Boy George Shows Off Dramatic Weight Loss

Boy George recently took the Twitterverse by storm by posting a picture of his new dramatic weight loss on Twitter.

The 51-year old karma chameleon singer tweeted “Rock n roll Sunday,” and shared a picture with his fans that showed off a much thinner body. The British star turned back the clock to the height of his fame in the 1980s, as compared to how we’ve seen him in the last few years.

The singer credits his new slim body to “eating right and exercise”. The Culture Club singer has also been documenting his new healthy lifestyle, including his fondness for exercise and a recent healthy breakfast:

“Mmm, porridge with cherries & a dash of cinnamon! Cook the cherries with the porridge! Bloody gorgeous!” he tweeted on Feb. 8.

The singer also seemed quite pleased that news of his weight loss was buzzing online, as he tweeted, “I love that the size of my ass is trending worldwide!”

Vegetarian or Paleo Diet

Vegetarian or Paleo Diet?

As the diet fad

world continues to churn out the newest and “best” eating styles, many dieters begin to subscribe to one belief over another. Some think the production of meat is destroying the world, is inhumane and is filling our diets with harmful hormones and antibiotics, while others base their diet around lean, organic proteins and contribute weight gain to the grains and carbohydrates in the modern world. So who is right? Could they both be right and wrong? What are the health benefits of eliminating an entire category of macronutrients from your diet, considering there are only three; proteins, carbohydrates and fats? And how are the same results achieved with almost entirely opposite methods of dieting?

First and foremost, I live by two rules when it comes to health and weight loss:

1) Each person’s body is as unique as their own finger print; different ancestors, blood types, family histories of diseases and pre-existing conditions, different food intolerances, allergies, and the list goes on and on. No one diet will work the same for any person, so it’s important to experiment with your own body and to pick a lifestyle that is sustainable for maximum health and weight maintenance.

2) Weight loss is as simple as calorie intake minus calorie output. You could eat four small McDonald’s cheeseburgers a day at 300 calories each and land yourself at 1,200 calories for the day. You will be filling your body with fats, toxins, chemicals, antibiotics, bleaches, and dyes while completely neglecting the majority of the very necessary vitamins and nutrients needed in a healthy diet, but calorie-wise you could realistically lose weight. I’ll probably say this a million times: weight and health are two completely different things.

We can get into the health benefits much more deeply in later blogs, but for the sense of focus, we’ll look mainly at the weight loss benefits of vegetarian diets versus paleo or low-carb diets. Could both diets be right?

Vegetarians

tend to look at the food industry standard of meat, which are genetically-modified corn-fed animals, who are injected with hormones and are barely thriving before going to slaughter. These meats are detrimental to any diet, be it paleo, blood type diets, or a regular low-calorie, portion control diet. Avoiding meats of all kinds will help you avoid the hormones and fillers that contribute to weight gain and health problems.

Paleo

supporters, however, look at the damaging effects of simple carbohydrates, refined sugars and overly-processed packaged foods that we use to fill our modern, American diets for taste and convenience. This includes everything from chips, candies, sodas, ice creams, fast foods, all the way to the so-called healthy, whole wheat breads, pastas, and starches that the food industry recommends for a well-rounded diet.

The truth is, both diets can contribute to a healthy, conscious lifestyle, when you take into account which foods are important to avoid. Studies have shown that our ancestors lived on a diet of about 65-75% fruits and vegetables. Any healthy vegetarian or paleo supporter will agree that filling your diet with nutrient-rich, organic fruits and veggies is beneficial to any lifestyle. Both diet enthusiasts should also recommend avoiding sugars and processed foods of any kind, like pastas, breads and packaged, junk foods.

Most vegetarians and paleo supporters also understand the effects of dairy on a diet, and how saturated fats from dairy can pile on the pounds quickly and create major problems with digestion. Most will recommend finding better sources of calcium and vitamin D in vegetables, fortified rice and soy and in various types of fish. Vegetarians should also agree that protein is an essential macronutrient that is necessary for building muscle, whether you find alternative sources or you opt for organic, hormone-free, lean animal meats. So while these two diets may seem like complete opposites, they should both be founded on the principles of high protein, nutrient-rich diets with few, if any processed foods in the picture.

