* I’ll make a promise to myself to follow thru on my diet, regardless of what else is occurring in my life.
* I’ll make the essential changes in my exercise and diet program.
* I’m able to spend some time at the start of each week planning my meals and exercise routine for that week.
* I am able to continue to discover ways to stay inspired till I reach my target weight.

* I am able to evaluate my plan from time to time to be certain it’s still working for me.

* I’m able to work out how to accept lapses and problems as opportunities to come up with new goals and techniques, not to use them as excuses for giving up. Any “false” answers point out the areas requiring special attention.

When setting your goals, keep these 2 crucial points in mind :

* Confirm your goals are pragmatic.

You need to be ready to complete your goals in the time-frame you give yourself.

For instance, if you are saying you are going to cook a low-cal dinner tonight, be certain you’ve got the ingredients available when you get home. If you find that any goal is impractical, don’t stress out. Redefine the goal.

* Ensure your goals are as explicit as possible. The more clear your goals, the simpler it is to gauge your progress along the path. For example, you do not just need to be thinner ; you need to lose sixty pounds. You do not need to simply cut down on the amount of calories you consume ; you would like to stick to a 1,200-calorie plan.

Low calories diets are unhealthy if you use those pre-packaged and processed low-calorie foods. They’re so unhealthy because of all the preservatives they need to pump into these foods to make them last. These food companies also pump tons of sugar and other crap into these foods in an effort to make these altered foods taste somewhat good. So not only are these foods low in calorie, they’re also extremely high in sugar and chemicals that not only make your weight loss even more difficult but can negatively affect your overall health.

If you choose to try a low calorie diet without using these kinds of fake foods, then it becomes a hassle, to put it nicely. Who has time to stand there at the grocery store and figure out, counting all the calories in the foods that you’re about to purchase? Most people barely even have the time to even go to the grocery store, let alone stand there for forever!

Okay, say you’re not the grocery store type. Instead, you’re a take-out restaurant or dining-in restaurant type. Now answer honestly, how many restaurants, fast food or dining-in, have you ever seen or been to that will actually list the number of calories in each or even some of their menu offerings? None right? So how do you expect to be able to count those calories? Sure, you might be able to estimate but there are plenty of foods that are easy to estimate incorrectly, which would then throw off your calorie count. Kind of defeats the purpose, don’t you think?

These quick-fix fad diets are useless and a waste of time. They’re mostly based on principles that make sense but somehow they completely distort it and make it into this completely inefficient, time-consuming diet that makes people hate dieting!

The basic principle of a low calorie diet is really that you should burn more calories than you eat. It’s that simple. If you eat a lot of calories in a day, then you will have to find a way to burn them off. These low calorie diets were created to help people who don’t think they have the time to exercise and burn off excess calories. Everyone has time to exercise but that’s another article for another time.

So that’s where the idea that if you don’t exercise and just eat fewer calories was born. Yeah, it kind of makes sense but the reality of it is that it is a completely inefficient way to lose weight. Sure you’re eating less so you have less to burn but are you getting all of the nutrients you’re supposed to get? Also, do you realize that you’re actually contributing to your weight gain? When you’re not exercising, you end up relying on your body’s natural metabolism to do the calorie burning for you. Working out amps up your metabolism to work more effectively and therefore will help you lose weight more quickly. By eating fewer calories, your metabolism gets all messed up and out of balance. Once that happens, once your metabolism isn’t on track anymore, you’re guaranteed to gain weight.

So even if you’re not very concerned about your overall health in terms of nutrients, sticking with a low calorie diet will absolutely cause you to gain weight, which totally defeats the purpose of trying to lose weight. The best and most effective way to lose weight is by making sure you have healthy nutrition through organic, fresh foods and through regular exercise. It’s that simple, no unnecessary calorie counting or other time-wasting task. Eat and exercise! That’s all there is to losing weight!

