As part of the AgeLess Integrative Medical Spa Weight Management Program, we offer the latest in metabolic testing technology using the Korr Revue Metabolic Analyzer.This machine uses a time tested medical procedure known as capnography, or the measurement of exhaled carbon dioxide. This technology is also used in the care of critical care patients who are on a ventilator in hospitals.

How it works is simple. You see, it takes oxygen to burn energy, and energy in this case is simply calories. So by measuring the output of carbon dioxide the machine measures how much oxygen your body uses at rest, thus the amount of calories your body burns at rest. Sitting in a big comfortable chair, we have you breathe through a tube ( with your nose plugged to ensure all the air you breathe goes through the machine ) for 10 minutes, after which we get your “resting metabolic rate”, which is simply how many calories your body needs to function at rest for a day.

From there, the machine does projections based on your height and weight to tell us how many calories your body needs for day to day activity, to and from work, up and down stairs, etc. It also tells us, again based on your height and weight, how many calories your body needs for 1/2 hour of exercise…nothing crazy, a good brisk walk perhaps. The total of those two figures combined with your resting metabolic rate gives us the estimated amount of calories you need on a daily basis.

From there the machine will give projections that tell us what calorie level you need to eat to maintain your current weight, the manufacturer’s “weight loss zone”- how many calories to eat with exercise as well as what is known as the “medically supervised zone” for those looking to lose the most weight in the shortest amount of time.

The machine also will tell us on a simple graph what your current metabolic rate is. This is important because your metabolic rate is simply how fast your body is burning energy ( calories ) and we want to ensure we keep that metabolism working at peak performance to ensure body fat is being burned. Many people are surprised to find that despite conventional wisdom saying the opposite, most people who are overweight have good metabolisms as the more we weight the more energy our body needs to take in and burn to carry that weight. Those who do have low metabolisms do so due to a handful of reasons- low thyroid function, skipping meals, or over exercising just to name a few, and we’ll address those things should that prove to be the case.

The advantage of this metabolic testing is we can see what your body’s caloric needs are and in turn can tailor a diet to fit your individual needs. If you find you need more food, we will know how many more calories you can take in and still lose weight. Yes you read that right, you can eat more and still lose weight !

Not bad for 10 minutes of breathing !

Many people ask me why they can’t have eggs when doing the AgeLess Weight Management Program in place of Eggbeaters or just egg whites. The answer is pretty simple- they are more calories. For instance, the breakdown of 1/2 cup scrambled eggs ( not factoring any milk or other ingredients ) is:183 cal., 12.2 g protein, and 13.4 g of fat

Now let’s look at the same amount of egg whites : 63 cal., 13 g protein, and < 1g fat.

So you’re getting the same amount of protein in a 1/2 cup of egg whites, and a fraction of the calories and fat ! Have you ever wondered why ?

Well to find out we have to have a look inside the egg itself.

Okay, that didn’t help much did it ? Let’s try again.

When you look at this picture, you have to remember is that the eggs isn’t intended by Nature to be food for us, but food as well as a life support system for a baby bird.

The yolk of an egg is meant to be not only the place where the embryo germinates but also is a food source for the chick. Just prior to hatching, the chick will draw in the yolk and the nutrition is provides through the umbilicus for the difficult task that is involved in breaking out of the eggshell. Actually, the nutrition provided by the egg yolk can sustain the newly hatched fuzzball for up to 72 hours after hatching. This is how hatcheries are able to ship day old chicks across the country with no food or water.

( Feeling guilty about eating eggs ? Don’t. Eggs you buy in the stores are infertile. )

So think about how much energy would be required to do all that hard work and then still have enough to sustain yourself for a couple days beyond that. That’s how much fat and how many calories the yolk of the egg provides. However for us humans, especially those of us who are trying to lose a few pounds all that fat and calories is unnecessary.

The egg white ( albumen ) however is simply there to protect the yolk and embryo when necessary. Sort of like Nature’s bubble wrap only not as much fun to play with.  It doesn’t need to provide much in the way of nutrition to the baby bird, but for us humans it is a good, low calorie source of protein.

All those other parts of the egg are pretty cool and serve a function as well, but nothing that has to do with dietary uses for eggs, instead all designed for a specific function in the development of a new chicken. Ask me about it sometime if you want to see how big a nerd I am.

Some people don’t care for the taste of egg substitutes or find the egg white to be rather bland or tedious to separate from the yolk. There are ways to liven things up a little bit for your taste buds, mainly through the use of herbs and spices or adding some vegetables to them for a healthy, low cal omelette. A tablespoon of fresh salsa or two could go a long way as well.

