Weight Loss and Anti-Aging Without Dieting, Drugs, Packaged Meals, or Diet Products.
No More Dieting – It’s a Lifestyle…Not A Diet!! ®
A Clinical Nutritionists Perspective
By: Christopher Fuzy MS, RD, L.D/N
Masters Degree in Clinical Nutrition / Sports Nutrition Licensed Clinical Nutritionist
Why Is America Fat?
Most of us have very active and varied lifestyles. By attempting to eat to control blood sugar and slow down the aging process, one can eat and entertain without food restrictions.
According to American Heart Association and American Cancer Society, 70% of your risk for heart disease and cancer come from your lifestyle and diet, and only 30% comes from genetics. Heart Disease and Cancer rates, the primary causes of death in the United States, keep increasing more every year since the last 100 years. As a society, we are eating less fat; however, the National Institute of Health (NIH) reports that more than half of Americans are overweight.
If we are eating less fat, then why are we seeing more cancer, more heart disease and increasing obesity?
Due to consumer demand and higher profits, people in the U.S. have made the genetic modifications to our staple foods such as corn, wheat, rice, potatoes, fruits and vegetables, which have allowed us to produce more tons of food per acre. These modifications can produce a sweeter grain/ food with more carbohydrates and significantly less fiber. Food manufactures then create food items such as potato chips, rice cakes, crackers, breads, etc. with very little nutritional quality. In addition, Madison Avenue (New York) advertising executives use guerrilla-marketing techniques such as marketing products that say low fat or low carb to make you think the products are healthy when they’re not. And lastly, the fierce competition among restaurants to make profits can also cause the macronutrient intakes of restaurant meals to be substantially disproportionate for our metabolic and lifestyle needs. In other words, they’re filling you up with inexpensive food to satisfy you, at the expense of your health, and for the benefit of their profits.
It’s not your fault, it’s Americas’ problem.
Blood Sugar Management, Not Calorie Management
“Clients are amazed when they finally realize that the more you try to diet, the harder it is to lose weight,” says Christopher Fuzy, the Nutritionist and Founder of Lifestyle Nutrition.
Counting calories or points can make you hungry and does not guarantee your blood sugar level will be balanced throughout the day, which is one of the key elements for a healthy metabolism. Diet products and / or medications may provide some temporary relief or short-term results. Often, this may provide a false sense of wellness or satisfaction. If lifestyle and diet are not changed long term, inevitably the weight returns and often with more body fat and less lean muscle, which is detrimental to a healthy metabolism.
“Every persons metabolism, activity level, lean mass and food preference are different – The Lifestyle Nutrition Program ® takes all these factors into consideration so our clients are not hungry, tired, bloated or irritable.”
A nutrition program that limits the amount of food or points to eat daily may increase your appetite and make you hungry, or potentially affect your relationship and your view of food and eating. Some researchers report that dieting may cause negative physical and psychological effects that far outweigh the positive effects of dieting. These researchers report that dieting “creates more problems then it solves.” They also report the negative side effects of dieting often will not allow for long-term (sustained) weight loss, which is the key to reducing risks for heart disease, diabetes, and many cancers.
Balancing your blood sugar is one of the keys to reducing appetite, cravings, and body fat. “Blood sugar management will increase your energy level and psychological well-being,” says Mr. Fuzy.
“By concentrating on blood sugar, not calorie counting, and understanding the different digestion and absorption times of foods, you can now balance your own nutritional program at home, in restaurants or even when traveling.”
Long Term Lifestyle Changes – No More Dieting!!!!
One of the keys to good nutritional compliance is not to promote food restrictions; instead, all foods can be eaten when balanced properly. All people are different and require different foods depending on their lifestyle, beliefs, culture, and level of understanding of nutrition.
One of the keys to good nutritional compliance is that you have to like and enjoy your nutritional program. By understanding a little of the science behind nutrition, this will provide you the ability to have an endless variety and flexibility, which will help you to develop eating habits that compliment you and your lifestyle. As a result of understanding what you need to do and why you need to do it, you will be empowered. Your nutritional program will become a positive uplifting experience, one that should nourish your body and spirit.
