If you are trying to lose weight, it is best that you give up drinking alcohol. In order to regain control over your eating habit, you will need to show resolve and give up all sugared drinks, including drinks with artificial sweetener. By “killing the craving” for sweets, you will be less tempted to drink sodas or juices once you are in the maintenance phase. If you never learn to extinct the craving, you are more likely to resume back your previous lifestyle, leading to a higher likelihood of gaining back your weight.
The same can be said for giving up alcohol. In order to gain control of drinking alcohol, you must train yourself to give up alcohol, thus “killing the craving” for alcohol. If not, you are more likely to drink more than you should, leading to weight gain.
There are many myths out there regarding alcohol. We need to address the myths, understand the science, and apply this knowledge to our daily life.
1. Is it true that hard liquor contains no carbohydrates?
Any hard liquor that is distilled from fermented substances do not contain any carbs, so their glycemic index is zero. Vodka, rum, whiskey, gin, and tequila are distilled from the fermentation of potatoes, sugar canes, grained mashes (barley, rye, wheat and corn), juniper berries, and agave plants respectively. Even though these alcohol beverages are derived from high carbohydrate sources such as grains, potatoes and sugar canes, the distillation will result in ethyl alcohol, which is eventually broken down by the liver into acetate, and finally into carbon dioxide and water, not sugar. Therefore, the glycemic index for these hard liquors is zero and it would not cause a rise in insulin.
So does this mean it is okay for people to drink hard liquor when they are trying to lose weight? For the reasons explained above, even though hard liquor does not cause a net rise in insulin level, it is important to stay off the alcohol during the active weight loss phase because you are training yourself to “kill the craving” for alcohol. This would allow you to have better self control later on.
2. Do hard liquors cause weight gain?
Hard liquors may not not cause weight gain by increasing insulin levels, but they cause weight gain because of the high calories. A shot of hard liquor contains almost 100 calories. If you are trying to limit your caloric intake, would you rather use it on one shot of liquor or eating 4 ounces of fish or meat? In essence, you are adding “empty calories” without an nutritious value. In addition, many times we do not just drink a shot of hard liquor on the rocks. Drinking more than one shot would add to the total calories. Hard liquor is often found in cocktails and mixed drinks. Vodka is the main ingredient in Bloody Mary’s, screwdriver’s, Sex on the Beach, and Black or White Russian, while rum is found in mojitos, pina coladas, and Mai Tais. As you are mixing drinkings, you are adding other drinks that are high in carbohydrates, thus leading to a spike in insulin, and also adding to the total calories. The combination of both will work against your weight loss regimen. For example, a 4.5-ounce pina colada cocktail has 262 calories and 2.6 grams of fat,while a 3-ounce Sombrero has 308 calories and 14.5 grams of fat.
3. Do wines contain carbohydrates?
Unlike hard liquor that undergoes distillation, wine contains some carbohydrates when grapes are fermented into wine. . A 5-ounce glass of red wine typically contains 150 calories and 5 grams of carbohydrates while a 5-ounce glass of white wine contains about 84 calories and 3 grams of carbohydrates. The carbohydrates are relatively low but the calories are relatively high for a glass of wine.
4. Do light beers cause weight gain?
Beers are made out of grains and they contain carbohydrates. Although the light beers contain fewer carbohydrates, the differences between regular and light beers are tiny. A can of regular beer has 13 grams of carbohydrates and 150 calories while a can of light beer has 96 calories and 3.2 grams of carbohydrates. The carbohydrates will cause your body to produce insulin to bring down the sugar, thus leading more fat deposits around your gut. In addition, beer drinkers typically snack on beer nuts or pretzels instead of eating a high protein diet. As a result, it is not uncommon for us to see beer drinkers with “beer bellies.”
Summary
Weight gain from alcoholic beverages are primarily due to calories and not carbohydrates. Hard liquor is distilled, so it does not break down into sugar, but it is high in calories, especially if it is used in cocktails or mixed drinks. Wines, red more than white, are high in calories and also contain carbohydrates. Beers have the most calories and carbohydrates. Light beers may have less calories, the carbohydrates are high and thus lead to a rise in the insulin level.
Overall, alcohol should be avoided if you are trying to lose weight because of the calories and sometimes carbohydrates. More importantly, it is critical to give up alcohol during the weight loss phase as you want to train yourself to “kill the craving” so that you will have better self-control later on.
Our life is busy as it is. It is a constant balancing act between work and family. We are constantly on the go, trying to get from one place to another. We manage simple crisis from time to time but sometimes life throws us a curve ball where we have to deal with emergencies. At times, we wonder how do we manage and survive the day?