Weight Loss versus Weight Maintenance

Weight Loss versus Weight Maintenance?

The Genetix Program has always based weight loss off of the sound principle of behavior modification. This means modifying a client’s behavior to suit the end goal; which is to help a client lose weight AND keep that weight off. And now medical research is beginning to reveal what the Genetix Program has known for quite some time.

Recent studies have indicated that overweight clients typically give up their newly learned health habits and regain 30 to 50% of the weight they lost within one year, even if they participate in a post-weight loss maintenance program.

“There’s something we’re missing in terms of what it takes to maintain our weight,” says Michaela Kiernan, an expert in behavioral weight management at the Stanford Prevention Research Center.

Kiernan is the lead author on a new study publishing in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology titled “Promoting Healthy Weight with ‘Stability Skills First.’”

Kiernan and her colleagues hypothesized that people would keep weight off better if they practiced doing so first. Their hypothesis was based on social cognitive theory – that having confidence in your ability to do something actually helps you do it.

The study

More than 260 overweight and obese females were split randomly into two groups. Both groups participated in a six-month “intervention” period that included a weight loss program and a weight maintenance program.

In the “weight loss first” group, the women participated in a 20-week behavioral weight loss program, followed by an eight-week “problem-solving” maintenance program. Their maintenance program addressed obstacles the women might face in the upcoming year.

In the “maintenance first” group, the women participated in an eight-week “stability skills” maintenance program, where they were asked not to lose any weight.

They learned how to fine-tune their eating behaviors – savoring food mindfully, for instance, or leaving small amounts on their plate – “to get away from the idea that you’re either on a diet or off a diet,” Kiernan says. That group then participated in an identical 20-week weight loss program.

The results

Both of these groups lost on average 16 pounds during the six-month program. But after 12 months, the “weight loss first” group had gained back at least 7 pounds. In comparison, the “maintenance first” group had only gained back 3 pounds.

Why?

The study focuses on two key factors for weight loss maintenance: Confidence and motivation, says Kim Gorman, weight management program director for the Anschutz Health and Wellness Center at the University of Colorado.

Asking “maintenance first” participants not to lose weight during the first eight weeks allowed them to learn important skills without fear, Gorman says.

“I say fear because so many of my folks lose a significant amount of weight and then fear a slight shift upward means the boat is sinking. I think (the study authors) contended with the emotional impacts associated with the scale … in short, they were prepared.”

Gorman was pleased to see that the “maintenance first” group didn’t lose their motivation for losing weight – evidenced by the fact that both groups dropped the same amount in six months.

Kiernan says the maintenance group may have benefited from that early energy. “Most of the time by the time they get to maintenance, they’re pooped,” she says. “This way it’s kind of a protected time to try things.”

The Genetix Program

started modifying the maintenance behavior of their clients while simultaneously allowing them to lose weight. This idea revolutionized the rate at which a client loses weight and gained confidence. The Genetix clients not only have a 95% success rate but is guaranteed to keep that weight off for life.

We’re glad the rest of the world is catching up.

Eating eggs helps women lose weight

Eating Eggs Helps Women Lose Weight

Good news ladies. If you want to accelerate their weight loss we have an eggcellent suggestion. According to a new study from the Rochester Centre for Obesity in America, eating eggs, particularly early in the day, will help to limit your calorie intake throughout the rest of the day, by more than 400 calories.

In the study, 30 overweight or obese women ate either an egg-based breakfast (2 eggs) or a bagel-based breakfast, containing the same amount of calories and almost identical levels of protein. The researchers recorded the women’s eating habits and found that just before lunch, the women who had eaten eggs for breakfast felt less hungry and ate a smaller lunch as a result. Better still, over the next 36 hours the group eating the egg-containing breakfast consumed, on average, 417 calories less than the bagel-eating group.

Obviously the study suggests that women who ate eggs for breakfast felt fuller for longer so that they would eat less at their next few meals. This is great news if you are trying to lose weight as it means you may find it easier to cut calories without feeling hungry. In fact, based on these results you could expect to lose an extra 4 pounds a month, simply by eating eggs for breakfast!