Along with a Very Low Calorie Diet for Weight Loss

The “HCG Diet” has become popular over the last few years due to the accessibility of the Internet and advertising by clinics that perform the protocol.  I’ve read ATW Simeons protocol “Pounds and Inches: a New Approach to Obesity” several times.  The paper is intriguing in terms of Simeons’ theories about weight gain and the role of hypothalamic dysfunction in prevention of weight loss.  It’s also bold – Simeons claims that the protocol is easy to follow and uniformly effective in suppressing appetite, elevating mood, and enabling “abnormal”, stubborn fat to be lost.  He also states that HCG resets the hypothalamus to prevent lost weight from being regained.  “Pounds and Inches” is available from several sources on the Internet.  If you’re interested, you can order a copy of Simeons’ paper describing his protocol published in 1954 from the Lancet. (1)

HCG or “human chorionic gonadotropin” is a hormone produced during pregnancy.  It’s also produced by tumors in women (hydatidiform mole) and men (testicular cancer).  HCG injections are used medically since part of its molecular structure mimics luteinizing hormone (LH). HCG injections (in dosages ranging from 1000 to 2000 units, 2-3 times per week) are used to increase testosterone production in men with low testosterone who want to preserve fertility.  HCG injections (5,000 to 10,000 units) are sometimes used in women to induce ovulation.

Simeons protocol uses minute dosages of HCG (125 units), 6-7 days per week for 23 to 40 days, along with a very low calorie (VLC) diet of 500 calories per day.  Since HCG does share some of its molecular structure with LH and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), theoretically, it may increase testosterone production, ovulation and progesterone production, or release of thyroid hormone.  It may also cause excess stimulation of the ovary and ovarian cysts.  However, the dosage used is very small and these effects are unlikely.  A VLC diet (with or without HCG) can precipitate gallstones (since it’s very low in fat), and may cause symptoms of toxicity (since fat tissue stores toxins).

Research regarding HCG injections and weight loss is nearly all negative.  In other words, most trials where patients received either HCG injections or placebo and followed identical VLC diets, show no difference in amount of weight lost, type of weight lost, hunger level, or mood.  A summary of published studies follows this paper.

No study that I’ve read has looked at long-term maintenance of weight lost with the HCG protocol.  Randomized controlled trials of VLC diets show a large variation in regain of initial weight loss percentage.  Participants in these trial regained 7-122% of initial weight lost by one year, and 26-121% by 5 years. (2)  Active follow-up weight maintenance programs that include behavior therapy, nutritional education, and exercise are more effective at improving weight maintenance. 

It would be worthwhile to perform a clinical trial to see if participants following the HCG protocol are more successful at maintaining weight loss than VLC diet alone.  Simeons claims patients who follow his protocol maintain weight loss 60-70% of the time, although I don’t think he published data to back up this claim.

I’ve spoken to many patients who’ve followed the HCG protocol with great success – they’ve lost significant amounts of weight, did not feel hungry, and had an increased sense of well-being.  Many of these people have sustained their weight loss.  I’ve personally gone through Simeons protocol, documenting all calories consumed as well as calories burned (by wearing a Bodybugg®).  I also measured my fat and muscle percentage before and after the diet using bioelectrical impedence analysis.  I lost 12 pounds and 4% body fat during the 23 day protocol.  I was extremely hungry throughout the entire protocol, although I did exercise every day.  Some proponents of the protocol recommend not exercising, although this seems like bad advice given the overwhelming health benefits of regular exercise.

My position on the HCG protocol for weight loss is that I do not think it’s harmful.  I also don’t think it has any effect over placebo.  I do not discount the power of any placebo.  The placebo response is really a measure of the power of the self-healing ability. 

I think you should be informed about the research regarding HCG and weight loss before undergoing this protocol.  You should also make sure your physician is aware of your current health status before you follow any VLC diet, and that causes of abnormal weight gain (e.g., hypothyroidism, hypogonadism, and other endocrine problems) have been ruled out.  Before going on any VLC diet, I’d also recommend undergoing a detox program that supports Phase I and Phase II liver function.  Make sure you don’t have pre-existing gallstones, or liver or kidney disease.  If you’re using insulin for diabetes management, you must make sure your dosage is adjusted based on blood sugar levels, and that you don’t develop ketoacidosis, which can be fatal. 