We focus so much on every aspect of our lives but we often forget the most important person is sitting right in front of the mirror. We worry about everyone else but when it comes to our health, we don’t pay much attention to it. We make up excuses by saying, “I don’t have time to cook so I will grab something quick from a fast food restaurant.” “I am too exhausted to go to the gym!” And when it comes to losing weight, we often say, “I will start tomorrow.” And when the next day comes, we make another excuse. “Tonight is my husband’s birthday party. I can’t start today. I will do it tomorrow.”
I empathize with my patients. I know how hard it is. I have put off things until another day and find myself never doing it. But when it comes to your health, it is very important to try your best and not make any more excuses.
Here are five reasons why you should you wait to lose weight.
1. Improve your health. A modest weight loss of 5 to 15% of total body weight in a person who is overweight or obese may result in lower blood pressure, cholesterol level and blood sugar level. It reduces the risks factor for heart disease.
2. Increase your life span. Research studies show that people with a BMI between 30 and 40 lose between 1 and 7 years of life expectancy, and those with a high BMI greater than 45 lose up to 13 years. By losing weight, you will be able to live a longer, healthier life.
3. Improve your sex life. A study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons showed that morbidly obese men reported better sexual function after losing significant amount of weight. A similar study from Brown University showed similar results for morbidly obese women. Besides having more energy level and feeling more attractive, losing weight improve chronic illnesses like diabetes and hypertension that may affect sexual function.
4. Increase your energy level. Obese people may complain of more fatigue. They may not have the stamina to work throughout the day or keep up with the kid’s activities. Obesity may increased your risk for sleep apnea, thus contributing to more fatigue during the day. But with a change in their lifestyle by eating healthier and exercising, they may achieve weight loss and have more energy level to keep up with their busy schedule.
5. Improve your self-confidence. Overcoming barriers to lose weight will be a huge achievement. Besides looking good, you will feel better about yourself. You don’t have to wear baggy clothes to hide that extra fat. You can boost your self-esteem and feel good about your accomplishment.
It’s easy to make excuses. A healthy lifestyle including diet and exercise demands that you do it daily so don’t put it off until another day.
Don’t wait to lose weight. You can call 951-685-7000 to make an appointment at Lorphen Medical Weight Loss Clinic in Riverside or go to our website, http://www.lorphenmedical.com.
We talked earlier about the importance of a low carbohydrate diet and its relationship to insulin. As long as the insulin level remains high in the body, this will promote fat storage so it would be more difficult for you to lose weight. Therefore, it is important to eat food that would not cause an insulin increase. Meat and fish contain high protein and very little, if at all, sugar. Seventy percent of what we eat contain carbohydrates and this may increase your blood sugar level.
But not all carbohydrates will increase your blood sugar level and lead to an insulin increase. A way to measure this is using the Glycemic Index (GI), a ranking system (0-100 score) that classifies foods based on the degree they raise blood sugar levels during digestion. Foods with a high GI tend to be absorbed rapidly, which cause a rise in blood sugar levels because they are digested and broken down very rapidly. This, in turn, will cause a rise in your insulin level. For example, pure sugar is given a GI of 100, so any food with a high GI will raise blood sugar levels.
On the other hand, foods with low GI tend to be digested, broken down and absorbed slower, leading to a slow, gradual rise in blood sugar level and subsequently insulin level. These types of food make you feel fuller, give you more energy and limit the spiking of insulin. Therefore, it may limit your weight gain and even lead to weight loss and reduced the risk of diabetes.
It is important to keep in mind that the GI does not take portion size into account. The actual amount any food raises blood sugar level depends on the GI as well as how much you eat.
Before eating, remember to review the GI of the food you are eating. Avoid eating high GI food while limit eating medium GI food as much as possible. Try to eat foods with a low GI value. Here’s a quick breakdown:
High GI Foods = GI of 70 or more
Medium GI Foods = GI of 55 to 69
Low GI Foods = GI of 0 to 54
The GI does not accurately predict what your actual blood sugar is unless you measure it. It is only a concept worth understanding so that you can make better choices.
Let’s apply this concept to the weight loss program at Lorphen Medical Weight Loss Clinic. During the active phase of weight loss, you are on a low carbohydrate, high protein diet with a caloric intake restriction between 1000-1200 calories per day. Remember, weight loss requires eating less and eating healthy in order to lower your insulin level. This is where the Glycemic Index comes in.
Meat, including beef, pork, chicken, turkey, fish, seafood, and egg are high in protein and very low in carbohydrate. This will lower your insulin level over to allow your body to burn fat rather than storing fat.
Carbohydrates should be avoided because it will cause a rise in blood sugar, therefore, keeping the insulin level high. We see below the GI for some the food you should avoid, especially bread, cereal, potato, corn, tortilla, rice, pasta, and pizza.