Eggs are packed with a variety of nutrients including protein, zinc, iron and vitamins A, D, E and B12, but contain just 85 calories each. Old advice to limit eggs to just a few each week has also been abandoned. According to the Food Standards Agency, there’s now no limit to the number of eggs you can eat in a week as part of a healthy balanced diet. If you fancy starting the day with eggs we suggest you avoid frying them and combine them with wholemeal toast and a glass of vitamin C-rich unsweetened orange juice, which will help the body make the best use of the iron in the eggs.

More studies support the growing body of research on the nutritional benefit of egg consumption including that eggs promote weight loss and aid brain and memory function. A randomized study at Louisiana State University found that overweight and obese women who consumed a breakfast of 2 eggs a day for 5 or more days a week for 8 weeks, lost 65% more weight, had an 83% greater reduction in waist circumference and reported greater improvements in energy levels that the women who consumed other foods with the same number of calories. This confirmed a study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, which found an egg breakfast induced greater satiety and significantly reduced short-term food intake compared to a calorically equivalent bagel breakfast.

Eggs contain choline, which is an important and essential nutrient needed for normal functioning of all cells especially brain cells. Choline is also critical for brain and memory development in fetuses. Iowa State University recently assessed choline intake and found all Americans are deficient in choline, particularly pregnant women. The National Academy of Sciences recommends 425-550 mg choline per day for most adults. 2 eggs = 250mg choline or 50% of our daily requirement 3 oz. beef liver = 355mg 1 c brussels sprouts = 63mg 3 oz. salmon = 56 3 oz. cod = 71mg 1 c broccoli = 62mg 2 T wheat germ =22mg For the past 30 years eggs were thought to increase heart disease by raising blood cholesterol levels. Now it turns out eggs don’t raise cholesterol in most people and actually provide many important nutrients including good quality protein, folate, vitamin D, choline, zinc, iron, lutein and zeaxanthin that benefit our health.

Look at the benefits of eating eggs:

• Improve immune function
• Keep eyes healthy
• Lower cancer risk
• Lower heart disease risk
• Reduce osteoporosis

Eggs are versatile, economical and nutritious. They contribute many important nutrients to the diet: protein, iron, zinc, choline, lutein, zeaxanthin, folate and vitamin D. Eggs contain the highest biological value protein of any food. Iron and zinc are important for a healthy immune system, while choline is needed for brain development and memory. Lutein & zeaxanthin are carotenoids that prevent macular degeneration & atherosclerosis.

Folate lowers homocysteine, heart disease & cancer risk and vitamin D is needed to utilize calcium. A problem with egg consumption is the risk of salmonella poisoning. If eggs are handled & cooked properly, the bacteria are killed and the disease avoided. Much of the early egg research was flawed, and researchers found no evidence of a significant association between egg consumption and the risk of heart disease or stroke in men or women. In fact, the American Heart Association published 2 studies showing healthy men and women could eat 2 eggs a day while on a low fat diet without significantly raising blood cholesterol levels or their risk of heart disease.

Bottom line: Eat more eggs and say good by to your appetite!

Grill Healthy for Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a traditional time for getting together and grilling. Grilling usually tends to be a time when you throw on the greasy, fatty meats but you can chose to grill a healthy way. You don’t have to be on a diet or watching your weight to want to grill what is best for your body.

Grilling fruits and vegetables is a great idea, whether or not you’re grilling meat to go with them. We all need to eat more fruits and vegetables, and this is an appealing way to serve them. I probably don’t need to remind you that eating fruits and vegetables benefits the body in so many ways — reducing your risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, obesity, and some types of cancer.

The trick to grilling vegetables is cutting them into shapes and sizes that cook well on the grill. When you cook them over direct medium heat, turning frequently, they’ll usually be done in 8-10 minutes (sometimes less, depending on the vegetable). Look for grill marks and some light browning to develop.