Note that since 1975, the FDA requires the following information to be given with any HCG advertised or promoted for weight loss:

HCG has not been demonstrated to be effective adjunctive therapy in the treatment of obesity. There is no substantial evidence that it increases weight loss beyond that resulting from caloric restriction, that it causes a more attractive or “normal” distribution of fat, or that it decreases the hunger and discomfort associated with calorie-restricted diets.

If you are interested in a safe and effective weight loss program, consider the First Line Therapy® program we use in our office.  This twelve-week program includes a medical food (UltraMeal Plus 360) clinically proven to lower unhealthy triglycerides and cholesterol, reduce weight, and improve blood pressure, (3) along with a low-glycemic, Mediterranean-type diet.  Healthy eating, exercise, and stress-management habits are taught for life-long ideal weight maintenance. 

Dr. Kathryn Retzler

1   Simeons AT. The action of chorionic gonadotrophin in the obese. Lancet. 1954 Nov 6;267(6845):946-7.

2  Saris W. Very-low-calorie diets and sustained weight loss. Obesity Research. 2001;Suppl 4:295S-301S.

 3  Lukaczer D, Liska D, Lerman R, et al. Effect of a low glycemic index diet with soy protein and phytosterols on CVD risk factors in postmenopausal women. Nutrition 2006;22:104-113.

Summary of Research and Articles RE: HCG Injections

& VLC Diet for Weight Loss

Note: Dr. Simeons does not state that HCG alone accomplishes weight loss; rather, he states patients treated with HCG will not be hungry or tired, will lose a different kind of weight (”abnormal fat” that is difficult to lose), and will experience an increased sense of well-being.  He also claims that weight lost is unlikely to be regained (”60-70%” of patients keep weight off) due to a resetting  of the hypothalamus.

Positive studies:

Asher W, Harper H. Effect of human chorionic gonadotrophin on weight loss, hunger, and feeling of well-being. Am J Clin Nutr. 1973;26(2):211-8.

This study is a well-designed, randomized, double-blind trial of  40 women receiving HCG or placebo at an HCG treatment clinic (Harold Harper, MD).  All followed a 500 to 550 kcal diet; 20 received 125 IU HCG six days per week for 6 weeks (36 injections); 20 received placebo injections six days per week (36 injections).  Mean age of the HCG group was 37.8 years; placebo group 38.4 years.  Results: Mean weight loss (HCG: 19.96 +/- 1.63 lbs; placebo: 11.05 +/- 1.29 lbs) and percentage of starting weight lost (HCG: 11.47%; placebo: 6.77%) were greater in the HCG group than the placebo group. Fourteen patients lost 15 lbs or more in the HCG group; 5 lost 15 lbs or more in the placebo group.

Hunger was decreased (HCG: 76.6% of daily responses indicated little or no hunger; placebo group 48.7% of daily responses indicated little or no hunger). Feeling of well being was greater in the HCG group (HCG: 86.5% indicated they felt “good” to “excellent”; placebo: 70% said they felt “good” to “excellent”). Blood pressure was not significantly different between the two groups. Interestingly, Dr. Harper’s patients who received placebo injections lost more weight on average than either the HCG or placebo patients of 4 other physicians.  The authors concluded, “Therefore, HCG used in a casual program of weight reduction, as it is often used in a general practice, is of no value,” meaning that the very low calorie diet is the critical element leading to weight loss.

Gusman H. Chorionic gonadotropin in obesity. Further clinical observations. Am J Clin Nutr. 1969;22:686.

In this article, Dr. Gusman states he’s treated “well over 2,500 patients of both sexes, aged 15 to 75″ with Simeons’ HCG protocol.  Gusman studied with A.T.W. Simeons at his clinic in Rome.  This article discusses Simeons’ concept of obesity, namely, that it is a “definite metabolic disorder, much as is diabetes, caused by a breakdown of a regulating mechanism located in the…hypothalamus.” He call this “the fat-regulating center.”