So there you have it, a little biology with your breakfast. But part of healthy eating is to be informed about what exactly is it you’re eating; and while we won’t do columns on things like oatmeal ( man, I’d fall asleep writing it ) I think the egg is a pretty interesting piece of evolutionary engineering worth looking into a little more.

How many of us are relatively faithful about maintaining our automobiles ?

We know they need to have the right fuel, they need to have the oil changed every 3000 miles or so, and a variety of other “systems check” to ensure the machinery is running at peak performance. We take care of our automobiles because after all, we get out of them what we put into them.

It’s not that much different when doing the AgeLess Weight Management Program really, and often times I will make use how we take care of our cars to illustrate how this works.

For example, when explaining how we interpret thyroid results there is a range of normal limits that your blood work results should fall within to ensure proper levels. If those levels are below the normal, it’s obviously not good, but even if they are “within normal limits” ( how often you heard that one ? ) but on the lower end of normal, it’s still low. This is especially true if you are having signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism, which can and will make weight loss difficult.

So think of your thyroid levels as your gas gauge on the way to losing weight. If your levels are on “E”, you’re not going anywhere obviously, but even on the 1/8 tank mark, you’re still not going to get very far. We prefer to see you at about the 1/2 tank mark, right in the middle where you should be, only because the “Full” mark in our analogy would bring with it a whole other set of problems ( hyperthyroidism).

Also, when reviewing the results of their Korr Metabolic Testing many people are surprised to see they have a rather high daily caloric need, often in excess of 3000 cal. per day. It does seem a little excessive at first, and did to me when my own number came back more than 4000 calories !!!  I knew there was no way I was eating that much a day and figured there was obviously something wrong with our machine until Dr. Cilip explained that the amount of calories we need will often increase according to our increased weight. Or as he put it, “What takes more gas, a tractor trailer or a small sedan ?”

Again with the automobile reference… and I thought I was a pickup truck, tops.

Although, it made perfect sense, really. The bigger we are, the more energy we expend carrying it and truly as my weight has gone down I noticed on my second Korr test the calorie numbers have gone down as well.

The final auto analogy I like to make is one I don’t use very often, but I will use when someone is feeling apprehensive about dieting; they’re worried about how they’re going to be successful when they love to eat so much. I will advise them to think of eating like putting gas in their car. How many of us get excited and look forward to filling up the car ? No one I know of these days. So neither should you get excited and look forward to your next meal. Just keep in mind that for now, it’s not food, it’s fuel. 

Only this fuel is cheaper.

So hopefully that helps make a little more sense why we do what we do here with the Ageless Weight Management Program. You’ve taken care of your sedan all these years and now are taking care of the machine that is your health, and both should be looking and feeling good for it !

No, I don’t mean the song by k.d. Lang.

 It is not uncommon for someone to come in the office and tell us that they are having cravings for foods they normally wouldn’t. So I set out to type up a quick column about why these cravings happen and what we can do about them. Then it dawned on me that Dr. Cilip had already done so for handouts we once gave out to weight management patients. So rather than re- do that, I’ll simply share his thoughts with you here:

” We are hard-wired by Mother Nature to hunt and gather. Just as we spoke about the desires to vary our diet, there are similarities at work here. We are “programmed” to want: sweet, salt, and fat. Why?

A caveman/woman who is assigned to hunt/gather will, if programmed for these substances, have to go much farther and wider to find them, and will therefore hunt/gather proportionately more. You have to find a lot of small animals and nuts to get enough fat, a lot of fruit to get enough sweet, and a lot of ground vegetables to get enough salt.

Unfortunately for our waistline, we have only to hunt down a convenience store and gather some cellophane packages to get well more than we need. Remember and focus on why we think and crave the way we do, and it makes it a little easier not to do it.

What do the individual cravings mean?

A craving for fatty foods means you need more fat. Fat is what your brain eats, and for the most part it is what your brain is made of. Don’t mess with this one, craving fat/chocolate/fried food/grease….means you needs oil. So, get some. Fish oil supplements, more fresh fish, more olive oil or grapeseed oil. Don’t suppress it, just don’t fall into the fast food/bad fat trap. Mother Nature knows what you need. So does the fast food industry.

A craving for salt means you need water. Salt or sodium, does a lot of great and wonderful things for the body, and one of those things is preventing dehydration. You are on an 800 calorie a day diet. Not hard to drift towards dehydration. Need salt? Eat some….with lots of water as well.

Some salt. Not a lot. Biggest cause of osteoporosis? Excess salt!