These vegetables work especially well on the grill.
Red, white, or sweet onion, sliced into 1/2-inch thick rounds.
Whole mushrooms. Grill portabellas like a burger or them cut into thick slices; grill
small mushrooms strung on a skewer or kabob.
Eggplant, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices.
Zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices.
Asparagus spears. Just trim off the white end and grill the spears whole.

Other fruits and vegetables that are great to grill:
Tomatoes
Bell peppers
Endive
Pineapple
Mango
Apple
Pear

If you prefer some meat with your fruit and vegetables, my first choice is chicken breast. It is a good idea to put about ½ inch between chunks of food on your kebab. (It can help everything cook through more quickly). You can cut up the chicken breast in squares and put them on the skewer along with the veggies or cook them separate. I also like to marinate skinless chicken breasts in low fat Italian dressing for about 2 hours in the refrigerator. Let the marinade drain off, then cook chicken over direct high heat or direct medium heat until it’s done throughout. Always check the thickest part of the chicken breast for doneness.

Have a great time grilling, take a nice walk to free yourself from stress but most of all spend time with family this Memorial Day and remember all those loved ones you dearly miss.

Keep Your Pantry Ready for Weight Loss

Stock your kitchen pantry with these staples so you are prepared for any healthy meal. Whether you are trying to lose weight or just maintaining to remain healthy, you always need to be prepared.

No pantry is complete without a few cans or pouches of water-packed tuna. Tuna can help add healthy omega-3 fats and protein to a variety of dishes.

Make sure your pantry is stocked with a variety of beans. Whether dried or canned, beans are an inexpensive alternative to animal protein. They’re also an excellent source of fiber. Serve them as a side dish or add them to soups, omelets, tacos, casseroles, or salads. Thoroughly rinsing canned beans can slash sodium content by 40%.

A family favorite, pasta goes with virtually all meats and vegetables. It comes in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors to help make meals more interesting. Get more fiber by choosing whole-grain or whole-grain blend pasta.

You’ll want to taste the fruity, peppery flavor of extra-virgin olive oil. Use it to dress salads, and grains. Canola oil performs best in frying pans and woks. Both of these heart-healthy oils lower certain disease risks and are preferable to solid fats like butter. Use either oil to sauté vegetables and meat.

Brown rice is a healthy, high-fiber whole grain. Couscous, bulgur, and farro are available in whole-grain versions, too. These versatile grains complement any meat, fish, poultry, or vegetable as a centerpiece or side dish. Couscous, bulgur, and the seeds of the grain-like plant quinoa can be cooked quickly. For richer flavor, cook grains in broth or stock. Combine them with colorful vegetables, nuts, and seeds.

Having canned tomatoes on hand can make life a lot easier when you’re creating quick and healthy meals. Tomatoes are rich in lycopene and vitamins A and C. They work in a variety of dishes, like soups and casseroles. And of course, they’re delicious. Spike them with basil and other herbs to use as a quick sauce for meats, pasta, or whole grains. Choose tomatoes with no added salt.

Don’t think of nuts as just a party food. They’re an excellent source of protein, fiber, good fats, and other healthy nutrients. If you regularly eat nuts as part of a healthy diet, you may reduce your risk of heart disease. Nuts pair well with sweet and savory foods. Use unsalted nuts in hot or cold cereals or as a meat alternative in pasta, grains, salads, or vegetables. Eat them with fruit or yogurt, in desserts, or as a nutritious snack.

In a perfect world, you’d have time to make your own stock from fresh meat or vegetables. (Homemade stock allows you to control the salt in your cooking.) If you
don’t have enough time, buy low-sodium or unsalted chicken, beef, or vegetable stock to add depth of flavor to your dishes. Use it as the base for a quick soup or sauce. Rice and whole grains may taste richer when cooked in stock instead of water.

Rich in nutrients, loaded with antioxidants and fiber, and low in calories, fruit belongs at every meal. Canned fruit (which is just as nutritious as fresh or frozen if canned without sugar or syrups) makes a delicious snack or dessert alone or over yogurt, ice cream, or waffles. Dried fruit adds pizzazz to salads, cereals, and fish, and goes well with nuts for the perfect healthy snack.