Gusman explains that fat cells in the obese differ from normal fat cells in that they’re more numerous and larger.  These “overstuffed” fat cells metabolize glucose less efficiently than normal fat cells.  Normal fat tissue serves two functions: structural material (to protect organs and blood vessels) and fuel storage.  Abnormal fat tissue is also a potential reserve for fuel, but is not immediately available in nutritional emergencies.  Only after the normal fat reserves are exhausted will the body use abnormal fat.  Severe calorie restriction leads to exhaustion of normal fat reserves before abnormal fat is used, and the patient will be weak and hungry “while the ugly fat deposits – of which he originally wished to rid himself – have hardly been reduced.  At this point, the patient often becomes depressed and frustrated, and the diet is abandoned.” 

The only type of “nutritional emergency” where all types of fat cells are immediately useable is during pregnancy.  Simeons suggests it’s HCG that brings about changes in the hypothalamus preventing obesity during pregnancy. 

Gusman compiled records from 450 of his patients receiving either 3 or 6 week treatment.  He makes the following observations: 1) 90% of patients were able to reduce their weight, 2) 60-70% reached their desired normal weight, 3) “a majority” claimed this regiment was the easiest and most successful to follow, 4) “many” who regained some or all of their weight claimed they kept their weight off longer than previously, and didn’t mind returning for treatment, 5)”nearly all patients” experienced “euphoria” in spite of marked low intake of food, and 6) the markedly obese had the most satisfying results.

Lebon P. Treatment of overweight patients with chorionic gonadotropin. J Am Geriat Soc. 1966;14:116.

Lebon P. Action of chorionic gonadotrophin in the obese. Lancet. 1961;2:268.

Simeons AT. The action of chorionic gonadotrophin in the obese. Lancet. 1954 Nov 6;267(6845):946-7.

Stuart C. The action of chorionic gonadotophin in the obese. Lancet. 1961;278(7196):268-9.

Negative studies:

Bosch B, Venter I, Stewart RI, et al. Human chorionic gonadotrophin and weight loss. A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. S Afr Med J. 1990;77(4):185-9.

This study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial comparing HCG injections with placebo for weight loss.  Forty obese women (body mass index greater than 30 kg/m2) were placed on the same diet supplying 5,000 kJ per day and received daily intramuscular injections of saline or HCG, 6 days a week for 6 weeks. A psychological profile, hunger level, body circumferences, a fasting blood sample and food records were obtained at the start and end of the study, while body weight was measured weekly.  Results: Subjects receiving HCG injections showed no advantages over those on placebo in respect of any of the variables recorded. Furthermore, weight loss on the diet was similar to that on severely restricted intake. The authors conclude, “There is no rationale for the use of HCG injections in the treatment of obesity.”

Craig L, Ray R, Waxler S, et al. Chorionic gonadotropin in the treatment of obese women. Am J Clin Nutr. 1963;12:230-234.

This study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of evaluating the effectiveness of the Simeon method using HCG vs. placebo, and a 550 calorie per day diet.  Twenty obese women were treated for forty days. Results: all subjects but one lost weight, but the losses were small and not uniform, suggesting varied adherence to the diet.  The basal metabolic rate was increased in four HCG subjects and two control subjects. 

Greenway FL, Bray GA. Human chorionic gonadotrohpin (HCG) in the treatment of obesity: a critical assessment of the Simeons method. West J Med. 1977;127(6);461-3.

This study was a double-blind, placebo control trial using HCG injections or placebo to test weight loss, hunger level, mood, and localized (spot) reduction while adhering to a very low calorie diet.  Results: Weight loss was identical between the two groups, and there was no evidence for differential effects on hunger, mood or localized body measurements. The authors conclude, “Placebo injections, therefore, appear to be as effective as HCG in the treatment of obesity.”

Lijesen S, Theeuwen I, Assendelft W, et al. The effect of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in the treatment of obesity by means of the Simeons therapy: a criteria-based meta-analysis. Br J Clin Pharmacol 1995;40:237-243.

