An Open Apology to All of My Weight Loss Clients…

One of my clients sent me an article from the Huffington Post called “An Open Apology to All of my Weight Loss Clients. It really struck a chord with me. I’m sure you know what company this woman writing the article used to work for just by reading this article… There are so many things pointed out in this article that I would like to encourage you to think about: 
  • Are you defined by your looks?
  • Do you think that once you lose weight your real life will start and until then you’re putting things off?
  • Are you letting the number on the scale determine your self worth? 
  • Do you feel the need to subscribe to the beauty ideal promoted by ads and marketing? 
  • Are you aware that weight loss companies are selling you a lifestyle so they can make money for the long run? 

Here is the article. I hope it helps you get some perspective of ‘dieting’. Remember, it’s about finding a lifestyle that works for YOU and makes you feel great. It’s not about getting to a number on the scale:
I worked at a popular weight loss company for three years. I loved my job there. I LOVED my clients. I loved making a connection and sharing my knowledge. And I learned a lot about nutrition, about dieting and weight loss and what works and what doesn’t. My job was to be a weight loss consultant, and I learned that job very well. I can design a 1,200 calorie meal plan, tell you which activities are most likely to make the number on the scale go down, and how many carbs are in a cup of rice. I can talk the diet game like it’s my business… because it was. Volumize with vegetables. Don’t go too long in between meals. Start with a bowl of broth-based soup. Are you drinking enough water? Did you exercise enough? Did you exercise too much? Let’s look at your food journal.
This is not an anti-weight loss company post (although I could write that too). It’s a letter to each and every woman that I unknowingly wronged. My heart is beating a little bit faster as I write this, and so I know this needs to be said. The words have been playing in my head for months. Sometimes it just takes time for me to get up the courage to say the right thing.
So here goes:
Dear Former Weight Loss Clients (you know who you are):
I’m sorry.
I’m sorry because I put you on a 1,200 calorie diet and told you that was healthy. I’m sorry because when you were running 5x a week, I encouraged you to switch from a 1,200 calorie diet to a 1,500 calorie diet, instead of telling you that you should be eating a hell of a lot more than that. I’m sorry because you were breastfeeding and there’s no way eating those 1,700 calories a day could have been enough for both you and your baby. I’m sorry because you were gluten intolerant and so desperate to lose weight that you didn’t put that on your intake form. But you mentioned it to me later, and I had no idea the damage you were doing to your body. I’m sorry because I think I should have known. I think I should have been educated better before I began to tell all of you what was right or wrong for your body.
I’m sorry because I made you feel like a failure and so you deliberately left a message after the center had closed, telling me you were quitting. I thought you were awesome and gorgeous, and I’m sorry because I never told you that. I’m sorry because you came in telling me you liked to eat organic and weren’t sure about all the chemicals in the food, and I made up some BS about how it was a “stepping stone.” I’m sorry because many of you had thyroid issues and the LAST thing you should have been doing was eating a gluten-filled, chemically-laden starvation diet. I’m sorry because by the time I stopped working there, I wouldn’t touch that food, yet I still sold it to you.
I’m sorry because it’s only years later that I realize just how unhealthy a 1,200 calorie diet was. I stayed on a 1,200-1,500 calorie diet for years, so I have the proof in myself. Thyroid issues, mood swings, depression, headaches… oh and gluten intolerance that seemed to “kick in” after about a month of eating the pre-packaged food. Was it a coincidence? Maybe.
I’m sorry because you had body dysmorphic disorder, and it was so painful to hear the things you said about yourself. You looked like a model, and all of my other clients were intimidated by you, asked me why you were there because clearly you didn’t need to lose weight. And yet you would sit in my office and cry, appalled that a man might see you naked and be disturbed by the fat that didn’t actually exist. I’m sorry because you should have been seeing a therapist, not a weight loss consultant.

Why Am I Craving Sweets At Night?

Ariane, 

here’s yesterday’s food diary. I was eating clean until the evening.  Then I was just so hungry and craving sweets that I had a Weight Watcher ice cream bar and some grapes in my salad.  I have been hungry and craving things like potato chips. Although I have refrained from that, I still want it here and there.