A craving for sweet means: you’re stressed. I’m starving you almost to death, why wouldn’t you be. But why sweet foods, or sugars to combat stress? Sugar/starches that you eat leads to insulin release. Insulin, although pretty toxic to our blood vessels, leads to a feeling of relaxation, and helps increase the release of Cortisol, which is a very helpful hormone and promotes a number of things to help us stay alive. It is a fight or flight hormone and it speeds up the laying down of fat. Those are two big problems! For one, you don’t really need to fight or flee from most of the stresses. For another, the stressors are not going to be bad enough to lead to starvation, so you do NOT need more fat laid down from the sugar/carbohydrate load. The ingestion of sugar/starch as a response to stress was important to cavepeople, those protective mechanisms kept them alive. Our stressors are far less apt to be fatal on a day to day basis, and our exposure to very, very rich carbohydrate sources is way too frequent….and tempting. So, what do you do about the stress, and the sugar craving? First, eat a small amount of fruit to defuse the whole insulin time-bomb that threatens to upset the balance of things. And second, exercise for a few minutes, to cause a milder form of the cortisol release. This is not the same advice as we might give to a non-dieter, whom we would counsel to exercise long and hard to increase the release of beta-endorphins, a natural compound in the body much like morphine. For us at this time that is too much exercise.

If the stress situation is overwhelming, we individualize the program even more. Like more calories and more exercise. Or herbal medications to combat the stress. Or acupuncture to help decrease the physical stress response (and help decrease the appetite and the cravings). Do not let the stress response control your eating, because unless there is a tiger chasing you, it is doing nothing at all constructive.

Excessive carb cravings may similarly mean you are approaching a state of caloric deficiency where we will get a better weight loss curve by feeding you MORE. (Oh wouldn’t that be awful?)”

It’s pretty interesting, and somewhat comforting, to know that those cravings for foods that aren’t the best for us ( but are more fun), sugars, sweets and fatty things are for a reason. Like it or not, no matter how far we have advanced our technology or how civilized we’ve become, we’re still animals built the way Nature intended. However knowing this can make it easier to overcome those urges and help us stay healthier and slimmer despite ourselves ! – Chris

We have started up a new page on FaceBook for those currently enrolled in the AgeLess Weight Management Program or interested in starting it which you can find by clicking the link at the end of this post.

With this new page we hope to bring you the latest in health news as it pertains to losing weight and keeping it off as well as eating healthy for a healthier you. While it isn’t a place to discuss an individual’s private health information, blood work for example, it could be a great opportunity to discuss with AgeLess staff and others other general information such as recipes, advice and support.

Click the link below and when you sign in be sure to click the “like” button at the top of the page so updates appear in your own newsfeed.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/AgeLess-Weight-Management-Program/178295928944151

While science has yet to find a way to make losing weight fun, we at least
have found a way to make it a more positive experience. You’ve heard us say
it, the AgeLess plan isn’t hard, just not a lot of variety. ( “Choices = Calories” ) Well, there
are some pretty simple ways to add variety and make the process a little more
enjoyable, at least until we figure out how to lose weight eating pizza and
wings.

The first and simplest way to give yourself some variety is in the
presentation of the vegetables. When we talk about the “salad” what we
really mean is vegetables in any combination. Therefore, you don’t have to
just eat a big bowl of greens. What I tell people is try to eat the salad/
vegetables raw as much as possible however when you get tired of that you
can break up the monotony by steaming or otherwise cooking your
vegetables. Want 12 oz of steamed broccoli ? Fine ! Or, you can have a 6 oz.
side salad and 6 oz. of steamed vegetables to go along with your protein.
This gives the visual appearance of a “normal” meal as well.

Another way to mix things up a bit is to simply vary the kind of salad
dressing you use. What I do when eating salads is switch between things like
a low calorie Italian dressing and a low cal Raspberry Vinagrette. Once in a
while, balsamic vinegar is a good alternative, but use caution as a little
bit goes a long way.

I was once told by someone who did our program that he liked to put hot
sauce on his salad, as it was a great way to ensure he drank a lot of water.
To that end, another low calorie topping you can use is salsa. Home made
salsa is best, and I would advise that you check the calorie count to ensure
there’s no added sugars if buying it in the store. It is low calorie and
really just made up of three acceptable vegetables: tomatoes, peppers and
onions !

Remember, herbs and spices are acceptable. Some fresh rosemary and olive oil on some chicken breast tastes delicious !

The final tip I would offer for variety is, when you are eating your meat on
a salad and mixed in, take the time to heat up the meat seperately before
adding it in. This will bring out the flavor and the juices of the meat and
make your meal taste that much better.

The above tips probably seem pretty simple, and they are, but being so
simple are easily overlooked. Give them a try and see if they help make the
experience a little more enjoyable, at least until we figure out how to lose
weight eating pizza and wings.