This paper was a meta-analysis of eight uncontrolled and 16 controlled trials measuring the effect of HCG in the treatment of obesity.  The trials were scored for quality and methods (based on four main categories: study population, interventions, measurement of effect, and data presentation and analysis) and the main conclusion of author(s) with regard to weight-loss, fat-redistribution, hunger, and feeling of well-being.  Methodological scores ranged from 16 to 73 points (maximum score 100), suggesting that most studies were of poor methodological quality.  Of the 12 studies scoring 50 or more points, one reported that HCG was a useful adjunct.  The studies scoring 50 or more points were all controlled.  The authors concluded, “that there is no scientific evidence that HCG is effective in the treatment of obesity; it does not bring about weight-loss or fat-redistribution, nor does it reduce hunger or induce a feeling of well-being.”

Miller R, Schneiderman LJ. A clinical study of the use of human chorionic gonadotrophin in weight reduction. J Fam Pract 1977 Mar;4(3):554-8.

Treatment of obesity with human chorionic gonadotrophin was shown to be of no better value than saline in a double-blind crossover study of weight reduction in obese subjects. There was also no significant difference in mood, hunger, or missed injections, and no apparent difference in adherence to diet when the two agents were compared. In contrast, a significant difference was found in the ability of subjects to lose weight in the first four weeks of the study in contrast with the second four weeks, no matter which agent was used. Thus, the initiation of a new therapeutic program, even using an inert agent, has a temporary benefit–a manifestation both of placebo effect and the Hawthorne effect.

Rabe T, Richter S, Kiesel L, Runnebaum B. [Risk-benefit analysis of a  hCG-500 kcal reducing diet (cura romana) in females]. Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd. 1987 May;47(5):297-307.

The British physician A.T.W. Simeons described in 1954 a new method for dieting. He combined a reduction diet (500 kcal per day) with daily injections of the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) (125 IU i.m.). According to Simeons the patient should not lose more weight during a 4-to-6 weeks’ diet than without hCG, but the injections should facilitate to maintain the diet and to lose body weight at specific parts of the body (e.g. hip, belly, thigh). After the first publication various studies conducted with male and female patients analysed the efficacy of the “Cura romana”. 10 of these studies showed positive and another 10 studies negative results with regard to hCG-related weight reduction. Two of these studies with positive results were double-blind studies (hCG vs. placebo). Most of them were reports on therapeutical experiences and were not controlled studies. According to these reports the body proportions normalized and the feeling of hunger was tolerable. Four out of 10 studies with negative results were controlled studies (hCG vs. control without hCG), whereas 6 were double-blind studies. These studies showed a significant weight reduction during dieting, but no differences between treatment groups in respect of body weight, body proportions and feeling of hunger. One of them is the only German study conducted by Rabe et al. in 1981 in which 82 randomised premenopausal volunteers had been dieting either with hCG or without hCG injections. In recent publications describing mostly well-documented double-blind studies, authors largely reject hCG administration in dieting. Supporters of the hCG diet must prove the efficacy of this method in controlled studies according to the German Drug Law. Until then the opinion of the German steroid toxicology panel is still valid, that hCG is ineffective in dieting and should not be used.

Shetty KR, Kalkhoff RK. Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) treatment of obesity. Arch Intern Med. 1977 Feb;137(2):151-5.

This study compared After a nine-day control period, six hospitalized obese women given 125 IU of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) intramuscularly daily for 30 days with five obese women who received injections of dilutent only (placebo.  Patients consumed identical, 500-calorie per day diets for the same period.  Although the number of patients was small, the study is significant since patient diets and all injections were monitored closely in a hospital setting. Results: Mean weight loss in the HCG-treated group was nearly identical to that achieved by women given the placebo. Reduction of triceps skinfold thickness or circumferential body measurements of the chest, waist, hips, and thighs were not different. Patterns of change of a variety of plasma and urine substrates, electrolytes, and hormones were similar in the two groups and consistent with semistarvation and weight loss.  The authors concluded,” These results indicate that HCG has no effects on chemical and hormonal parameters measured and offers no advantage over calorie restriction in promoting weight loss.”