Please let me know your feedback and if I’m on the right track to a fat burning diet.

Thanks, Deborah

Breakfast: Jay Robb Whey Protein Shake – 1 scoop with water

Lunch: 6 oz cooked shrimp with tuscan vegetable medley, 1 box

Dinner: Grilled, skinless chicken breast, 4 oz, with honey mustard dressing, 1 tbsp chopped walnuts
Dessert: 100 grams grapes, 1 Weight Watchers ice cream bar

Deborah, 

the reason you’re caving in in the evenings is because you didn’t eat enough. Not enough breakfast and not enough good carbs to balance your blood sugar. 

You start your day with a shake, which doesn’t have any carbs, so your blood sugar is still low by the time lunch rolls around. A shake is a good snack, but for breakfast you need something that stabilizes your blood sugar after an overnight fast. Either add some carbs (cup of Greek yogurt) or eat 3 eggs or 6 egg-whites with veggies (omelette, egg sandwich, fritatta). The shake would be ideal between breakfast and lunch.



Another big contributor to your hunger is that you barely eat veggies. A few for lunch and none for dinner. Not surprisingly your blood sugar isn’t balanced and you’re hungry for sweets. You have to make sure to eat your fiber or you’ll stay hungry. Even though it’s Weight Watchers, that ice cream isn’t good. It’s loaded with ingredients that don’t fill you up. You shouldn’t even have that in your freezer. Please set yourself up for success and get rid of that junk in your house, so when a craving strikes, it’s not readily accessible. 



Look at your food intake this way. I’ve estimated your nutrients:
Breakfast: 25g protein. 0 carbs
Lunch: 34g protein, 14g carbs
Dinner: 24g protein, 4g carbs
Dessert: 3g protein, 33g carbs

Totals: 86g protein, 51g carbs

Based on your lean mass (muscle) and body fat percentage, you need about 100 grams of protein per day and at least 100-120g of carbs per day. Can you see why you are hungry? You’re not eating enough all day and the majority of your carbs are eaten in the evening in the form of sugar. The lack of good carbs during the day catches up with you at night because your body is lacking nutrients. Your sugar cravings are a sign of low blood sugar and low carb and protein intake. 

You’re getting the right idea, but let’s get you to the next level where you see the difference in your body. 
The key take-aways for you are

·      eat 5 meals a day (add 2 snacks)

·      each meal contains protein about the size and thickness of your palm.  

·      Eat as many veggies as you can to feel full and balance your blood sugar.

·      Stay away from artificial foods, which don’t satiate or signal your body that you ate something sweet. They only increase cravings. 



The Biggest Losers of November – 11 lbs lost!

In November I offered three Slim & Strong sessions. We had to deal with the after effects of the “Sandy 5″ and of course Thanksgiving, the-eating-contest-of-the-year- holiday.  Despite it all we had quite a few successes. Here are the top 3 of every group.

First prize winners receive a $200 shopping spree at City Sports. 2nd prize winners get 10 boot camp sessions and the 3rd prize is 5 boot camp sessions.

Don’t just look at the weight loss since that’s deceiving. The winner is always chosen based on most body fat lost and most muscle gained. The scale doesn’t tell if you if you lost fat, muscle, water or bowel contents (such as with cleanses or juice fasts…). To get a lean and toned body you have to focus on gaining muscle (the more muscle, the leaner you get but it can also make you heavier on the scale). The more body fat you lose, the leaner and healthier you get and the more your muscle definition shows. So, please stop obsessing about the number on the scale. Instead measure your body fat percentage once a week. This Omron Fat Loss Monitor
 device is simple to use, a reliable way to track your progress and it’s only $30.