The Leptin Phenomenon – The Answer You’ve Been Looking For

The Leptin Phenomenon – The Answer You’ve Been Looking For

Is leptin resistance keeping you from losing weight? If you are currently overweight then…Yes! It Is!

Resistance to this important hormone may, indeed, be keeping you from shedding those extra pounds. Here’s why…

What is Leptin?

Although only recently discovered, it is becoming increasingly apparent that leptin is an important hormone in the regulation of body weight – maybe even as important as insulin!

But, at first glance, the actions of this hormone can be somewhat confusing.

Leptin is a fat-reducing hormone that acts on the central nervous system by decreasing appetite and increasing your metabolic rate.

Leptin is secreted by fat cells and is and is present in the serum in direct proportion to the amount of fat you have. Because it is secreted by fat cells and acts to reduce fat, leptin should function as a self-regulating weight-control mechanism.

When you gain weight (as fat) your leptin levels rise. Higher levels of leptin, should then reduce your appetite and increase your metabolic rate helping you lose that excess body fat.

Conversely, when you lose body fat, your leptin levels fall. This would be expected to increase your appetite and lower your metabolic rate so that you conserve body fat.

At least not in people who are overweight. In fact, research has shown that lowering leptin levels in overweight people is associated with weight loss. This seeming contradiction is due to a condition known as leptin resistance.

Here’s how it should work…

But, it doesn’t seem to work that way.

Excess Body Weight and Leptin Resistance

Because leptin is secreted by fat cells and is present in the blood in direct proportion to the amount of fat you have, over weight people should have high levels of leptin. And they do!

But it doesn’t help them lose weight as one would expect. This is due to a condition known as leptin resistance.

When you develop resistance to leptin, your body’s tissues become “desensitized” to the hormone. This means that, although leptin levels are high, the brain perceives them as being low – and it responds accordingly.

As a result, rather than increasing your metabolic rate and decreasing your appetite, you brain slows your metabolic rate, stimulates appetite and promotes fat synthesis.

Ironically, research shows that lowering leptin levels in overweight people can restore their malfunctioning leptin system, re-sensitize tissues to leptin and stimulate weight loss. In fact…

Many people consider lowing leptin levels to be the key to successful and permanent weight loss

Here are the the most common FAQs that I receive regarding Leptin

How do I determine if I am leptin resistant? Remember, you can be LR (leptin resistant) if you’re fat or skinny. If you’re overweight by more than 30lbs, it is a lock you have some degree of LR. If you’re underweight by 20 lbs, you are likely LR, too. If you had an eating disorder, you’re likely suffering from a serious leptin issue.

The easiest test is to look in the mirror. The mirror does not lie and it is really cheap. For those people who still can’t be sure after peeking in the mirror, you can order some blood tests. My favorite is the HS CRP (highly sensitive C-Reactive protein) and the reverse T3 tests (but there are others). They are accurate in over 90% of cases.

My next favorite test is the salivary cortisol test, along with at least two of the following: HDL level, serum ferritin, homocysteine, fasting triglycerides, fasting insulin, or post-prandial glucose readings done every 15 minutes for one hour after eating.

How do I restore leptin sensitivity? If you’re overweight, eat a low carb version of the Genetix Program Diet. (Refer your counselor) If you’re really obese, eat a ketogenic version of this diet.

How long does it take to restore leptin sensitivity? This step depends upon how badly damaged your metabolism is. It also depends upon how willing you are to adapt your diet and your exercise routine. My standard answer is 6-8 weeks for most people. “Most people” refers to those within one standard deviation on either side of the mean, and that includes about 68% of people.

How do I know when I am no longer leptin resistant?

Changes in appearance: Your hair and nails will improve in color and presentation. Your pedicurist will notice you have less dead skin on your feet. Your face will look a lot better, with softer skin and better color, especially if you use olive oil or coconut oil on your skin.

Changes in mood, personality, and thoughts: You will become more thoughtful, more mindful, and less explosive in explosive environments. If you decide to add mindfulness to your reset, (you should) you will notice tremendous changes in your thinking and your ability to learn and comprehend things. Your insight, intuition, and mental acuity will be sharper. Also, your sexual desires will change and your libido will awaken. Your spouse will begin to notice things and treat
you differently.

