Our Weight Loss Plan
Dr. Filice was on staff from 2003 until 2007
Obesity, fat accumulation, love handles, or whatever you call has a definite physiologic cause that can easily be corrected. The average person we see at Caring Medical has struggled with weight issues for years without long-term success. The primary reason of the dismal failures is that the person did not understand the necessity to reverse their lipogenesis physiology. Any weight loss program that does not take in the fact that obesity is caused by physiology involved in storing fat (lipogenesis) will not have long term success.
Lipogenesis is a multifaceted process that involves:
Genetics
Emotions
Hormones
Metabolic Rate
Physiology
Genetics
Some people are more prone to being fat because their parents were fat. At most, this accounts for 25% of the people that are overweight. Most experts, even those who hold to the genetic theory of obesity, admit that the majority of people that are overweight are so because of lifestyles. Scientific support of this is with identical twins. Identical twins have the exact DNA but many have vastly different belly girths. The major factor in why one twin is thin and the other fat--lifestyle differences.
Emotions
The animalistic nature of eating is to sustain life. Animals eat to live. Americans eat for many reasons including the ability to survive, but mostly for other reasons. When a person eats for a reason other than being hungry there is a good chance that their body does not need the food and most likely will store it for fat. So the first step of weight loss is to only eat when you are hungry. If you are eating because you are stressed then rest assured you are or will be fat.
Hormones
Fat cells have alpha receptors and beta receptors. Beta receptors release the fat from the fat cell so that it can be used as energy or excreted out of the body. Alpha receptors keep the fat in the cell so that it can be saved for use at a later date. Women accumulate fat below their belt line because they have more alpha receptors than beta receptors in these fat cells.
When a person exercises, the body secretes a lot of adrenaline that stimulates the beta receptors on the fat cells to release fat. Some people claim that they exercise but still look like fat. The main reason for this they are not getting their heart rates up enough. It is important for most people to get the heart rate up to 120 for as long as possible (generally an hour per day is sufficient) to maximize fat release from adipocytes (fat cells).
Estrogen and Insulin help stimulate alpha receptors, thus keeping fat in the fat cells, even if a person exercises. So one of the primary focuses of the comprehensive weight loss program at Caring Medical is to analyze a person's hormone make-up. Typically the person with obesity problems, has too much estrogen and Insulin which help store fat, and too little of the anabolic hormones that help build muscle (Growth Hormone, DHEA, progesterone, Testosterone).
The hormonal make up of the body can easily be reversed by proper diet and supplements. To help decrease estradiol (estrogen) and Insulin, a high protein, low carbohydrate diet is needed.
To increase anabolic hormone levels, the easiest measure to take is to take the hormones. Natural hormone replacement is one of the easiest methods to speed metabolism, increase muscle building ability and lose weight. A comprehensive program to weight loss may include giving a person Growth Hormone, Testosterone, DHEA, and Progesterone.
For the person who does not want to take natural hormone replacement or desires to maximize the response to treatment, weight loss supplements can be used.
Metabolic Rate
“I eat like a bird but look like a hippo.” There are going to be people who can eat everything and look fabulous and people that eat nothing and carry a lot of extra fat. The main differences in the two people is the thin one has a fast metabolic rate and the fat one has a slow rate.
The metabolic rate is the rate at which the body consumes energy at rest. The person who has a fast metabolic rate, burns a lot of calories just sitting. Thus, he/she can eat a lot of calories and not store fat. The person who has a slow metabolic rate burns almost no calories thus he/she can’t eat very much.
Calorie restricted diets don’t work because as the person loses weight, his/her metabolic rate slows further. Thus they need to reduce and reduce again the number of calories they eat to lose weight.
A better approach to weight loss is to increase a person's metabolic rate while reversing lipogenesis. The best way to increase one's metabolic rate for life is with aerobic exercise. The best measure of aerobic activity on the body is heart rate. It is now possible to monitor heart rate while exercising with a heart rate monitor. Heart rate monitors are now on sale at most sporting goods stores and start at $50. For most people, to stimulate their fat cells to release a significant amount of fat, the heart rate must be at least 120, preferably for 1 hour a day. A person who can work their way up to doing this, will be as thin as they want.