Blood Sugar, Lean Muscle & Metabolism
Most clients tell me that they think the percentage of calories used up in a 24-hour period at complete rest is around 10% to 20% of the total amount per day. However, most people use approximately 70% of their daily calories at complete rest. This means that only approximately 30% of the average calories used per day actually come from moving around and exercise (on a average day exercising 4 days per week a total of 170 minutes per week). This is why it is important to increase your lean muscle mass for weight loss.
Remember, increasing in lean muscle mass through proper diet and exercise will help you raise your metabolic rate, which will help you lose weight at complete rest and while working out.
Since such a large portion of your daily calories (approximately 75-80% of total calories) are expended at complete rest it should become apparent that the need to fuel your metabolism and increase lean muscle mass, should be your primary goal of your nutrition program. Again, 75-80% of your ability to lose weight happens at complete rest, so it is very important to either preserve, or promote lean mass which increases metabolism and raises weight loss.
Remember, chronic yo-yo dieting (weight cycling – repeated cycles of weight loss and regain) is often unhealthier than the risk factors before weight loss and regain. The researchers specifically mention physical conditions such as heart disease, certain cancers and psychological factors like depression, anxiety, anger, low self-esteem, and social isolation results in the reduction of metabolic rate.
Before
Many people go most of the day not eating, not eating balanced, or eating too much food late in the day. In all 3 cases blood sugar levels are not optimized and instead of just burning body fat, like we all want to believe, we are burning muscle protein and converting protein to sugar for energy. Many times clients find out they are not overeating; instead, their proportions of carbohydrate, protein, and fat percentages are not maximized for their age, metabolism, activity level, sex… etc. This leads to problems with hunger, cravings, and decreased metabolism.
After
Slow Digesting Carbohydrates verse Fast Digesting Carbohydrates
The higher the blood sugar level, the higher the body fat levels, the higher risk for insulin resistance and prediabetes and then an increased risk for developing Diabetes. American Diabetes Association announces a new diagnosis and disease – PRE- DIABETES. According to the research, unmanaged PRE – DIABETES can become diabetes. 95 % of type II diabetes is from improper lifestyle and diet not genetics. Therefore prediabetes and Type II diabetes are reversible with proper diet and exercise.
Most people forget you need some sugar carbohydrates for muscle building and quality workouts. Restricting your calorie or carbohydrate intake too low does not provide enough fuel to promote protein synthesis. Remember, to build muscle protein it takes energy, which is best in the form of carbohydrates.
When you starve yourself throughout the day, your body will use sugar storage (glycogen), fat stores, and muscle protein for energy. By not eating enough you will convert muscle protein into carbohydrate (sugar) for energy, which is called gluconeogenisis. Furthermore, your body will also lower your body temperature, you conserve calorie expenditure, you sleep deeper and longer and you absorb more calories from the food you are eating. This is similar to what the body does during starvation.
However, too many simple carbohydrates from most cereals, bagels, pretzels, crackers, most protein bars and protein powders have an opposite effect on energy level and blood sugar. These foods may actually cause a short term blood sugar elevation which in turn lowers blood sugar which is especially not good for energy and metabolism. Many clients find that by just counting calories, and eating a low carbohydrate diet, they cannot lose the body fat; they are always hungry or tired. Learning which foods digest and absorb more slowly, do not raise blood sugar abruptly and will help balance appetite cravings and metabolism.
Your body composition (lean muscle mass), sex and activity level determine your daily calorie needs. The more muscle you develop, and the higher the activity level you exert, the more calories you can eat! Not necessarily the more body weight but the more lean mass (muscle). Remember muscle burns a significant amount of calories even while you are asleep at night, fat does not. The key to anti aging and weight management is to increase your lean mass and decrease your body fat, which will then raise your metabolism both at rest and during exercise.