Food GI
French baguette 95
Bagel, plain, white 72
White bread 70
Hamburger buns 61
Wheat bread 70
Whole-grain bread 40
Multi-grain bread 45
Mashed potato 74
French fries 54
Corn Flakes cereal 84
Pancakes 67
Rice, white 87
Rice, brown 50
Some may wonder why you cannot eat the low GI food such as whole-grain bread, multi-grain bread or brown rice. During the active phase of weight loss, the goal is to lower the insulin level so that your body can burn fat and lose weight. Low GI food will still cause your sugar levels to increase, although not as rapidly as the high GI food, and lead to an insulin level increase.
Some fruits cause a higher insulin response while others cause less.
Fruits GI
Watermelon 72
Plums 69
Pineapple 66
Banana, Mango 55
Orange, Grapes 44-46
Apple 38
Peach, Prunes 29-30
Grapefruit 25
Cherries 22
Therefore, you should avoid eating watermelon or bananas, and eat more oranges, apples, peaches or prunes, grapefruit and cherries.
In summary, food with a high Glycemic Index (GI) will cause blood sugar level to rise, causing an increase in insulin level, which in turn, help promote fat storage. On the other hand, food with a low GI will reduce the blood sugar level, leading to a decrease in insulin level. Lowering the insulin level will allow the body to burn fat rather than storing fat.
The use of medications in the treatment of obesity has been debated for many years. For physicians who believe obesity is a disease, they often would prescribe medications along with lifestyle modifications or use surgical interventions, to address this serious disease. Others do not believe obesity is a disease but simply a lifestyle choice by and the only way to treat obesity is to eat less and exercise more. For those trying to lose weight, they know that it’s not that easy. Some may exercise and still find it difficult to shed pounds. And for them to see a thin person eating a ton and never exercising not gain weight, this is quite discouraging!
I have patients at Lorphen Medical Weight Loss Clinic share with me how frustrating it is to hear from their friends or family members who are not overweight or obese to eat less and exercise more if they want to lose weight. It is as if their friends and family members are implying that my patients are not motivated and don’t want to lose weight. This is far from the truth!
Obesity is more complex than just a lifestyle choice. People do not “choose” to be overweight or obese. They are not obese because they are lazy or not motivated to lose weight. Obesity is a medical problem that involves biological, metabolic and behavioral components. According to Bellisari et al, humans evolved the ability to store body fat when opportunities to consume excess energy arose. Hence, our body developed elaborate and complex physiological systems to protect against starvation and to defend stored body fat. (Please refer to the Why Low Carbohydrate Diet Post for more information.)
We see from research data that diet and exercise don’t typically work on their own, and don’t lead to long-term outcomes in most patients. Recently, there are three companies trying to gain FDA approval for the treatment of obesity. (All have failed to gain FDA approval.) In order to gain approval, the FDA requires two, double-blinded, placebo-controlled studies illustrating that the study medication is statistically significant in reducing weight compared to placebo. The study design has two arms, the study medication and placebo. Both arms must include lifestyle interventions, including counseling, diet, and exercise. In other words, the placebo arm receives only lifestyle interventions while the study medication arm receives drug on top of lifestyle interventions. The placebo treatment response in the Contrave, Lorqess, and Qnexa Phase 3 trials showed 1.3%, 2.2%, and 2.4% weight loss from baseline after 52 weeks respectively. When study medication was added to lifestyle interventions, the Contrave, Lorqess and Qnexa Phase 3 trials showed 6.2%, 5.8%, and 13.4% weight loss from baseline after 52 weeks of treatment respectively.
Some may argue against using medications to treat obesity because of the low response rate after one year. If the rate is low, look at the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions in those studies. Clearly, lifestyle changes alone is not effective. Sometimes, medication may be needed to help with the weight loss to go along with eating better foods, reducing sugary drinks in the diet, and exercising more.
Currently, only two medications are approved by the FDA for the treatment of obesity, orlistat and phentermine. Orlistat is available either in prescription or in over-the-counter formulations. Phentermine has been approved by the FDA since 1959 and is the most widely prescribed weight loss agent with 6.1 million total prescriptions written (branded and generic) in 2009 (Information Management System [IMS] data).
The debate should not be about obesity as a disease or a lifestyle choice. It should focus on what we should do to help fight this epidemic. Recent data show that 68% of American adults are overweight or obese. Further studies show that people with a BMI between 30 and 40 lose between 1 and 7 years of life expectancy, and those with a high BMI greater than 45 lose up to 13 years (Fontaine 2003).
The use of medications in the treatment of obesity is neither black or white. All medications have potential side effects and drug-drug interactions. Physicians should always obtain a thorough history and weigh the risks versus benefits before they prescribe a medication for the treatment of obesity. Any use of medication should always include lifestyle changes, including diet and exercise.
