Losing Weight on a Nutrition Programs
An inability to lose weight is a common concern. While each situation is slightly different, the following 'checklist' of common mistakes will often reveal the cause of weight gain and the solution.
Diet
The single most common cause of weight gain is diet. The number of calories is not as important as what kind of calories. The offenders are generally the carbohydrates. This is because many people have an inability to properly utilize carbohydrates. Also, many people simply eat too much of these foods. Carbohydrates are also often hidden in foods.
To lose weight, reduce or eliminate all carbohydrates. This includes normally "healthy" items such as fruit, fruit juices, honey, maple syrup and rice bran syrup. Also, temporarily reduce your intake of the complex carbohydrates such as grains, cereals, breads, pasta, potatoes, beans and starchy vegetables such as corn, carrots and peas.
Vegetables:
It would be advisable to eat a serving of vegetables with each meal. Including all salad vegetables plus:
avocado
bamboo shoots
bean sprouts
broccoli
chard
mushrooms
okra
onions
pumpkin
sauerkraut
snow peas
spinach
summer squash
tomato
zucchini
Meats, Poultry, Fish, Eggs:
All of the above protein foods are acceptable however, "fast oxidizers" can emphasize the higher fat meats, such as the red meats, "slow oxidizers" will often enhance weight loss on the lower fat meats such as chicken, turkey and fish.
Meatballs and hot dogs often contain starch fillers that should be avoided.
Condiments:
Read labels carefully to make sure there is no sugar or starch contained in condiments. Catsup for example, contains high amounts of sugar and should be avoided. When using salad dressings, use oil, vinegar, lemon or a plain yogurt dressing. Herb spices are permissible.
Beverages:
Water, herb tea, a minimum of coffee, club soda and mineral water are acceptable. No seltzers (with sugar), no quinine water, milk or soda pop. Some diet sodas contain carbohydrates, so check labels carefully. Clear broth (consommé) is acceptable.
Dairy:
Hard cheeses, cottage cheese, ricotta, Swiss, etc. are acceptable. No diet cheeses, cheese spreads or processed cheese. Plain yogurt is acceptable. Eggs are excellent.
Fats and Oils:
Acceptable fats and oils may include, butter, olive oil, peanut oil, soybean oil, flaxseed oil, avocado, cream, and primrose oil. Black current oil and oils found in salmon, tuna and sardines are excellent. No margarine or Crisco.
"Fast oxidizers" must eat some fat or oil with each meal. "Fast oxidizers" must strictly avoid carbohydrates for maximum weight loss.
"Slow oxidizers" may eat some fats and oils twice a day. It is possible to lose weight eating fats and oils, provided that carbohydrates are restricted.
Although they are nutritious foods, nuts and seeds contain a certain percent of carbohydrates. Eat less of these food items for maximum weight loss. Drink at least 8 glasses of water per day.
One does not have to restrict food intake provided that the correct foods are eaten. Most people will not be able to follow a low-calorie diet for long because they will feel hungry.
Chew 10 times and be aware of the tastes and texture of your food. You will then eat more slowly and eat less.
Colon Health
Occasionally failure to lose weight is due to constipation, re-absorption of toxic matter through the colon or improper intestinal flora. To help this problem, add black radish root, ox bile and pancreatin, and/or acidophilus and caprylic acid to your nutrition program for a few weeks.
Food Allergies
Food allergies can result in undesirable weight gain, or prevent weight loss. Eventually, your nutrition program should assist you in eliminating your food allergies. However, this correction may require several years. In the meantime, you must avoid allergic foods.
The most common allergic foods are wheat, corn, eggs, soy, and yeast. By restricting carbohydrates, you often eliminate allergic foods (wheat, corn and soy). Several methods are used to detect allergic foods. Try eating only "safe" foods for several days and then introduce suspicious foods one at a time.
You may notice that after eating a particular food, you feel bloated or that you begin to retain water. If you are unable to identify allergic foods, food allergy testing may be required.
For more information about safe and effective diets, we recommend Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution book. Dr. Atkins is one of the few physicians who came to the same conclusions as Dr. Eck regarding the role of carbohydrate intolerance as the principle cause of many health conditions.
The preceding statements have not been evaluated by the
Food and Drug Administration
This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.