AM Session (met 3x weekly)
1st: Samantha
Weight loss: 11.2 lbs
Body fat loss: 3.7%
6.3 % of her original weight lost
1.5 lbs of muscle lost
9.7 lbs of pure fat lost
 Before
After
Samantha was excited to have won. Here’s what she said: 
“Thanks so much. I had a really great time and learned a lot from your emails and the nutrition workshop. Talking to my friends and family has resulted in them trying to fix their diets towards the right ratio of protein, carbs and fats. I truly thought that I could only lose weight using Weight Watchers and calculating points forever, but while doing Slim & Strong I didn’t log onto the Weight Watchers site at all. The information you gave me definitely allowed me to simply understand the impact that certain foods have on my body and how to enjoy certain meals without guilt and learn how to get back on track. Thanks for everything!”


2nd: Eileen
Weight loss: .2 lbs
Body fat loss: 2.9%
4.7 lbs of muscle gained
4.9 lbs of pure fat lost
3rd: Alex
Weight loss: 5.6 lbs
Body fat loss: 2.5%
4.3% of her original weight lost
1 lbs of muscle lost
4.6 lbs of pure fat lost




AM Session (met 2x weekly)
1st: Vanessa
Weight loss: 1.6 lbs
Body fat loss: 2.2%
4.2 lbs of pure fat lost
2.6 lbs of muscle gained

 Before
After

2nd: Elaine
Weight loss: 2.8 lbs
Body fat loss: 3.1%
1.3 lbs of muscle gained
4.1 lbs of pure fat lost

3rd: Elisabeth S.
Weight loss: 1 lb
Body fat loss: 1.4%
3.2 lbs of muscle gained
2.2 lbs of pure fat lost

PM Session (met 2x weekly)
1st: Nicole
Weight loss: 2.5 lbs
Body fat loss: 2.6 %
2.7 lbs of muscle gained
5.2 lbs of pure fat lost

 Before
After

2nd: Donna
Weight loss: 9 lbs
Body fat loss: 2.1%
3.5 lbs of muscle lost
5.5 lbs of pure fat lost

3rd: Katherine
Weight loss: .5 lbs
2.4 lbs muscle gained
1.9 lbs of pure fat lost





Apple or String Cheese? What’s the better snack?

Ariane, I’m sitting at my desk and eating a string cheese. My two colleagues, who are Weight Watchers members tell me that an apple is a much better snack. I’m confused because you always talk about the importance of protein to signal the body to burn fat. What’s a better snack? Thanks, John

APPLE

0 fat

25 g carbs (18 of those from sugar)
.05g protein

PART SKIM CHEESE STICK 

5.6g fat

1g of carbs

0 sugar

7g of protein

John, always go with the option that is lower in sugar/carbs and higher in protein. Two cheese sticks are better than an apple if your goal is to burn fat and feed your muscles.

While table sugar will give you an insulin spike and signal your body to store fat away, fruit sugar doesn’t give you an insulin spike. Fructose is the only type of sugar that gets sent right to the liver, bypassing your blood stream. The liver then converts it to body fat if you eat more than about 100 grams per day. Fruit sugar also does not have the ability to stimulate leptin, which is the hormone in your body that signals the brain you’re full, so you can eat tons of fruit and still feel hungry. 
While dairy isn’t a food you want to eat lots of, hard cheese is actually a good snack to have as long as it’s low in fat. Hard cheese is lactose free and hence it won’t stimulate an insulin spike. Cheese contains a decent amount of protein. Watch your intake of dairy that contains lactose as milk sugar stimulates insulin and hence signals your body to store fat. Also, non-organic dairy contains hormones and can affect your ability to lose weight in addition to making you congested and phlegmy, so limit your dairy intake.

Weight Watchers teaches their members all about calorie control. And yes, an apple has on average 60 calories and a string cheese about 80, so it makes sense that a Weight Watchers person will tell you that one apple with 60 calories is a better snack than two string cheeses with 160 calories. 

However, they don’t teach their members that calories are not created equal. The apple’s fructose will get shuttled right to the liver and easily converted to body fat (which happens to high fructose corn syrup almost instantly), whereas the protein from the string cheese will keep you full for a couple hours and will feed your muscles, so you stay lean and strong. 
There is also a difference in fat. While an apple is fat-free and string cheese has about 5 g of fat each, you’re still better off with the option higher in fat as fat fills you up and slows your digestion to keep you full. 

Remember, it’s not about calories. It’s about where the calories come from!