At first a person may only be able to keep their heart rate at 120 for one minute, but with time one hour will be no problem. It generally takes the body about three months to start dumping a real lot of fat with exercise. So stick with it. The person who combines exercise with a comprehensive program to inhibit lipogenesis is well on his/her way to becoming fit for life.
The main hormone that speeds metabolism is thyroid. As part of a comprehensive program for weight loss, thyroid hormone may be prescribed. Thyroid hormone helps release fat from fat cells in a similar manner as does exercise.
Physiology
Maintaining proper weight involves many more factors than above. For a person to have weight control problems much of their body chemistry had to go haywire. Generally there are other symptoms that accompany obesity including: fatigue, malaise, poor concentration, lethargy, achyness, digestive complaints, constipation, and many others. It is important that a person with obesity or weight control problems to get a comprehensive natural medicine consultation. Included in this consultation will generally be the following:
Body Chemistry Questionnaire
Nova 8 Panel
Metabolic Profile
Food Allergy Testing
Other Natural Medicine Testing as Needed
The 200 question Body Chemistry Questionnaire looks at one's overall health and gives the physician insight into other body systems to see if they need to be addressed.
Nova 8 panel looks at fasting blood pH as well as four key minerals. This helps determine which diet is optimal for a person.
The person who is obese often will have fat accumulation around the liver. Liver function tests are just one of the many organ systems that are covered in a metabolic profile.
Food allergy testing provides insight into which foods a person is sensitive or allergic too. Generally people who are overweight eat the very food that they are allergic. Changing one's diet is important to losing weight but as one can see from the above it is only one part of a comprehensive approach to weight loss.
The person may need other natural medicine tests or procedures to loose weight. Some of the other components that need to be considered include the following:
Is the weight problem just in one part of the body such as the hips?
In this scenario the person would generally be prescribed mesotherapy. Mesotherapy is a procedure originating out of France that involves the injections of substances that stimulate beta receptors and inhibit alpha receptors on fat cells so fat is released from fat cells. This is an innovative approach to loosing weight. Notables including Roberta Flack have used this approach to weight loss.
For the person who is unable to exercise because of knee arthritis, joint complaints or chronic pain then Prolotherapy will be done. Prolotherapy is an injection technique that stimulates the body to repair painful areas. Exercise is vital to weight loss so anything hampering a person's ability to exercise will be addressed.
If the person with weight control problems has significant fatigue then specific tests or herbs may be prescribed to give energy. One of the more aggressive approaches to fatigue is AMP shots. Adenosine Monophosphate is one of the natural substances used by the body for energy. This increases one's metabolic rate which helps with weight loss.
If a person has low body temperature there are many innovative ways to correct this. Of course, thyroid hormone or other hormones may be prescribed but simple measures such as exercise, sauna, hot tubs, eating ‘hot’ foods may also be utilized. A person with a normal body temperature signifies that the energy producing mechanisms of the body are working. The person with a body temperature of 96.5 needs to do something about it, or weight loss will be very difficult.
With weight control problems can come some significant depression or low self esteem. Caring Medical is fortunate to have on their staff Robert Filice, M.D., psychiatrist. Dr. Filice has over 20 years experience helping people overcome psychological illness or chronic complaints using a non-pharmacological approaches. He is one of the few medical doctors that has studies and used Bach Flower Remedies.
Summary
Weight loss is best treated with a comprehensive natural medicine program. Lipolysis is stimulated and lipogenesis is inhibited by combining diet, exercise, natural hormones, herbs, and many innovative techniques. Because the person's overall physiology is evaluated the program helps keep a person healthy for life. A comprehensive natural medicine program helps correct underlying physiology so with the weight loss comes renewed energy, vitality, muscle building, good self esteem, and a resolution of many other health issues. It is for these reasons that people from around the country are understanding that no one cares more about your health than Caring Medical.
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