You Ask, I Answer: Hunger/Metabolism

I've always welcomed feeling hungry as an indication that I'd run out of easily accessible energy and therefore was digging into my accumulated fat.

I mean, how can you lose weight without feeling hungry?

But, I've also read that hunger is associated with a slowing of the metabolic rate which suggests I should NOT welcome the feeling, but instead eat something.

For the sake of argument, suppose I'm disciplined enough not to eat when I feel hungry. Should I eat something or not?

How much does one's BMR vary in response to the sensation of hunger?

I'm 10-20 pounds overweight, (i.e. not obese) and looking for a strategy to maintain my weight or lose a bit.

-- Robert Keyfitz
Washington, DC

Hunger is multi-layered concept.

Firstly, we humans are “special” because our hunger can be motivated both physiologically (there are different theories on this, ranging from low glucose levels to altered body temperature to stomach contractions) and psychologically (reasons not related to the body demanding calories, such as eating to alleviate emotions, eating out of habit, or eating “because it’s time to.”)

Oh, yeah, animals don't know what they're missing -- only we Homosapiens run the risk of scarfing down a bag of chips after a lousy date!

Your question also brings up the issue of weight loss and hunger.

Since these two are closely linked together, it is very important to have a carefully constructed weight loss plan drawn up by a professional – preferably a Registered Dietitians – who is able to implement strategies to make weight loss more manageable.

Telling someone who regularly eats 4,000 calories a day to go down to 1,400 overnight -- as many popular diets recommend -- is a recipe for disaster; yet, because people love quick fixes, they give it a try.

We know what happens. A week later they are about to lose their minds, drop everything, and go back to their established patterns of eating, without having learned any fruitful tactics.

So, should you eat something when you feel hungry?

This really depends on where the hunger is stemming from. Is it physical hunger, or is it masking other underlying emotions (anxiety, depression, boredom, fear, etc?).

Assuming we are talking about physical hunger, the answer is “yes.” The tricky part involves making the right choices.

The key is to choose lower-calorie foods that satiate. Remember that protein, fats, and fiber are the three pillars of satiety.

Note, though, that it is not necessary to have all three of those nutrients present in one food to feel full.

Let me give you an example.

A low-fat, low-protein, fiber-free food like pretzels is a terrible choice, as it takes quite a bit of them (and, thus, quite a bit of calories) to provide a feeling of fullness.

However, something like oatmeal (prepared with some skim milk) provides plenty of fiber and protein. Those 200 calories will leave you fuller for much longer than 200 calories worth of pretzels.

In order to keep metabolism running steadily, I recommend going no more than three hours without eating.

Again, though, this means having small snacks in between meals, not meals in between meals. A large triple chocolate shake from McDonald's may keep you full for several hours, but it also adds 1,160 calories to your day.

Going long periods of time without eating a single morsel of food not only decreases your metabolism, it also makes you more prone to binging.

One of the best weight-loss/maintenance strategies you can implement is to be in control of your food intake.

This means respecting your hunger and satiety, making deliberate choices, and supporting your eating with some structure (i.e.: not letting yourself go more than 3 hours without eating).

You Ask, I Answer: Starvation Mode

I found your site from Google looking for info on the alleged philosophy of your body going into "starvation mode" if it doesn't get enough calories.

I thought I remember seeing a tv special with Dr. Oz de-bunking this.

[He experimented on] a small number of people from Europe [and] found that it's NOT TRUE.

What say you?

-- Laura Lafata
Miami Beach, FL

I am not familiar of any experiment Dr. Oz conducted to debunk this, especially since it is not a myth.

It is a real, documented physiological state.

Here's what I do know in relation to Dr. Oz and "starvation mode."

A quick glance through You On A Diet: The Owner’s Manual for Waist Management (the book he co-authored with Dr. Michael Roizen) reveals the following passage:

“During the Muslim holiday of Ramadan, people eat only after sunset, so they consume all their calories at night. Should they lose weight?