Stein MR, Julis RE, Peck CC, et al. Ineffectiveness of human chorionic gonadotrophin in weight reduction: a double blind study. Am J Clin Nutr. 1976;29(0):940-8.

This study was a well-designed, randomized, double-blind trial of 51 women receiving HCG or placebo for 32 days (28 injections), along with a 500 to 550 kcal/day diet.  The study was designed to duplicate the Asher-Harper study (above).  Each patient was given the same diet (the one prescribed in the Asher-Harper study), was weighed daily Monday through Saturday and was counseled by one of the investigators who administered the injections. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in the means of the two groups in number of injections received, weight loss (HCG: 15.79 lbs; placebo: 15.52 lbs), percent of weight loss (HCG: 9.48%; placebo: 9.25%), hip and waist circumference, weight loss per injections, or in hunger ratings. The authors concluded, “HCG does not appear to enhance the effectiveness of a rigidly imposed regimen for weight reduction.”

Young RL, Fuchs RJ, Woltjen MJ. Chorionic gonadotrophin in weight control. A double-blind crossover study. JAMA. 1976;236(22):2495.

Two hundred two patients participated in a double-blind, randomized, cross-over study of the effectiveness of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) vs. placebo in a weight reduction program. Serial measurements were made of weight, skin-fold thickness, dropout rates, reasons for dropping out, and patient subjective response. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between those receiving HCG vs. placebo during any phase of this study.

Other interesting studies

Sohar E. A forty-day-550 calorie diet in the treatment of obese outpatients.  Am J Clin Nutr. 1959;7:514-518.

The purpose of this paper was to present a method of producing rapid weight reduction in obese patients.  This study looked at forty-five patients who started fifty-three courses of 550-calorie diet, consisting of two meals prescribed in detail.   Patients were told what to eat (Simeon diet) and were not told calorie content.  Thirty-nine patients were given HCG injections (125 units), fourteen others received daily injections of saline.  Patients were told that weight reduction would be due to the diet but that injections would help curb appetite.  The authors assumed from the start that HCG was ineffective in terms of weight reduction.  Injections were given for “psychological reasons only” since patients were assured they would curb appetite. 

The authors state that the diet Simeon prescribed is successful because average daily weight loss is high due to the very low calories consumed.  Patients are more likely to stick to the diet due to time limitation – i.e., they know the diet will only last 40 days.  They state that “the vast majority of patients are willing to suffer for forty days for the reward of losing the predicted and attainable amount of 20 pounds.”  The author also surmises that success is due to the fact that food is prescribed, not calories.  This eliminates the estimating that usually goes on with calorie counting.  In other

words, most patients do not weigh or measure food and do not record calories properly.  Sohar recommends not advising patients in terms of calories, but to prescribe meals in detail. 

Another reason Sohar gives for success of the diet is that only two meals per day are prescribed; therefore, contact with food is minimized.  Lastly, activity level is unrestricted, “enabling all obese people, most of whom are housewives, to reduce.”  Sohar points out that his paper, as well as Simeon’s work, proves that obese patients can lead a normal life performing moderate work on 500 to 600 calories per day.

(1) Simeons AT. The action of chorionic gonadotrophin in the obese. Lancet. 1954 Nov 6;267(6845):946-7.

 (2) Lukaczer D, Liska D, Lerman R, et al. Effect of a low glycemic index diet with soy protein and phytosterols on CVD risk factors in postmenopausal women. Nutrition 2006;22:104-113.

The key here is knowledge, and understanding the relationship between fat gain, fat loss, and the truth behind your diet. Once you see the link between those factors, you will realize that your efforts are much more targeted, and you will see weight loss in a completely different and most importantly, easy light altogether! The first and foremost reason why Low Calorie Diets do not work is that most of the time, your body is malnourished. You do not have sufficient energy because of the low calorie foods, and your daily work schedule is affected as a result. You feel tired, lethargic, and definitely not feeling better than before you started on the diet.