If you are overweight or obese and you are struggling to lose weight, don’t be discouraged. At Lorphen Medical Weight Loss Clinic, we do have solutions to help you lose weight. You may call us at 951-685-7000 to schedule an appointment or visit us at http://www.lorphenmedical.com.
A high carbohydrate meal results in an increase in blood sugar level, causing the body to produce insulin. Insulin helps bring down the blood sugar and converts the excess sugar into fat.
Obesity is related to a high level of insulin. Because insulin helps make fat, it is difficult to burn fat if the insulin level remains high.
Even if you eat less and exercise more, but if your insulin level remains high, you will find it hard to burn fat and lose weight. People who are thin tend to have low insulin level at baseline. Therefore, when they eat, they are able to burn the fat so they remained thin. But as soon as they gain weight, usually by eating high carbohydrate food and drinks, their body begin to produce more insulin, thereby raising the insulin level. When this occurs, the insulin tells the body to store any food intake as fat. This will make it more difficult for people to lose weight.
The common denominator of all successful weight loss programs, including Lorphen Medical Weight Loss Clinic in Riverside, is a low carbohydrate diet because it lowers the insulin level. How? As we eat less carbohydrate, our body does not need to produce as much insulin in order to bring down the sugar level. It usually takes 3 to 4 weeks for the insulin to drop to a threshold level where your body can burn fat. Therefore, any weight loss program should be around 3-4 months in duration, or when you hit the weight loss plateau.
It is very important to be disciplined and maintain a low carbohydrate diet throughout your weight loss period. Many diet programs allow people to reward themselves once a week or so. Some programs specifically allow reward points. However, what people do not realize is as soon as you “cheat” and eat carbohydrate during the weight loss period, your blood sugar level will go up, causing an increase in insulin. When insulin rises, it will tell your body to store whatever you eat afterward as fat. This will prevent fat from being burned and your weight loss will be minimal again.
“Cheating” by rewarding yourself with carbohydrates probably is the biggest reason why people going through diet programs fail! This explains why their weight would “yo yo” up and down throughout their life.
Weight loss is not just about eating less. It also involves eating right to lower your insulin level. Any weight loss programs that do not focus on both, a low caloric and a high protein, low carbohydrate diet, will not lead to long term success.
To illustrate this point, if two people starting off with the same weight eat half as much in their attempt to lose weight, we would agree that they both would lose weight simply by eating less. But if one eats a high protein, low carb diet while the other eats a high carb, low protein diet filled with ice cream and bread, who do you think would burn more fat and lose more weight in the long run, even if both of their intake is the same?
The person eating the high protein, low carb diet would not only lose weight, but they will lose inches as well. A patient at Lorphen Medical Weight Loss Clinic recently came back for her one month visit. Her initial BMI was 26.7 and she lost 11 pounds and 3 inches around her waist. Even though she has lost weight in the past with other diet programs, she never really lost inches around her waist because other diet clinics did not emphasize sticking diligently to the low carbohydrate diet. The weight loss she experienced in the past may just be water loss rather than fat loss.
This is why it is so important to stick to a low carbohydrate diet for at least three months and be disciplined and not cheat during this time. It is much easier said than done. At Lorphen Medical, we acknowledge the difficulties and offer our patients appetite suppressants, such as FDA-approved phentermine, to help suppress the appetite and craving for carbohydrates. A combination of medication along with nutritional education and exercise may offer the best solution for weight loss for some people who are overweight or obese.
You may have tried many different weight loss programs in the past. You may have enjoyed some success for a brief time but then gained back all the weight. We all know that it boils down to eating less and exercising more. It sounds simple but it’s hard to achieve on your own!
Even if you eat less, do you know what type of diet you should be on? For example, if two people decide to go on 1500 calories-per- day diet, they will lose weight over the next month. But what if the first person eat a diet filled with ice cream and starch while the second person eat a diet filled with high proteins and no sweet, who would be more successful at losing weight over time?
Weight loss is not as simple as just eating less. You also have to eat right by eating a low carbohydrate diet in order to lower your insulin level (see next blog).
At Lorphen Medical Weight Loss Clinic located in Riverside, CA, our program focuses on educating you and empowering you with knowledge so that you will have the necessary tools to effectively and successfully lose weight. It takes more than willpower to fight the appetite craving. Depending on your health history, our medical weight loss clinic may prescribe you a medication to help you lose weight along with nutrition and exercise.
If you are interested in losing weight, visit our weight loss clinic at 6000 Camino Real, Riverside, CA 92509 or call 951-685-7000 to make an appointment. You can check out our website at http://www.lorphenmedical.com.
lorphenmedical 