More High Protein Drinks

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High Protein Recipes

We just put together some High Protein Recipes. Just go to our website and visit the fast track page and download the recipes. 

What would happen if someone PAID you to lose weight?

 Dr. Sharma discusses a recent study published in JAMA. Bottom line: people who are paid to lose weight, DO lose more, at least in the short term, but bariatricians have serious misgivings about this approach.

Have you heard that the FDA recently approved two new medications for appetite suppression?

Have you heard that the FDA recently approved two new medications for appetite suppression? They are not yet available, but here is the "word" on them, from the FDA blog: "In clinical testing prior to approval, compared with lifestyle mod

ification alone, patients treated with Belviq plus lifestyle modification had an average weight loss of about 3.5% and patients treated with Qsymia plus lifestyle modification averaged weight loss of approximately 6% to 9%. Although these results are a step in the right direction, there are a few important things to keep in mind about these products.First, if you’re looking to lose a few pounds before going to the beach or after over- indulging on vacation, these drugs are not for you…one aspect of their use not highlighted by the media is that these drugs are intended for chronic use as part of a comprehensive weight loss program that includes modifications to diet and increased exercise. Obesity is a chronic disease, similar to diabetes or high blood pressure, and requires long-term treatment… among other adverse effects, Qsymia can cause birth defects and Belviq can cause a dangerous chemical imbalance called “serotonin syndrome.” Doctors and patients who are considering the use of these drugs as part of an individualized weight management program must carefully consider the potential benefits and the potential risks…”

Stay COOL during exercise for best results - new study

It seems that my preference to exercise in cool/cold rooms (often with a fan on) has a scientific basis - and we should be advising our patients that they will get better results from exercise, if they do what they can to keep their core body temperatures from heating up too quickly. I always tell our patients that our fat layer acts a little bit like a down jacket - so it's best to try to keep the room cool when exercising.

This study used special 'hand cooling devices' designed to keep venous blood cool, by having participants keep their hands on a surface that kept a steady 61 degrees. The author admits that holding a frozen water bottle during exercise is not really an ideal substitute, but could be tried; I think that it is not optimal to expose hands to ice during exercise, and think it is safer, healthier, and more practical to just advise patients to keep the room cool. They may also cool their core temperatures by drinking cold water ahead of time, and sipping throughout exercise.

Hunger Triggers Part 4: Can Exercise Make You Hungry? The Gym Effect

This is part #4 of my answers for Allure Magazine's "Hunger Triggers" April, 2010 article.


Scenario #4:
The Exercise or "Gym Effect" or "How exercise can lead to overeating.


Exercise is great for us - it really is a "magic pill." We know that exercise burns calories, keeps our bodies healthy and fit, slows the aging process, and is extremely important during weight loss (to help keep metabolism and muscle mass high) and for weight maintenance (over 90% of people who *keep* weight off long term, exercise almost every day.) So given all these benefits, how could exercise work against us? The simple answer: if we do not plan carefully, exercise can lead to overeating.


How can exercise lead to overeating?

1. People may give themselves permission to overeat after a gym workout, thinking they've "earned it." They forget that walking on a treadmill only burns about 70 calories a mile (a little more than one Oreo cookie.) Exercise machines at the gym are notorious for reporting that you've burned *more* calories than you actually have - don't believe them! To burn off 500 calories on the treadmill, you'd have to walk about 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 miles! People unfortunately often eat more than they've burned off, and don't realize it. Don't ruin a good workout with a bag of chips afterwards!   
2. Really intense workouts can lead to increased appetite, if you don't plan ahead. It is important to have a snack (containing protein and carbohydrates) within 1-4 hours *before* a workout, so you are not "starving." A snack will help prevent you from becoming "hypoglycemic" (having low blood sugar) during the workout, so you'll feel better, and have a more effective session.

After an intense workout, it is a good idea to have another small, balanced snack (containing both protein and carbohydrate), for two reasons. First, you need some carbohydrate to "restock" your muscles with glycogen (stored energy in your muscles). You need this so you'll have a good workout tomorrow! It is also important to have some protein, so your muscles can repair the tiny tears that occur during a workout - this is how you build muscle.


Besides the muscle benefits, a balanced snack will also help calm your appetite later. If you skip it, you will feel ravenously hungry. But remember - watch the calories, so you don't eat too much of a good thing!

Hunger Triggers Part 3: The Diet Food Effect

This is part #3 of my answers for Allure Magazine's "Hunger Triggers" April, 2010 article.

Scenario #3
The Diet Food Effect

Studies show that “lite” or “low cal” on the label can lead to people overeating these items, probably because they are fooling themselves into thinking these are “free” foods they can eat in unlimited quantities. I always tell people they HAVE to look at the calories, and very importantly the PORTION SIZE on the nutrition label, which can be deceptively small for many items. People can easily fool themselves into thinking they are eating 50 calories of something, when they may actually be eating a 200 calorie portion size. A few mistakes like this really add up by the end of the day.

People often make the same mistakes with “healthy” restaurant meals such as salads or wraps. Certain salad items, and many “healthy” wraps are very high calorie, sometimes very high in saturated fat, and may be very high in refined carbohydrates. Caesar salad can have 600 calories if it is covered with buttered croutons and high-fat dressing. Make it a Chicken Caesar Salad Wrap, and it could be even worse - 1200 calories, depending on how it’s made.

I advise my patients to check the calories, which they can often do at home ahead of time, by looking up a menu of a particular restaurant online. They can use websites of chain restaurants, or a calorie counting website such as Calorie King, Sparkpeople, Dotti’s Weight Loss Zone (great for restaurants) , or The Daily Plate. I also tell people to plan ahead; if they go often to a certain type of restaurant, say Mexican, Italian, or Indian, use one of the websites to get an idea of the best choices ahead of time, so they go in knowing pretty much what they are going to do. It can give people a sense of control; knowledge is power.