Anecdotal evidence, gathered by doctors watching residents working all-night shifts, indicates that people who eat all their 2,000 daily calories in one meal gain more weight than those who space those calories over three meals.

Why? Because the one-timers are kicking in their starvation mode, making their bodies want to store fat rather than burn it.”

And then there’s this:

“Eat throughout the day so that you're constantly satisfied. The less you eat, the more likely you are to sink into starvation mode and make your body want to store fat.”

So, if anything, Dr. Oz abides by the “starvation mode” concept – as he should!

If we’re talking “across the board numbers,” any meal plan contributing less than 1,200 calories a day puts you in the “starvation mode” category (meaning that our bodies protect fat stores by slowing down the weight-loss process as much as possible).

If these low caloric amounts are continued for a long time, the body continues to resist by saving adipose tissue (fat) and instead sacrificing muscle tissue.

That is NOT good news.

Ultimately, metabolism is compromised (sometimes permanently) and returning to a healthy caloric intake results in weight gain.

This is why it is important to lose weight in a healthy way, not only by getting sufficient nutrients, but also by working with, rather than against, our metabolism.

You Ask, I Answer: Low Calorie Diets

What would you say is the minimum substantial amount of total calories you should eat to lose weight?

Are 800 calorie diets really that bad?

I was told that if you eat below 600 calories, your body goes into starvation mode.

But if you stay from 600-1000, then you're guaranteed weight loss?

I just want to figure out what I'm doing wrong and fix it.

I recall you saying that's the wrong way to go but then why do so many dietitians and weight management centers recommend this ?

-- Janie (last name unknown)

New York, NY

Low calorie diets (those going below the minimum daily recommended intake of 1,200 calories) are a terrible idea.

I take issue with the entire concept of a "diet."

If you go on one, you will inevitably go off it. And then what?

Most likely, old habits return -- along with the weight you initially set out to lose.

What I recommend is a metamorphosis towards improved dietary patterns and relationships with food.

I want to point out that this should always be looked at as a work in progress, and a process that isn't consistently moving in one direction.

An emotional setback or particularly stressful time, for instance, might have you reverting to old dietary patterns or seeking out high-calorie, sugar-laden comfort foods.

Not surprisingly, in a society where we are basically told that if we do not get what we want in 7 days or less we might as well resign ourselves to the fact that we are failures, this thinking doesn't exactly dominate the mainstream media.

Instead, people are told that in order to lose weight, they must:

Believe that food does not make them fat (The Secret)
Not eat brown rice and chicken in the same meal (Suzanne Somers)
Get a colonic every 2 days (Kevin Trudeau)
Drink a hideous mix of maple syrup, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper (Hollywood fast).

And so on and so forth.

If any dietitian, weight center, or book recommends that you eat less than 1,200 calories a day, RUN – do not walk – away.

Going below this figure poses several problems.

From a weight loss perspective, metabolism slows down (especially since the thyroid gland slows down production of thyroxine, a hormone that plays a major role in metabolism), lean mass is lost, and muscle tissue is broken down in order to create glucose.

So, when you return to your normal caloric intake, you will undoubtedly gain weight because your body is no longer as efficient at burning calories.

Going below 1,200 calories is also problematic from a health perspective.

With such low caloric intakes, it is extremely difficult to obtain necessary nutrients from food, including fiber, calcium, iron, and potassium.

Sure, there are always supplements, but healthy compounds like polyphenols, lignans, and certain antioxidants are exclusively found in foods, not pills.

What always strikes me as odd is that many times I see people who normally consume 2,500 calories start a 1,200 calorie diet overnight.

Completely unnecessary.

If that person were to simply slash 500 calories each day, they can enjoy 2,000 calories on a daily basis and kick-start weight loss.

You mention not knowing "what you are doing wrong."

I am assuming you are having a difficult time losing weight.

I do not know your individual circumstances, but by reducing your caloric intake (say, by 300 calories each day) and increasing your physical activity, you should begin seeing slow, steady results.

If this is not the case, I recommend having your thyroid checked by an endocrinologist.