Changes in appetite: Your carbohydrate cravings will go away. You’ll feel full and not really need to eat three meals a day. You’ll notice your taste and smell change.

Changes in energy and sleep: Over 6-12 months, expect your energy to gradually improve. You will feel warmer and exude body heat, but your body temperature will actually be lower. It will continue to trend lower over the next 18-24 months while you thyroid settles into its new biologic groove. Dramatic improvements will be made in your sleep. Both migraines and muscle soreness from exercise will decrease.

After leptin sensitivity is restored, what practices should I follow? Once you realize things have changed, you need to immediately begin HIIT (high intensity interval training) exercise. I am a huge believer in lifting heavy weights at low reps. At this stage, I want most people lifting at 85 – 95% of their maximum weight, 2-3 times a week. The exercise rotation can be simple. You should do this for about three weeks.

Women especially need to regularly lift weights. Women never listen to me about this, but they should! Ladies, you will never get huge muscles doing this, I promise. The reason that weight lifting is so important for women is because their pregnenolone level declines fast after the age of 30. This causes steep declines in the sex steroids (known asperimenopause), in growth hormone secretion, and in vitamin D status. The muscle strain from weight lifting is the best way to stimulate the pituitary gland to say, “We are not aging yet, and we need to continue to make these hormones.” Leptin sensitivity controls that switch. And ladies, your body composition is directly tied to this action! If you lift, your curves will be maintained until you’re ninety or greater.

Both men and women need to consider their HS CRP levels. High levels indicate a person you have entered perimenopause or andropause at a much faster pace than others. This means your time to a total reset and optimization will take longer. It does not mean it is not possible! Do not compare yourself to others. Compare yourself to how bad your own labs were when you began. The worse your labs were, the longer it will take you to get to optimal. Do not forget this biologic fact, you can’t run away from it!

After three weeks of lifting, you should add two days of running sprints. The sprints should be no longer than 40 yards and you should not exceed 20 sprints. If you can’t do twenty, work up slowly and steadily. Walking in the beginning is fine. Do not stress about this. If you do you, will raise your cortisol and the rest will take longer. Your thoughts will drive your cortisol.

As for your diet, you can begin to increase or decrease macronutrients slowly to see if it affects your cravings, weight, and your moods. If your symptoms start to return, return to your original diet.

Why should I avoid aerobic exercise during the reset? This will require some explanation. If you’re LR, you are a sugar burner, not a fat burner. That means you can not do glycolytic exercise until your muscles and lever become completely LS as well. Your brain being LS is not enough. If your muscles are still LR, they can’t properly use the glucose or the fat delivered to them.

Another reason to avoid aerobic exercise at this stage is because the AMPk pathways are not working well yet. (This will be the focus of an upcoming blog post.) AMPk is stimulated by re-teaching your muscles and liver how to deplete glycogen and metabolically respond to hypoxia and cellular stressors. Any time metabolism is stressed, AMPk should respond in kind with big  results. In LR, it does not work well at all. This is why body composition is trashed in LR states. If you do aerobic exercise when you are still leptin resistant, you send signals to the mitochondria that conditions are really bad. Instead of making new mitochondria to help out, you wind up killing your cells via apoptosis. New stems cells are recruited to replace the suicidal cells. Sounds good?

The problem is those stem cells were going to help extend your life span, and, well, you just shortened it! This is why NFL players, bodybuilders, and marathoners don’t live long as group, and why they get many disease early, such as heart attacks, Alzheimers, and cancer. Not good. Longevity always mandates we protect our stem cells. We only want to use them when we really need them. If you use them early in life, you’re subtracting years from the end of your life.

Why do you need to eat within 30 minutes of waking? When you’re LR, your diurnal clocks in the brain, the liver, and muscles are all disordered. This is how we will reset those organs to once again act in unison, like an orchestra. If you break this rule, you can still find success, but it will make your reset take longer.

