diet out there for me. The latest fad diet .... Maybe this is the one, hmmmm..., maybe that one will work ..... Finally! High protein, low fat, low sugar, lemonade, cabbage, soup, olive oil, low ph .... Which one is the best? Which one is quick? Which one is safe? Help!!!!!"

What is my advice to my reader - or my patient? Slow down, look at the facts and then keep it simple. Can you lose 10lbs in a week safely? Yes. Are you willing to make the commitment it takes to achieve this? The answer is simple. The calories you intake have to be less than the calories you burn.

The new hit show "The Biggest Loser" is all about achieving the most dramatic weight loss over a fixed period. Doctor Michael Dansinger, the medical director of the show, states what we all know but fail to follow through on. Eat fewer calories and exercise. Weight loss expert Katherine Tallmadge, R.D. feels you can safely lose 3lbs per week with healthy eating and lots of exercise.

The formula for weight loss is simple. You need to have a deficit of 500 or more calories per day to get the process rolling. This will get you into the 1 - 2 pound weight loss per week. If you want more you can up the ante by keeping your intake of calories at 1200 and your workouts to 1 hour daily. Remember cardio workouts, where the body core temperature is increased, leads to the greatest losses. On this type of plan, you can expect to lose 3-5 pounds in the first week, or potentially more if you weigh over 250 pounds.

Sodium and white carbohydrates lead to fluid retention so restrict both of these FOREVER. Simply reducing both of these can potentially lead to a 5lb wt loss in the first week. White carbohydrates also lead to high insulin surges which then lead to fat storage not fat burning.

"Eat enough protein and distribute it evenly through your meals to minimize muscle loss and maximize fat loss," says Tallmadge, author of Diet Simple, who also advises clients to swap out carbs in favor of veggies.

Dansinger, Talladge and others are all saying the same thing that came out of the research by Dr Barry Sears and the late Dr Atkins: lower white carbohydrates and increase lean proteins and good fats.

Barry Sears, the author of the Zone Diet, advocates a diet that minimizes starches, (even healthy whole grains in moderation), added sugars, and animal fat from meat and dairy foods. For rapid weight loss, dieters should eat mainly fruits, veggies, egg whites, soy products, skinless poultry breasts, fish, shellfish, nonfat dairy foods, and 90% lean meat.

In my practice I emphasize: stress management, daily exercise, a variation of the Zone diet, drinking lots of water and green tea, sleeping 6 hours a night minimum, and then having patience. Set your goals months before a big event. (Trip, Wedding, Reunion) Once the routine is established you will be able to maintain the life style indefinitely.

American Dietetic Association spokesperson Dawn Jackson Blatner, RD, recommends:
• Eat plenty of low-calorie vegetables to help you feel full.
• Drink plenty of water so you don't confuse hunger with thirst.
• Clear the house of tempting foods.
• Stay busy to prevent eating out of boredom.
• Eat only from a plate, while seated at a table.
• Always eat three meals and one snack daily -- no skipping meals.

Weighing yourself daily and tracking your food intake can also help you to keep focused, experts say."Even if you write it down on a napkin and end up throwing it away, the act of writing it down is about being accountable to yourself and is a very effective tool for weight loss," says Bonnie Taub Dix, MA, RD, a food and nutrition blogger for USA Today.

Blatner, author of The Flexitarian Diet, says that eating fennel seeds, ginger, parsley, peppermint, pineapple, and yogurt with honey one to three days before the big event can help you de-bloat and keep your tummy feeling flatter.
A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine indicated that losing weight requires close to an hour a day of moderate exercise.

That fits in with Dansinger's recommendation of seven hours per week of cardio exercise leading up to your special event."Cardio burns the most calories, so it is ideal for fast weight loss, but afterwards you need to include a few hours a week of strength training," he says. "To burn the most fat, try to break a sweat after your warm-up and keep sweating for the entire hour", says Dansinger. I completely agree with this point.

The facts are found in the examples we see in our current athletes. Individuals involved in sports that increase the core temperature have more defined muscles and less subcutaneous fat. The body's core temperature is increased in an aggressive cardio workout. This leads to a decrease in the fat under the skin. The body does this to allow for more rapid release of heat. In Swimmers where the body is typically cooled by the flow of water over the skin the body continues to hold a subcutaneous fat layer to keep the body warm. The end result is a body with softer lines than those of a runner.

Most everyone can do an hour a day, but the intensity of your workout will depend on your current state of fitness. Experts recommend gradually increasing exercise intensity to avoid injury.When you can't do cardio, Tallmadge recommends doing strength training at least twice weekly, working all your major muscle groups, and fitting in at least 15,000 steps a day (get a pedometer to keep count).

Gidus suggests doubling up on your exercise routine: "Do a morning and evening workout, and if you don't have time to do two a day, expend more calories in the workouts you are currently doing."

Another option is to incorporate interval training. The new South Beach Supercharged plan by Arthur Agatson, MD, promotes adding high-intensity intervals workouts to burn more calories in less time."Interval training allows people to work harder without having to spend the entire time at the higher level, and over time, the more you do it, the easier it becomes to burn more calories," says Blatner.

Many people don't have the time to do the rigorous amount of exercise required to lose weight quickly, and so turn to fad diets. But keep in mind that if a diet plan sounds too good to be true, it probably is. So steer clear of programs that promote pills, laxatives, fasting, or potions, and any that promise weight loss faster than 2-3 pounds per week.

The truth is that cutting calories below 1,050 per day is counterproductive, because you need strong muscles to be able to exercise effectively."When you eat too few calories you lose fat but also precious muscle, which is the worst thing you could do because it slows your metabolism and makes it more difficult to increase exercise intensity or duration," says Dansinger.

And what about over-the-counter (OTC) diet pills? Except for the OTC version of Alli, most respected experts do not recommend them."Diet pills are either ineffective or extremely dangerous, and not recommended," says Dansinger. In my practice, on a rare case, I will put a patient on Tenuate Despan in an attempt to kick start the patient by decreasing the appetite. The ideal is still diet and exercise, not a pill and not liposuction.

What is the bottom line? Weight loss experts agree that any rapid weight loss diet should be identical to a long-term, sustainable plan -- and not a fad diet. And fasting or cutting calories below 1,050 are not appropriate for the long term unless you are under a physician's care.

In the weeks ahead, I will review some of the current diet regimens. We will review their strengths and weaknesses and try to direct you the consumer to the diet - lifestyle that best fits your personality and world.

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Dr Denton D. Weiss, M.D. is board certified in both Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. He is sought after for his cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. Dr. Weiss' approach to his medical practice flows from his convictions about the meaning of life which are deeply rooted in his Catholic Faith. He and his wife, Michelle strive for an integrated approach to life which recognizes the unity of the body, mind and soul. They call this approach "Bella Vitae"... or "Beautiful Living". He is a contributing writer to Catholic online.

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