In The News: The Other Retirement Account

When we look ahead to our older adult years, we think pensions, IRAs, 401Ks, and all those other acronyms associated with financial security.

But what about our nutrition portfolio?

Sally Squires tackles this issue in one of her latest Lean Plate Club articles (courtesy of The Boston Herald).

"In middle age (40 to 65), the body begins losing about 1 percent of muscle per year. Fat replaces the lost muscle. Since fat cells need fewer calories than muscle cells to survive, metabolism slowly declines."

In other words, the eating patterns that work at 25 are not as effective at 50, and certainly not appropriate at 75.

Most nutrition advice in the mainstream media generally applies to a younger population (i.e: sodium recommendations of no more than 2,400 milligrams are acceptable for a 45 year old, but too high for someone in their 70s or 80s).

Alas, Tufts University nutrition professor Alice Lichtenstein and her comrades have come up with a food pyramid exclusively for senior citizens.

I particularly enjoy the inclusion of healthy choices throughout the entire pyramid (i.e.: the dairy group specifically illustrates non and low-fat products).

Additionally, this pyramid is lifestyle-friendly -- notice the ample inclusion of frozen, pre-cut, and ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables.

"[They] have a larger shelf life, require no peeling or cutting for hands tender from arthritis, and are often more economical for those on fixed incomes." And they are just as nutritious, too!

Older adults are particularly at risk for inadequate vitamin and mineral intake (a combination of increased needs and decreased consumption), so the hoisted flag recommending B12, D, and calcium supplements is a nice -- and accurate -- touch.

Say What?: Lip Service

I received a text message in all capitals (capped off with exclamation marks) from a friend this afternoon.

It certainly had all the makings of an emergency. Maybe a celebrity sighting?

Nope.

I was told to Google "FUZE lip gloss", a product she had just seen at Sephora, the fragrance and cosmetics powerhouse.

Following her orders, I typed those three words into the search box and proceeded to roll my eyes so strongly I was afraid they would never stay still again.

Let me give you some background first.

As some of you may know, Coca Cola sells a low-calorie juice/tea beverage named Fuze (the target is adolescent females, hence the quirkly post-modern misspelling).

The newest variety is Fuze Slenderize -- a 10-calorie drink containing "slenderizing" vitamins and minerals available in six different flavors.

All six flavors contain L-Carnitine and Super Citrimax, "metabolism boosters."

Citrimax is actually the extract of a South Asian fruit named Garcinia cambogia.

The manufacturers of Citrimax claim their product "suppresses appetite and inhibits fat production."

There is mention of clinical trials proving this, but the only research I read found no difference between subjects taking Citrimax and a placebo.

In any case, the people behind Fuze (Coca Cola!) now sell "slenderizing lip gloss."

"Infused with the health, delicious fruit flavors and appetite curbing energy boosting ingredients found in FUZE Slenderize beverages. One delicious dab on the lips will give you a taste of what all the Hollywood starlets are losing it over! Always on the lips, never on the hips!" the press kit reads.

What poor intern was given the painful task of writing THAT?

The idea is that Citrimax is absorbed via your lips, thereby curbing your appetite. Well, hey, you can't say the Fuze folks aren't creative!

Ironically, the lip gloss comes in fruity flavors like blueberry-raspberry and strawberry melon. Wouldn't the taste of candy on someone's lips make them start thinking of food and feel hungry?

A much smarter -- and efficient -- strategy to help curb mindless snacking or eating out of boredom (rather than hunger) is to pop some gum in your mouth.

It's not about plant extracts, acai berry enzymes or "slenderizing" ingredients.

Rather, the chewing action and strong minty/cinnamon/fruity taste in your mouth can help stop you from picking up that Snickers bar at the supermarket checkout counter that you only want because it's six inches away from you.

I was initially going to post this as a "Shame On You: Coca Cola," but decided against it because the only people who should be ashamed are those who open their wallets for this product thinking it is a weight-loss aid.

