WEIGHT LOSS PRECAUTIONS

NUMBER ONE HOOK for Weight Loss

The body generates energy from food calories to function. There are two main calorie sources available for the body to convert into energy, sugar and fat, and a third one sparingly used, protein. It is a fact that the body holds calories waiting to be used for energy production in a water molecule compound. When calories slow down coming in after going on a diet, any diet of restricted calories, the water that was holding those excess energy calories is no longer needed and gets expelled from the body. The first week on any new diet results in a 5-7 pound loss of WATER WEIGHT. After the first week, any future weight loss has to come from burning stored fat and /or the breakdown of muscle proteins to turn into calories. The 5-6 pounds of water weight will return after going off a diet. 

WHY BODY MOVEMENT IS PARAMOUNT

Beware of weight loss programs that say you don't have to change your behaviors, like the type or amount of food consumed and also don't include an increase in exercise. As one looses weight, both fat and muscle will decrease as they are turned into calories. The heart is also a muscle and yes, you can shrink the heart muscle as well if you are not exercising it during weight loss. This can become a problem especially if the weight is added back in the future. Far to often only fat gains back and not the heart muscle mass or other body muscles unless one is again exercising them. This stresses the now smaller heart to pump blood throughout the again bigger body. An activity that will over time cause the heart to enlarge unnaturally from stress of overwork.

Here is a point you need to understand about calories, whether from FAT, carbohydrates, or proteins. At a meal, the calories consumed can go to one of three places. 1. First, into the blood and get immediately burned up as energy in cells. 2. Be turned into glycogen and stored in muscles and other tissues for later use over a few days. 3. Or calories will turn into fat and be stored if the first two avenues are already filled. While you do need some fat in the body, it is the daily excess of calories over the amount needed to fill up both the first and second areas that increases body weight. A wise choice is to free up some glycogen storage space with body movement before you consume more calories. You have to earn or exercise the right to consume more food calories.

NOTE: It does not matter the source of calories. Junk foods or natural whole foods, calories are all the same to the body regardless of source. Of course, nutritionally the body needs nutrients to function and will rebel when it is derived of necessary quantities. Plus, as one consumes excess food over time, this over consumption can disrupt the appetite switch and hunger stimulus lasts longer than normal. 

EXERCISE Additional Benefits 

The major benefit of body movement is not that it burns lots of calories, but rather that it uses up short term stored calories opening up room for more calories at the next meal. It also turns up the rate of metabolism over the whole day and not just while exercising or moving. It becomes more difficult to reach excess calories and have them turn into fat. There is also an enzyme that tells body cells to burn calories for energy. Excess food consumption over time begins to shut down this enzyme.  

Just like during fasting, when dieting the body actually begins to slow down metabolism and more calories, even when reserves in blood and muscles are not filled, will turn into fat storage. This mechanism developed over many years to protect the body during scarce food times. But this process still defeats the purpose of dieting and is another reason exercise is needed for successful weight-loss and heart muscle protection. 

PRECAUTION: Many weight loss products contain stimulates that influence the heart rate as well as metabolism. This can be hazardous when coupled with another potential adverse effect from diuretics. With the loss of water, vital minerals, especially electrolytes, are eliminated out of the body. This could have adverse effects on nerve and muscle actions, such as cramping or spasms. This mineral imbalance can set up very serious situations and has resulted in a few deaths from cardiac arrest, especially when aggravated by strenuous exercise in hot weather.

 FYI: All about FAT.   Fat to bone connection>  FAT on bone  Bone & Fat.  Bone on Energy & Fat

Probiotics and Weight Control

A research article recently reported a link between the different types of bacteria that predominate in the intestines of thin people versus those that are obese. It seems the kind of foods consumed by those who are obese generates a different subset of bacteria than is found in the bacteria formed by the diets of those who are thin, or at least different ones common to both predominate. A study was undertaken to see if the obese consumed the same "thin" type bacteria they would reduce weight. And they did, well at least in women but not in men. The loss in weight over 24 weeks was almost double when taking this particular bacteria. The bacteria used was from Nestle, one used to make yogurt for Europe but not in USA, called Lactobacillus Rhamnosus CGMCC1.3724. ref Unfortunately, all probiotics with the same name may not generate identical results. Research has found there are some differences between the same name strains of different Brands, thus the need for the code that follows the name. The code tells this strain has been tested for effectiveness and is registered. article

This is not the first time this link has been found. The type of bacteria abundant in obese people are generally from the phylum called Firmicutes. The amount of Firmicute type bacteria is somewhat related to weight gain or loss.

The scientific thinking has to do with a few concepts like the ability of additional firmicute bacteria to increase the number of calories from the digestion of certain hard to digest foods. Another concept under investigation concerns pro-inflammatory actions versus anti-inflammatory. And lastly by controlling or stimulating appetite from Leptin levels, ref  the appetite regulating hormone that dieting sets off the wrong way.

ON LEPTIN

This hormone, often called the fat hormone, was studied by large Pharmaceutical companies hoping to find a miracle weight loss pill. Leptin produced by fat cells tells the brain that there is adequate energy reserves in the body and no need to stimulate appetite and store more fat. Giving leptin to obese animals lead to reduced fat levels. When a diet or starvation condition begins, leptin levels go down and this signals the brain to increase appetite. The Pharmaceutical companies gave Leptin to obese people on a diet to reduce this appetite increase and fat storage effect. But, to the amazement of all, this plan did not work. It seemed some obese people already had high levels of Leptin. This unexpected finding lead to the discovery of a condition called Leptin resistance. Leptin at high levels should keep the appetite under control and fat storage low.  ref  The obese body simply was not hearing the Leptin message and thus the brain kept telling the body to build more fat cells and to increase leptin production even more. ref Similar and related to insulin's effect on glucose uptake.

The hormones Adiponectin and Ghrelin are also involved with Leptin as weight regulators. This aspect will get their own article soon.