What exercise can I do during the LR Protocol? My personal advice it to do none. If you must, swim, walk, or have a lot of sex right before bed. Yes, timing of sex is important, too, in the reset. Oxytocin is released at climax and it is the best chemical a brain can have prior to sleep. It jump-starts the conversion of serotonin to melatonin without the four hours of complete darkness it usually takes. This is why orgasm can make you sleepy, and why moms and babies fall asleep in a rocking chair after breastfeeding.

Does everybody need 50 grams of protein at breakfast during the LR Protocol, regardless of size or sex? My answer is yes, 50 grams is the minimum for success. If you’re bigger, you can go even past 70 grams. If you can’t eat that much protein, add fat to make up the rest.

If you are obese, add coconut oil to your coffee or tea, or eat a tablespoon of it. I use Nutiva brand and love it. If you’re underweight, eat more hash browns cooked in pastured butter. Eat breakfast until you’re stuffed. If you don’t get to 50 grams of protein, don’t sweat it – I don’t want the stress to raise your cortisol! Just make sure your hunger is killed. If you get hungry before, during, or after lunch, you need to eat more protein or fat at breakfast.

Does breakfast need to be just protein, or can there be vegetables or fruit? What about fat? If you are overweight, avoid fruit. Veggies are fine as long as they are not nightshades and have a low glycemic index. If you are underweight, you can eat fruit, and I suggest blueberrries, blackberries, and grapes over all others.

Fat is great. The obese can use coconut oil as their “number one diesel.” Google “Nutiva Coconut Manna” and then send me a donation for that recommendation – you will soon be addicted! If you don’t like coconut oil or Nutiva coconut manna, you can use heavy cream, but you won’t lose weight as quickly.

For the thinner LR crowd, I recommend pastured raw heavy cream. Get some saturated fat raw cheeses from France. If you must use pasteurized stuff, go ahead, but it’s not my top choice.

What if I can’t eat a big breakfast? Don’t complain about your leptin problems then. To get where you want to be, you must do things you have not done before.

How strict is the 50 grams of carbohydrates per day limit? It is strict for the overweight and not strict for the underweight. How should they be spread out over the day? The most carbs should be eaten when cortisol is the highest, in the morning. Dinner should be the meal with the least amount of carbs. Eat the most food in the morning, with decreasing amounts as the day goes on. As you progress, you will notice yourself naturally falling into this pattern.

Can I use whey as a protein source during the LR Protocol? Can you? Sure, but you should have asked, “Should I?” The answer is no. It is too insulinogenic and raises NPY. (If you are underweight, however, you can do so without any restriction.)

Can I have coffee or tea between meals, with cream? You can have them plain, without cream. But again, should you? Nope. No snacks are allowed at all, just three meals a day. Drinks without calories don’t count as a snack and don’t even ask me about artificial sweeteners because the answer is “no freaking way.” (Stevia is allowed as long as it doesn’t have any fillers such as maltodextrin. Generally the liquid forms are fine.) The really obese or metabolically broken (such as people with fibromyalgia) may need four meals a day, but most people who eat a BAB (Big Ass Breakfast) will do fine with three meals.

Can I skip lunch during the LR Protocol if I’m not hungry? Yes, it is good if you can make it until dinner without being hungry. Then, you can eat more at dinner if need be.

Can you do IF (Intermittent Fasting) in conjunction with the LR Protocol? No way. I love IFing, but don’t try it until you are leptin sensitive again. IFing requires the AMPk pathways to be working optimally.

What if we can’t eat dinner before 7 p.m.? Drink water, have sex, and go to bed early. Turn the lights off early, too.

What if my family isn’t participating in the reset? You’re not here to save them yet. Focus on you. You are worthless to them and the world if you’re not working optimally. Trust me, when they see where you are going, they will all change. Just ask my wife how that road goes.

What should I do about meal timing if I work night shift? This one will piss you off. You will never be optimal until you quit your job and work normal hours. I have no answer for you here. Do your best, but you’re screwed. You can’t fight circadian rhythm biology.

If I fall off the wagon on the LR Protocol do I need to restart the clock? Yes…and kick yourself in the ass. If you’re not ready to change your life, keep doing what you’ve been doing. During the initial reset period, there is a 10-14 day setback each time you fall off the wagon.