You Ask, I Answer: Breakfast & Metabolism

I know that you should eat breakfast to get your metabolism started, but what is enough? A handful of cereal? A cup of tea?

-- Anonymous

Great question! Let's start with the basics.

We all have what is known as a basal metabolic rate (BMR), which reflects how rapidly our bodies burn calories through a variety of biochemical processes.

Our metabolism is never turned off. Even while you sleep, your metabolism is up and running.

If you are looking to lose weight, you want to increase your BMR so your body is able to burn more calories.

How do you do this? The best way is by engaging in physical activity.

Why? The more muscle mass you have, the higher your BMR.

There's more. When you starve your body, it has no idea when its next meal will be.

If you go a whole day consuming only 800 calories, your body doesn’t know you are doing that on purpose. It thinks you are in shortage of food and in fear of starvation! So, it goes into self-preservation mode and slows everything down in order to store energy, including your BMR.

Similarly, if your last bite of food is at 10 PM and you wake up at 8 AM the next day, that's a ten hour period where your body's metabolic state is in fasting mode (hence the word breakfast, literally meaning "breaking the fast").

This is why diets very low in calories are counter-productive to weight loss in the longrun.

See, once your BMR slows down and you go back to your regular way of eating, you will very likely gain weight, since your BMR needs to warm up from its mini-vacation before it can kick into high gear and burn calories as effectively as before.

There isn't a specific quantity of food needed to get your metabolism up and running. Even gulping down a glass of orange juice as you rush out the door in the morning is better than starting your day off on an empty stomach.

Additionally, skipping breakfast is an easy way to end up overeating at lunch or stopping by your office's vending machine at 11 AM for a "quick pick me up", often in the form of a King Size Snicker's bar.

You Ask, I Answer: Watching the Clock

Is there any truth behind "Don't eat after 7 p.m." as a weight-loss tip?

Perhaps in the land of unicorns and fairies. In the real world? Not so much.

This myth has been around for ages, and many who have lost weight credit their success to consuming all their calories before a certain time of night.

Let's examine the facts. How do we gain weight? We consume (eat) more energy (calories) than we can burn in a given day. Let's break this down further:

• We all have what is called a basal metabolic rate (BMR)

• Our BMR reflects how rapidly our bodies burn calories while we are in a state of complete rest. (yes, we even burn calories while we sleep!)
  

• If you are looking to lose weight, you want to increase your BMR so your body is able to burn more calories.

• How do you do this? By eating small, frequent meals so your BMR is constantly running, and by performing weight-bearing exercises (whether it’s to bulk up or simply tone your muscles).

• The more muscle mass you have, the higher your BMR.

• When you starve your body, it has no idea when its next meal will be. So, if you go a whole day without eating, your body doesn’t know you are looking to lose weight. It just thinks you are in shortage of food. So, it goes into self-preservation mode and slows everything down in order to store energy, including your BMR.

Our BMR allows us to burn calories throughout the day. Some people only associate this with physical activity, but you are actually burning calories while reading this. Not as many as if you were swimming, hiking, or dancing salsa, but some.

It's simple, really. In the same way that we gain weight by having a great input (calories) than output (burning), we lose weight by doing the exact opposite. So, if you spend the last three hours of the day without having any food, of course you are going to lose weight.

In fact, the people who usually mention the "no eating after x time" rule are those who tend to binge-snack before going to bed. If you find yourself regularly hacing a pint of ice cream while watching Conan and suddenly stop doing so, you are now saving yourself 500 calories. Do that for a week and you'll easily lose approximately one pound of fat!

Similarly, if you are having two donuts for breakfast, a king-size Snickers bar as an AM snack, two slices of pepperoni pizza for lunch, and a can of Coke and a bite-size bag of Cheetos in the afternoon, you will most likely gain weight, even if no food passes your lips after 6 p.m.

Extra calories will become fat no matter what time you consume them.

The key to successful and permanent weight loss is not found in gimmicky solutions given by celebrities, but by you having an understanding of food and your behaviors and habits with it.