Your goal should always be to raise your metabolic rate naturally through food. A customized nutrition program that is based on your muscle mass, age, sex and personal goals will promote weight loss without hunger or cravings. Its like a sliding scale carbohydrate program based on your metabolism, your medical needs and your lifestyle. It truly is a Lifestyle, Not A Diet TM!
The goal is to be able to implement a customized program for your personal and medical needs and be able to eat satisfying and healthy foods in restaurants, at home and on the run and not feel deprived.
Many clients ask why am I always tired or hungry? As soon as 3:00 P.M. comes around we break out the bag of snacks in the office. “After dinner, my cravings are uncontrollable and around 9:00 P.M and I eat the house down”.
Balancing your blood sugar throughout the day is crucial instead of counting calories, so you’re not hungry
(satiated – satisfied). If you balance the correct percentages and amount of the Carbohydrates, Proteins and Fats along with your metabolism and activity level then food cravings go away and muscle synthesis will increase your metabolism.
Consider having your metabolic rate measured and a custom nutritional program designed for you based on your lifestyle, metabolism, lean mass, and activity level & food preferences.
Here’s Your Action Plan
Plan out the next 4-6 weeks with WEEKLY nutritional goals. Your Goal is to eat healthy 5 of 7 days per week and spread out the days you relax a bit on the healthy eating. For example 2-3 days healthy eating, and then one day relaxed eating including one 1-2 of your favorite foods (or a meal) that you really crave and so on. For many clients, knowing chocolate, pizza or French fries are on their program makes them happy & a bit more relaxed.
Getting Started is the Most Difficult Point
Keep it Simple
Week one concentrate on one small aspect of eating. Most individuals take this all or nothing approach, which sets you up for failure before you begin your program. Remember, you are not starting another diet this time. This is your new anti-aging blood sugar management program to decrease risks for disease and manage your blood sugars to maximize energy, increase your metabolism and promote fat loss – not a calorie restricted meal plan in any way!
My Disclaimer
Nutrition articles and books usually generalize information because readers (the audience) come from very different backgrounds, knowledge levels, lifestyle & eating habits. As a clinical nutritionist in private practice for the past 19 years, I am much more specific as to the exact names of the foods and the exact amounts when I am working with an individual, or physicians practice depending upon their beliefs. I usually know a person’s metabolic rate, lean body mass, sex, height, weight, goal weight and eating habits. I find that by teaching patients the correct combinations of foods and a little of the science behind the foods is what takes away hunger appetite and stimulates metabolism and energy levels. The few examples I provide are a bit general and depend on what “level” you are eating currently.
The Goal:
#1 Try to eat at least every 3 to 4 hours, or there’s the problem of low blood sugar, hunger, appetite, cravings, irritability, moodiness, and LOSS OF LEAN MUSCLE. Breakfast and snack choices become very important with blood sugar management and appetite control.
#2 Try to combine a lean protein food with a high fiber carbohydrate at meals and snacks. The goal is to produce a slow release of energy that will last 3 to 4 hours.
#3 Eat 4 to 6 small meals or snacks per day. No large meals.
#4 Concentrate on eating foods that decrease cancer, heart disease, and reduce risks for diabetes and strokes.
The goal is to lose weight by accident, as a result of following an anti-aging blood sugar management program!
Most of the time the high fiber disease preventing foods help fill you up anyway and blood sugar management and weight loss occurs naturally without hunger and cravings.
#5 Consider having your metabolic rate measured and a custom nutritional program designed for you based on your lifestyle, metabolism, lean mass, and activity level & food preferences.
Christopher Fuzy M.S., R.D. the President of Lifestyle Nutrition, has private offices in Fort
Lauderdale & Boca Raton Florida. He has practiced Nutrition Counseling for 20 years, has a
Masters Degree, and a Bachelors Degree in Clinical Dietetics. Chris completed clinicals in the
Texas Medical Center, Houston and was the Chief Clinical Dietitian at Plantation General Hospital. Mr. Fuzy has set up well over 700 nutrition counseling programs with physicians nationwide. For a complimentary consultation please call 954-561-0166 or visit for Health Care Professionals LIFESTYLENUTRITIONINC.COM
© 2009
