Experts say health, not time, important in weight loss

When it comes to weight loss, success should not be measured by how much and how fast the pounds drop off, experts say.

And there is no miracle food, diet or magic pill out there.

People should not pay attention to ads and weight loss claims promising immediate results, Onslow Fitness Center head trainer Shaun Jones warns.

“Be realistic when setting goals,” he said. “I think too many people begin an exercise plan with unrealistic expectations and expect to lose an unrealistic amount of weight within a certain time frame.”

Starving and working out until one almost collapses is counter-productive, says Michael Brown, a leader at Weight Watchers in Jacksonville. The television show “The Biggest Loser” should not be a guide to weight loss since few people have their own doctor, trainer and nutritionist monitoring them 24-7.

“That is not the norm,” he said. “You want to lose weight in a healthy manner. I tell (my clients) you didn’t put it on overnight and you are not going to lose it overnight,” he said. “Slow and steady wins the race; you have got to be patient. It is a journey.”

He said Weight Watchers recommends losing no more than a half to 2 pounds a week.

“That is a good weight loss, and that is a lot,” he said. “You have to set goals realistically for what you can obtain. Chop and work at small increments and celebrate achieving the smaller goals.”

Weight loss, to be successful, has to be a lifestyle change, says Shelia Wheeler, a leader at Weight Watchers in New Bern.

“Weight Watchers is not considered a diet,” she said. “We encourage healthy eating so the body gets what it needs every day. You have to lose the diet mentality.”

She recommends the first goal one should set is to lose 5 percent of your total weight and celebrate every five pounds lost.

Both Brown and Wheeler say it is important to consider the amount of activity of each person to determine what level of exercise should be recommended to start an exercise routine.

“When it comes to activity we encourage all our members to just move more,” said Wheeler. “Then we tell them to add a little more to what you are doing now and change it up a little bit — that helps. Build a little each week.”

And when it comes to losing weight and keeping it off over the long haul, it is all about learning to eat healthy and make better choices, not about starving oneself, Wheeler said.

“You cannot deprive yourself; otherwise, you’re going to go off the plan and gain the weight back quickly,” she said.

The key is eating well-balanced and nutritious foods to provide the body with what it needs to burn calories efficiently.

“With our point system you may even be eating more than you did before,” Brown said.

Dr. Scott Ellis, with Onslow Primary Care, said inappropriate dieting has its risks. The best plan of action is to keep a well-balanced diet and incorporate strength training — lifting weights — with aerobic exercise. And he said it is a good idea to check with your doctor to make sure there are no underlying complications from being overweight such as diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

“Reducing calories too much can lead to starvation,” he said. “When your body enters starvation mode, it first utilizes all of the readily available sugar in the body. Then, it will quickly go after the proteins in your muscle, leading to muscle loss.” 

He also said there are other risks including gallstones, dehydration, malnutrition and electrolyte imbalances. 

We all lose weight at different rates, Ellis said. 

“Metabolism, genetics, age and even your gender all make a difference,” he said. “For example, men lose more weight than women of similar height and weight due to men having more lean body mass, less percent body fat and, therefore, higher energy expenditure.  Older subjects of either sex have a lower energy expenditure and therefore lose weight more slowly than younger subjects; in fact, your metabolic rate declines by approximately 2 percent per decade.”

Know thyself and thy carbs when it comes to food choices, Ellis said. Not all carbohydrates are created the same. 

“Different carbohydrates are metabolized at different rates,” he said. “This is the theory behind the glycemic index. Foods with a high glycemic index such as bananas, white rice, plain bagels … are all processed by the body more quickly then low glycemic index foods such apples, peanuts, fiber products. Fast-digesting carbohydrates spike insulin levels, which lead to increased weight gain as the insulin shuttles nutrients to your fat cells.”

For those keeping count, reducing your calories by 500 calories a day can lead to a loss of a pound a week, he said. And if you are doing all the right things and not losing weight Ellis says see a doctor.

“There may be an underlying medical reason why you can lose weight,” he said.