Will the Leptin Reset fix insulin resistance? It is designed to eradicate it completely, if you do it correctly.

Will the Leptin Reset fix thyroid problems? If you read the Hormone 101 blog you’d know this answer already. Shame on you! Anyone with a leptin problem has a thyroid problem by definition. So if you fix leptin, you can easily fix the thyroid. If you have an extreme case, you may need a doctor to help guide you back to optimal.

Will the Leptin Reset fix adrenal problems? It depends on the severity of the condition, as most are tied to cortisol issues. High cortisol levels are harder to treat than low cortisol levels. If they are really bad, I treat both the same time. Most often though, with adaptogenic support and some good doctoring, you can fix most adrenal problems.

How do you handle cravings and headaches from the initial carb withdrawal, or the urge to snack? Magnesium is the answer, and lots of it, but avoid supplements with magnesium oxide. Start with doses of 400 mg and then increase the dose.

Your cravings will go away in a few weeks, if you don’t give in. If you read our Facebook, you’ll see that some people who gave in to their cravings had to start the process over. It takes two weeks to regain what you lost from breaking the rules. (If it’s a minor issue like only eating 49 grams of protein or eating 55 grams of carbs, you’re fine.)

If you drink a twelve pack of beer or soda and eat Domino’s, you’re done for. Family gatherings or Chinese dinners should just be handled with beef jerky and nuts in your pocket, and tell them you have a virus. If your spouse rolls their eyes…no happy ending for weeks. And make sure you announce that – the public embarrassment will alter their behavior going forward.

Can I drink alcohol or wine on the reset? Norcal Margaritas? Can you? Sure. Would I? Nope, not even Malbec!

Will this have any affect on my pee or poop? Yes it will. With time, your pee may smell like cat pee. If this occurs, increase your B complex vitamins to 2-4 a day, and your vitamin C intake to 2000 mg a day. Your poop… not so much.

You Don’t Have to Undereat to Achieve Weight loss!

Under-eating to speed up weight loss has never worked in the long-term. Deprivation doesn’t lead to lasting change. Eventually you decide the pain isn’t worth it. Or your body takes over to prevent you from ‘starving’ yourself any longer.”

You need to find the right mix of calories to feel satisfied and strong—and to be patient. It’s not easy. But if you can change your thinking so that you are willing to work, but not willing to suffer, then you can break free of the classic but unsustainable diet mentality. Instead, focus on what you can control, and what is proven to work—keeping your metabolism revved. Eat Enough Food. If you eat too little, you can slow down your metabolism. It’s important to find the calorie zone to support your resting metabolism given your age, height, weight, and exercise program. Your Genetix weight loss counselor can help you do just that.

Distribute Your Food. You should eat 5-6 small meals/snacks. Doing this helps keep your blood sugar and appetite levels balanced as well as keeps your metabolism humming along. Snacking does not mean dipping into a bag of chips every time you get the urge. It does mean to keep lots of healthy snacks available, so when you open the refrigerator you have what you need to make the right choices.

Keep cut up or snack-ready fresh vegetables on hand to keep you satiated throughout the day. Carrots are a wonderful option. They are very high in beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant shown to help fight cancer and heart-disease. Buy a bag or two of baby carrots or just slice some into spears. Keep them in a sealed container or plastic bag for up to two weeks. An entire cup of carrots has just 52 calories (plus nearly a day’s worth of vitamin C).

Cut broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers, peppers, and summer squash or whole green or wax beans are all fine options to keep on hand and will stay fresh for at least 3-5 days if stored in an airtight container or bag.

Fruits intended to ripen after picking (tomatoes included) should not be refrigerated at all and are lovely to keep out in the open in a bowl. Consider keeping whole apples, pears, peaches and nectarines within arm’s reach at home or in your office for between meal snacks.

Try to do strength training each week. Muscle mass is what drives up your metabolism. As you lose weight, you can preserve your muscle mass by doing strength training exercises at least 3 times per week.

Change your lifestyle with the Genetix Program. Our team of doctors, certified counselors/trainers and nutritionists can support you in achieving these goals with behavior modification. You can do it and we can help!