You’ve done everything you should for the last couple months, lost weight
and are happy with how you look. Now you’re looking at the calendar and
seeing that the holiday season is right around the corner and wondering how
much weight you’re going to gain from now to New Year’s Day. Well with a few
simple steps, you can keep that weight gain to a minimum, if you gain at
all.

Remember when you reached your goal weight we told you to weigh yourself
twice a week ? If you’re not doing that already, now is a good time to
start. Not monitoring one’s weight is the biggest cause for that weight
creeping back up on you. Give yourself a “pad” of 3-4 pounds… weight that
you will allow yourself to gain. When you reach the high end of your “pad”,
you simply get back on the low cal induction diet and within a short time
that weight should come off.

Another thing to keep in mind is, most holiday parties and dinners occur on
weekends, or as with Thanksgiving, on one particular day. Therefore you’re
only going to be in a situation where you are eating in a higher calorie
range on those select occasions. However on the weekdays, especially in the
workplace, it is easier to control what you eat by simply taking low
calorie/ healthy meals to work with you. Focus on healthy, low calorie food
choices on the weekdays and enjoy your holiday event or dinner within
reason. You have to live a little ! That one or two days out of a week where
you are at a party or holiday dinner ( where few foods are low calorie )
will not have a huge impact and you should see very little weight gain if
any. And hey if you happen to see the scale go a little higher, you know
what you have to do !

Of course there is also the obvious thing to do, and that is keep your
portions of high calorie foods smaller. For example, a small portion of
baked ziti with a large salad and some lean protein source if available.
Same goes for desserts which seem to be found in abundance at the holidays.
Just a small slice of pie if you must have some.

They seem like simple things, but these tips to maintain your weight loss
are commonly overlooked. With just a little  vigilance on your part, you can
make it through the holidays and into the New Year the slimmer, healthier
you that you worked so hard to be.

No, not roadkill.

Many of our weight loss clients are busy people. Whether it’s work related travel or extra curricular activity the kids are involved in, folks spend a lot of time on the go nowadays. So while sitting down as a family to a home cooked meal may be the ideal scenario, it certainly isn’t always realistic. So the question many people ask is, “How do I stick to the diet yet be able to eat on the go ?”

It’s actually pretty simple when you think about it.

One of the first things I recommend to people is to find a restaurant that has a pretty good salad bar. The reason I say this is because there you will be able to better manage what goes on your plate. By the first week or so you should be able to “eyeball” how much salad/ veggies 12 oz is so you will be able to load your plate up with lots of that at an average salad bar and walk away sated. Remember to try to stick to the leaner protein options available- often there will at least be some form of turkey or cottage cheese on hand. From there, be sure to avoid “diet killers” like chickpeas, cheese, croutons, bacon bits… you know, the “good” stuff !

If you find yourself in one of the many chain restaurants, be very careful what you order. Many people will order what they believe is a healthy, low calorie salad but in fact be getting something that is well over 1,000 calories ! For example:

Chili’s Asian Salad with Grilled Chicken – 930 cal. and 50 grams of fat

Appleby’s Oriental Grilled Chicken Salad – 1240 cal. and 54 grams of fat

Outback’s Queensland Salad (without dressing ) – 840 cal. and 59 grams of fat

And that’s just one meal !

When you find yourself in a situation where you are eating in a chain restaurant, the best thing to do is find the “low cal” menu many of them have, often around 500 calories or less. Also, simply substituting things like French Fries for healthier options such as steamed or grilled vegetables will cut down on the calories in your meal. Most waitstaff are able to accommodate this rather easily.

If there’s not even time for sitting down or the kids want a Happy Meal, it is possible to eat at fast food joints. For example:

McDonald’s Southwest Salad  w/ grilled chicken  - 320 calories

Burger King Garden Salad w/.Tender Grill chicken – 230 calories

Arby’s Turkey Club Salad – 250 calories

When ordering salads like the ones listed above, simply get them with low calorie dressing which averages around 40 calories per packet. Also, removing cheese and croutons if already on the salad will lower the calories more.

There are many resources available to consumers to find nutrition information about the food offered in most restaurants. Those with “smart phones” such as Droid or iPhone can find many useful apps to assist. For those still stuck in the 20th century ( like myself ) there is an outstanding book available, “The Calorie King Calorie, Fat and Carbohydrate Counter” which lists just about any food you can think of, both in the supermarket and in restaurants.

While frequent travel certainly can make sticking to a diet plan a challenge, it’s also not impossible. With a little planning and education it can be relatively simple to stay close to your ideal calorie range so you can still lose weight while dining with family, friends or co-workers while on the road.