Weight Loss FAQ
During the diet am I allowed to use meal replacements and prescription medication?
Yes. Our clinic will make recommendations based on your medical needs and blood work (if provided) about therapies that will help you achieve even greater weight loss. It is also imperative that you continue to take any necessary prescription medication that your primary doctor has ordered.
Can I use artificial sweeteners while on this protocol?
Dr. Roberts does not generally recommend heavy use of artificial sweeteners. She can discuss the healthiest options on an individual basis with her patients.
Can I use MSG (monosodium glutamate)?
Dr. Roberts does not advise ingesting MSG due to its excitotoxic properties.
What if I cheat on the diet?
If you do cheat for a meal or for one or two days in a row, the weight loss process will stop for a few days or a temporary slight increase in weight may occur. Immediately start the diet again at the next meal and carry on. If you cheat on a meal every other day, you will not achieve the results you desire.
What if I have low energy or hunger during the diet?
Some patients may be dealing with insulin resistance or low blood sugar. Dr. Roberts can always make adjustments so that you are comfortable and feel well while on the program.
Can I eat salt?
During all the phases salt may be consumed. However, using too much salt can cause water retention, which will show up as increased weight on the scale.
The weight loss program calls for a large consumption of water and teas. Is this necessary?
During all the phases you should drink a minimum of one-half gallon of water per day, up to a maximum of one gallon. The importance and benefits of adhering to the water recommendation cannot be overemphasized.
Must I eliminate cosmetics, moisturizers, lotions, and creams during the diet?
Certain weight loss protocols recommend that patients avoid these products because patients were hypersensitive to these minor amounts of absorbed fats. However, Dr. Roberts generally allows patients to continue their health and beauty routines as usual.
What about abdominal exercises and aerobics?
Aerobic exercise has many health benefits. In terms of resetting the body weight set point, walking one hour per day outside is highly effective.
Will I gain the weight back?
If you return to a diet that is unhealthy and stop your exercise regimen, it may be difficult to maintain the results of your program. Dr. Roberts shifts her patients into maintenance phases after intensive weight loss to help them find a balanced, healthy diet and lifestyle that they can enjoy for years to come.
If the weight comes back can I do this program again?
Yes. If you lose a substantial amount of weight and a year later find you have gained some weight back, you may return to our program. Those choices are individualized and Dr. Roberts customizes the new diets to each patient.
What if the food label says all natural?
Today, the phrase all natural means very little in terms of the product’s health. It is preferable to eat food whose label indicates it is 100% organic.
What if I show no weight loss for several days in a row?
Dr. Roberts always adjusts plans to ensure that people break through plateaus in their weight loss program. However, seeing no changes on the scale does not necessarily mean that weight loss is not progressing forward. Fluid retention and losses also affect one’s weight, not just fat deposits. It is also possible that patients could be losing fat and gaining muscle, resulting in steady overall weight but improved body composition. This is a positive change because it means that your body is burning more calories at rest, and you will be less likely to regain weight if you improve your muscle mass. Dr. Roberts carefully monitors body composition during weight loss to ensure that patients are gaining muscle and losing fat, because excessive muscle loss is very unhealthy.
Why do some weight loss diet plans fail?
During dieting a person eats less, so his or her body receives a signal from the brain to enter starvation mode from the brain. The brain is wired to protect the body against starvation and death, so it protects fat stores to keep the body healthy through a starvation period.
How is starvation mode triggered?
The brain uses glucose for proper functioning, which it gets from the blood. Blood absorbs glucose from the food we eat. During dieting, blood receives less glucose. To overcome the shortage of glucose, the brain starts receiving backup glucose from the liver, stored in the form of glycogen. The brain finishes using the stored glycogen within 3-4 days. After that period, body gets the signal to switch on to starvation mode and prevents weight loss.
How are dieting and the starvation mode mechanism interrelated?
The moment the body goes into starvation mode it receives a signal from the brain to reduce the rate of metabolism. As the metabolism goes down, the body starts burning calories that are equivalent to our intake. Weight loss is minimal in this phase since calorie intake is equal to the calories burned. To fulfill the body’ required protein, the brain signals the body to eat up its own body muscle, leading to low energy and weakness. At this juncture people generally give up dieting. During this period the body’s low metabolic rate lowers to burn even fewer calories than before. Hence, the diet plan fails. Instead of losing weight, people tend to gain weight as low metabolism starts burning lesser calories.
Our weight loss programs avoid these pitfalls because they are medically supervised throughout and individually tailor the diet and exercise plans to each patient’s metabolism. While most diets damage metabolism, ours encourage its health and well being for years to come.