Table of Contents

Weight Loss Tips
Ideal Body Weight Chart
Calorie Calculator
Kg - Pound Conversion
Metabolism
Boost Metabolism
Virtual Weight Loss Model
Body Mass Index (BMI)
Body Mass Index Calculator
Ideal Weight Calculator
Strength Training
Aerobic Exercise
Interval Training
Negative calorie Food
Sleep - Weight Loss
Portion Control
Basal Metabolic Rate
Submit Your Blog - 50 Blog Directories
Tips To Stop Food Cravings
Tips For Portion Control
Protein And Weight Loss
Fiber And Weight Loss
Water And Weight Loss
Weight Loss Inspirational Quotes
Weight Loss Motivational Quotes
High fructose corn syrup
Visualize yourself thin
Artificial Sugar - Less Calories, More Side Effects
Resolve To Lose Slowly - Set Realistic Goals
Portion Control
Don't Use The Word Diet As Diets Don't Work
Don't Beat Yourself Up Over a Bad Day
Keep a Positive Attitude to Maximize Your Success in Weight Loss
Get Plenty of Sleep - It May Aid Weight Loss
Arthritis and Yoga
Spice Up Your Food
Low calorie dairy foods
Sugar and Weight Loss
Eat smaller, more frequent meals

Quitting Soda to Lose Weight

Here's a simple and sweet story about successful weight loss;

i used to drink a 2 liter bottle of soda a day then i realized how much wieght i had gained by doing that. i quit drinking that all together and now drink nothing but water and i have last 35 pounds in 6 months. water does really help you lose weight.

This is the latest comment you will find on the Drinking Water to Lose Weight post.

Also see good reasons not to drink bottled water.

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Leptin and Lectins

I've been puzzled by an interesting question lately. Why is it that certain cultures are able to eat large amounts of carbohydrate and remain healthy, while others suffer from overweight and disease? How do the pre-industrial Kuna and Kitavans maintain their insulin sensitivity while their bodies are being bombarded by an amount of carbohydrate that makes the average American look like a bowling ball?

I read a very interesting post on the Modern Forager yesterday that sent me on a nerd safari through the scientific literature. The paper that inspired the Modern Forager post is a review by Dr. Staffan Lindeberg. In it, he attempts to draw a link between compounds called lectins, found in grains (among other things), and resistance to the hormone leptin. Let's take a step back and go over some background.

One of the most-studied animal models of obesity is called the "Zucker" rat. This rat has a missense mutation in its leptin receptor gene, causing it to be nonfunctional. Leptin is a hormone that signals satiety, or fullness. It's secreted by fat tissue. The more fat tissue an animal has, the more leptin it secretes. Normally, this creates negative feedback that causes it to eat less when fat begins to accumulate, keeping its weight within a narrow range.

Zucker rats secrete leptin just fine, but they lack leptin receptors in their brain. Their blood leptin is high but their brain isn't listening. Thus, the signal to stop eating never gets through and they eat themselves to morbid obesity. Cardiovascular disease and diabetes follow shortly thereafter, unless you remove their visceral fat surgically.

The reason Zucker rats are so interesting is they faithfully reproduce so many features of the disease of civilization in humans. They become obese, hypometabolic, develop insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, dyslipidemia, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Basically, severe metabolic syndrome. So here's a rat that shows that leptin resistance can cause something that looks a whole heck of a lot like the disease of civilization in humans.

For this model to be relevant to us, we'd expect that humans with metabolic syndrome should be leptin-resistant. Well what do you know, administering leptin to obese people doesn't cause satiety like it does in thin people. Furthermore, elevated leptin predicts the onset of obesity and metabolic syndrome. It also predicts insulin resistance. Yes, you read that right, leptin resistance comes before insulin resistance.

Interestingly enough, the carbohydrate-loving Kitavans don't get elevated leptin like europeans do, and they don't become overweight, develop insulin dysfunction or the metabolic syndrome either. This all suggests that leptin may be the keystone in the whole disease process, but what accounts for the differences in leptin levels between populations?

I'll talk about a possible explanation in my next post.

Back home

I'm back at home, and my Dad is back at his home. He came out of hospital on Friday afternoon. He's looking good, if a little down at heart. His poor tummy looks like one of those teddy bear pyjama cases with a zip down the middle that I used to have as a kid. Over 60 staples from breast to pubis. *Shudders*

But apart from the operation, everything is settling down. He just has to keep resting, which will be the major problem.

Onto brighter things... I had a fill today! By today I KNEW that I needed one categorically. I know I was umm-ing and ahh-ing whether to do it a couple of weeks back, but this week I have DEFINITELY been able to eat more... MUCH more. I still have problems and weird days when I have been unable to eat more than soup, but for the most part I can get down about half as much again as I used to. Not that I am trying to eat more, its just that I don't feel the need to stop, or an overwhelming sensation of fullness. I have also stayed the same weight for at least 3 weeks, and on top of that, I have found I am wanting sugary snacks like chocolate and wine because, and only because, I am hungry. I did NOT feel hungry between meals after my last fill and I simply didn't look for or want high cal snacks. So I went for it today, and like last time, it was the right decision. I saw Wendy from the weightloss surgery group again - she is AWESOME!!! Honestly what a breath of fresh air it is to have someone who actually REMEMBERS your face and your situation and isn't just cribbing up before you walk through the door... I mean, I hadn't seen her for weeks and she noticed I had my hair cut and coloured! My husband doesn't even notice that!!! HA HA.

So she gave me 0.5ml and I am at 6.5ml exactly in my band. It is so good to have the band aspirated to check for leaks or problems or similar each time. I can actually SEE the syringe and the amount of volume in the band as it comes out and its so satisfying to know that of the three times she has seen me, 3 times she located the port first time, and it was easy, no fuss and no bother, just what it should be - proper care and attention. I feel at home there too.

I weighed in today on their scales at midday after drinking untold water and coffee etc (but no food as was advised) and I weighed 16 stone 4 in my clothes. HOW COOL IS THAT! So according to their records I have lost exactly 1 stone since my last fill. That's pretty damn FABULOUS!

Today, and I must admit I can't do the liquids thing (and yes, I am SUPER careful!), I have had:
2 litres water
4 coffee's
8 french fries
1 bite of McDonalds chicken select strip
1 bag of chicken and lentil casserole from the freezer (1x1 inch lump of chicken, 1 potato, half a carrot and some lentils and onions in the sauce - nice a sloppy)
2 co-codamol

And do I notice a difference? HELL YEAH! Bring on the 15's

Disclaimer

This is my personal weight loss blog. I am not a qualified doctor or a physician. I am writing about my own experience as a weight loser. If you have some confusion or issue about your weight problem or health or any other health issue - you must contact a qualified doctor or physician. This should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor.