With so much conflicting nutrition advice out there, it’s sometimes hard to decipher fact from fad. We asked our Facebook fans for their most pressing questions about nutrition and weight loss. Here are the answers from our very own Dr. Kaplan.
Exercise
Question: I am trying to stay motivated with my exercise routine, but some days it’s hard. Is it better to do a light workout 4/5 times a week for 20 minutes or should I try to get in a longer, high-intensity workout 2/3 times a week?
Dr. Kaplan: For losing fat and lowering your fat percentage, which is the goal of medical weight loss, it is better to do longer lower intensity workouts. Putting in more time is ideal. I encourage using step counters and trying to get in >10K steps daily. Light weights every other day and some other cardio activity such as a stationary bike, treadmill or elliptical as many days as you have time is ideal for weight loss. The more time you can remain active the better. There is some evidence that people who work out have less cravings for high sugar foods. Start slow and work your way up to more time as you notice improvements. You could ask your medical provider if prescription medication to help with weight loss and/or energy/motivation to exercise is recommended for you.
Metabolism
Question: After 40, I can’t seem to lose any weight – what am I doing wrong??? I eat right and exercise regularly but still then scale doesn’t budge!
Dr. Kaplan: You may want to calculate your metabolism ie. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) using the following equation to see if you are eating more calories than your body is burning at rest:
| BMR calculation for women (imperial) | BMR = 655.1 + ( 4.35 × weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 × height in inches ) – (4.7 × age in years ) |
To lose a minimum of 1 pound weekly you need to be on a 500 calorie deficit daily. For example: if your BMR calculates to 1600, you would need to eat 1100 calories for 7 days to lose 1 pound minimum on average. You may want to see a provider to see if prescription medication is recommended to help you lose more weight.
Meals
Question: Is it better to eat your main meal of the day for lunch and a smaller dinner?
Dr. Kaplan: There is some scientific evidence that people lose more weight if their biggest meal of the day is breakfast rather than dinner. It is ideal to eat 3 meals daily with the largest one being breakfast. This of course does not fit into most Americans lifestyle. The amount of calories eaten daily is the most important. Try not to eat a large meal right before bed. At the end of the day you will lose weight if you eat less calories than your body is burning in a day. Our providers have technology to assist you with knowing how many calories your body is burning daily so that you could plan accordingly.
Diet
Question: What’s the most important thing to watch on your diet? Sugar, calories or fat?
Dr. Kaplan: To lose weight, calories are most important. This has been proven in many studies. Although all calories are not created equal as far as appetite is concerned. If more of the calories are from sugary processed foods, you tend to feel hungrier, leading to more eating. If more of the calories come from protein and fiber, you feel more satiated and tend to eat less. Fat is better than sugar/carbohydrates in helping a person to feel satiated. Our providers have many prescription medication options to help to decrease hunger and make it easier to eat less.
Calories
Question: What is a typical caloric intake for someone who is looking to loose a few pounds? Is 1250 calories a healthy number?
Dr. Kaplan: You need to calculate your metabolism ie. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) using the following equation to see if you are eating more calories than your body is burning at rest:
| BMR calculation for women (imperial) | BMR = 655.1 + ( 4.35 × weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 × height in inches ) – (4.7 × age in years ) |
For many women, 1250 is too many calories. If your calculated BMR is 1500 than you would need to be on 1000 calories daily for 7 days to lose one pound. You may want to see a provider to see if a prescription appetite suppressant is recommended to help you eat so few calories. We have many new medication options that are often covered by insurers.
About Dr. Kaplan, Founder of Long Island Weight Loss Institute:
Dr. Michael Kaplan has been board-certified in Obesity Medicine (the new specialty dealing with weight and metabolism) since May 2005 and has been practicing obesity medicine since 2001. Currently there are only about 400 Board Certified Bariatricians in the United States.
Dr. Kaplan was the first to develop an individualized physician-instituted counseling system that is reproducible among different patients and physicians. He also incorporates the latest technology in the form of a body composition analysis at each patient visit to compartmentalize the weight loss into fat, muscle, and water. The goal of the fitness counseling and weight loss program is to lose as much fat as possible while maintaining muscle mass. Muscle mass helps to maintain the metabolism, and we encourage all of our patients to exercise to prevent muscle loss. Our body composition scale has been equipped with specialized software that creates easy-to-read patient printouts that assist our physicians in providing professional fitness counseling.