Bear in mind these two points, if you want to lose weight successfully:

First, calories are NOT the culprit to fat gain. In fact, they give your body its much needed nutrition and energy. With sufficient food, your metabolism rate is increased and that eventually helps in weight loss. That is of course not saying that the more calories you have, the more weight you will lose. The magic formula here is: You must burn more calories than you take in. Eat less, not nothing.

Second, eating the right food. Skip the fast food and any other snack that you think you should not be eating. Have more protein-rich foods. Protein builds muscles and muscles burn lots of calories. In addition, protein makes you feel full, so you won’t go hungry that quickly. Perfect news for those who succumb to temptations and tend to overeat easily.

It’s really that simple – Understanding how diets work and how your body breaks down calories and fat. See the link now? Low calorie diets not only do not help you lose weight, it might even cause you to put on a few pounds!

Do you want to know the secret behind calories and fat loss?

Check out my review of the top weight loss programs to get the lean body you have always wanted.

Moreover, a very low calorie diet is said to have helped with problems related to menstruation. Of course, this type of diet plan is medically supervised to assure safety and well-being. A very low calorie diet is typically advised to obese people to jumpstart their weight loss program. This diet plan was created to enable rapid weight loss. Women who intend to lose a certain amount of weight by following the very low calorie diet, under the guidance of a health professional. This diet program involves nutritional counseling, therapy, and exercise. A patient may be required to replace food with meal replacement bars or liquid shakes for several weeks or months, depending on the weight goal.

Weight loss can also be attained through fasting or colon hydrotherapy. The procedure actually flushes out all the accumulated wastes in the colon. These wastes could weigh from 2 pounds to 25 pounds. Just imagine how much weight is pressing down on the the other organs of the body and this is partly what causes cramps during menstruation. Moreover, the lingering and proliferating toxins in the body which are partially originating from the wastes in the colon can weigh down on the entire body. These toxins also cause various discomforts and illnesses such as depression, constipation, migraines, and abdominal pains. That is why detoxification therapies such as fasting, nutritional diet programs, and colonics are immensely beneficial.

Some women might wonder if colonic irrigation can be performed during menstruation. The answer is yes, except in cases of severe cramps and heavy bleeding. Then, it would be better for the cleansing procedure to be performed before the menstrual period. The procedure involves lying flat on a treatment table and loading of water into the colon via a tube inserted in the rectum.

For most people, this just does not make sense at all. If you eat less, why or how can you possibly gain any weight? Well, that is an easy answer: your metabolism.

By eating less and less often, you are essentially training your body to burn less fat. When you eat roughly 5-6 small meals a day, your body is constantly digesting and burning the fat so it gets gradually more efficient. But if there is less food to be digested, then your metabolism has to work less hard and kind of slacks off, if you want to think of it that way.

The key here is to eat 5-6 small, healthy meals a day. That means at least breakfast, brunch, lunch, snack, and dinner every day. Skipping breakfast will not help you and neither will skipping dinner. Keep in mind, the less often and less intense you make your metabolism work, you will lose the efficiency and ultimately gain weight. So really, your daily calorie intake does matter since you do not want to dip too low for many reasons.

Now, it goes without saying that these small, healthy meals absolutely should not contain foods that make you gain weight, rather than lose weight. These foods would be anything considered junk food, fast food, soda, sports drinks, or sweets like cakes and cookies. So make sure to eat healthy and make wise health choices in the food department. Keep in mind that not all calories are created equal. Some foods, like fruits, can have tons of calories but is not necessarily bad for you because it is considered a negative calorie food. What that means is that even though it has plenty of calories in this food, it will not contribute to weight gain since it does not have any saturated fats. Other foods that are considered negative calorie foods are vegetables so eat plenty of fruits and vegetables!

Now you are going to want to include protein in your diet. You can get protein through either nuts or meats. It may seem kind of opposite to add meat if you do not want to add fat to your diet but fat is also still essentially, just not saturated fats in particular. And it makes sense to add protein even in meat form because of two particular reasons – 1. meat has plenty of protein and is great for you and very satisfying, and 2. protein is an essential building block of your body and you need to eat plenty of protein to build muscle, especially if you are working out as well.

Speaking of working out, it is important to incorporate exercise into any weight loss program that you follow. And when you workout, your body naturally uses up calories to keep your muscles going so the more calories you eat while you are leading an active lifestyle, the longer you will stay toned and slim. When you stop working out though, if you stick with the same amount of calories per day, those will turn into extra excess calories, which will turn into fat and weight gain instead of loss.

Okay, so all of that talk was about a diet that is high in calorie but what happens when your diet is very low in calories? Well, first you do not want that. If you eat less food or calories, that does not help you to lose weight and can actually make you gain weight. Not only does it make you gain weight but your metabolism is all messed up and inefficient, which will contribute to the weight gain any way. Finally, eating too little calories can create even more dangerous health risks, something that no one needs.

So make sure to eat enough calories for your body type and age. Be careful when dabbling into low, very low, calorie intake. It does not work the way you think it might, so do not just go ahead and severely limit your calorie count.

Real quick, keep in mind to eat plenty of meats, fruits and vegetables and avoid saturated fats all together!

First, low calorie diets are focused on just minimizing the total daily calorie levels, regardless of anything else. Low calorie diet can be anything from just eating less regular food or eating those commercially prepared meals that are dangerously low in calorie level and are meant to replace meals. Keep in mind, these replacement meals are probably the worst you can do. Now, initially, you definitely will lose weight and it will be mostly body fat, which is a good thing. But this is not a normal response or even a normal method of losing weight.

By reducing the calorie levels, you are essentially throwing your body into starvation mode, which is the only reason you are losing body fat. During starvation mode, since you are not eating enough calories, your body automatically uses the fat stored in your body to burn as energy. Your body cannot sustain this for very long because those stores of body fat are created through eating healthy. Once those are gone, your body will naturally begin to use muscle mass as energy. This is completely self-defeating if you are genuinely intent on losing weight.

So really, what these low calorie diets are doing is effectively making you weaker by taking away your muscle mass through starving yourself. This is completely the same as shooting yourself in the foot because you need the muscle mass to keep your metabolism as effective and efficient as possible to help you lose weight healthfully. Now if you do not care about being healthy, then yes, you can use those replacement meals and see where they take you. But for those of you who want to live a full, healthy life, avoid replacement meals.

And here is the other way these low calorie diets suck: once you lose the weight, it is normal to think that you can go back to eating regular food and at the regular amounts you used to. Well, the problem is that, yes you are increasing the calorie levels to a normal, healthy level but you will not lose weight. In fact, you will actually gain weight because during that little binge with low calorie meals, you probably significantly lowered your metabolism rate. Ah, you see now, right? Once you lower your metabolism rate, your body does not and will not burn fat as readily as before. So when you bump up the calorie levels per day, you are eating more but your body is burning less and storing more fat, which automatically equals weight GAIN!

So all that time and money spent on trying to lose weight through low calorie diets has now gone down the drain! You are back to where you were when you started. Actually, you are probably in a worse state since you have lost some level of your metabolism! So now you are at a disadvantage.

Then what do you do at this point? Well, if you have not learned that the low calorie diets are the cause, then you might just end up going back to the low calorie diets since they seemed, emphasis on seemed, to work when you were on them. So after you have gained back the weight, you end up going on the low calorie diet again and lose the weight. And now you have started the horrible cycle of weight gain and weight loss, affectionately called the Yo Yo Diet.

So how do you avoid the Yo Yo Diet? Simple, you have to eat healthy, normal calorie-level foods in roughly 5-6 small meals per day and you must exercise. It is really that simple; the only question is your determination. This method will give you great results that are actually permanent, no back and forth going on. The best part, healthy eating and exercise is about the only way to keep the weight off for good with no negative side effects. So what are you waiting for? Lose those replacement meals and get yourself on a healthy weight loss plan that works!