Natural weight loss vs weight loss surgery

A one-year weight loss program based on lifestyle changes can help obese people shed almost as many pounds as surgery, according to the latest research from Germany.

In a study published in the International Journal of Obesity, they found women who stuck with the program lost 43 pounds, while men shed 57 pounds.

Before the year was up, however, more than 40 percent quit! Even among the completers, 75% of the weight loss was re-gained after just three years.

"Weight regain remains the Achilles' heel of all weight loss therapies," said Thomas Wadden, who runs the Center for Weight and Eating Disorders at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and was not involved in the new work.

Excess weight is one of the world's greatest health problems. It is tied to a host of chronic diseases, extra health care spending and early death. In the US, approximately a third of adults are obese.

While weight loss surgery effectively helps people slim down, complications and cost make the procedure less than ideal.

In the new study, Stephan Bischoff of the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart and colleagues used a number of lifestyle changes, including a low-calorie diet, behavioral therapy, group meetings, nutritional counseling and exercise -- a weight loss program franchised by Nestle as OPTIFAST52. There is also an OPTIFAST program in the US, but it is only half as long as the German program.

The researchers, all of whom work for OPTIFAST centers, signed up more than 8,000 obese participants at dozens of centers across the country.

At the start of the program, women weighed 247 pounds on average and men weighed 301 pounds. Combining all participants regardless of whether or not they finished the program, women lost an average of 33 pounds, with men shedding about 10 pounds more.

Six in 10 participants completed the programme - losing 53% of their excess weight on average. This is very close to the average weight loss achieved by surgery in the same timeframe (60%).

Completers also saw a number of other positive effects, such as lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels and an improved quality of life.

However researchers tracking a sample of 300 participants three years after completion found that they had regained most of their weight. This is less likely to happen after surgery, according to experts.

Still, Bischoff said, 20% of participants successfully kept their new weight without further assistance.

Potential side effects from the program were rare, with the most common ones -- hair loss and constipation -- reported by less than one percent of the participants.

Whether those problems are a real consequence of the Nestle program is still uncertain, because the study didn't include a control group. By the same token, it's hard to be sure exactly what benefits came from the program itself, as opposed to just being part of a scientific study.

And there are other problems with the program, said Stanley Heshka, a nutrition researcher at Columbia University in New York.

Although OPTIFAST52 appears to work in the short term, he told Reuters Health by email, it is not a practical solution to America's obesity problem. Obese Americans tend to be poor, while intensive programs like Nestle's tend to be "very costly."

University of Pennsylvania's Wadden does see promise in weight loss programs, but said they need to do a better job of helping participants keep the pounds off.

"For every month that you spend losing weight, you should spend another month learning how to keep the weight off," he said.

Does Organic Liaison work?

Well, if you believe all that's been written about Kirstie Alley in recent weeks, then it does. A whopping 90lb weight loss (that's 6st 6lbs to you and me) has taken her to a size 6 (US) and Kirstie has said she couldn't have done Dancing With the Stars without it.

While I've given up on the get thin quick schemes, I'm particularly fascinated by this diet. The organic liaison diet is said to have been designed specifically around Kirstie's needs. Call me skeptical, but how exactly can she vouch for its long-term success when she's only just a year or so into the process (if that)? And who is to say that we all have the same needs as Kirstie?

What's more, it's supposed to be affordable. At $139 for a 'starter' pack? I think not.

I'm perhaps most shocked by the fact that a woman who has battled with weight loss demons for so many years  (and bear in mind that she's 60!) would turn the tables on dieters by launching her own get thin quick scheme. While I'm sure this isn't what Kirstie intended, it feels like a site designed to part you with pounds... from your wallet, that is.

P.S. There are questions marks regarding the diet's links to Scientology - in terms of finances, design, ethos and more.  

This video is from 2009 after the Jenny Craig fiasco! So... if she lost 20lbs in five weeks in 2009, why did it take so long for her to get to a 60lb loss in time for DWTS?

Day 2: Slimming World Extra Easy

Well day two is rounding to a close and while I think it's going well so far, I must admit that I started to feel a bit challenged earlier when I started getting stressed. While I have an 11-year-old son who's fairly easy going, I also have my neighbours' kids around... A LOT. Let's just say I realised how much kids grow between 7 and 11 in the space of about 5 minutes. I do adore the two boys (4 and 7) and the fulfil an odd gap in my life, I am quite happy to send them on their way at the end of the night! I think I've become a grandmother before my time.

Anyway - felt a bit stressed and did have thoughts of 'what sweet things can I fill my face with?' I've not eaten a great deal today and I've had so much fruit, so opted for a MullerLight.

And the burning question - what did I eat?

Breakfast

Mushrooms sauteed in Bertolli Light spread (1 syn)
Quorn sausage (1 syn)
wholemeal toast (my slices are just 47g, so used my 10g spare as breadcrumbs with dinner)
Tomato drizzled with balsamic and roasted
Apple

Snacks (I don't tend to eat lunch on Wednesdays)
2 x banana
8 x strawberry
1 x apple

Dinner
1/2 fillet cod, in nuggets crumbed
1/2 fillet haddock, in nuggets crumbed
1 portion Slimming World chips in frylight
Mullerlight yoghurt

Supper
Mullerlight yoghurt
Melon chunks
Spaghetti rings in tomato sauce

My only comment would be that I think I need to really aim for more vegetables. Tomorrow I'm going to try to work in a salad with dinner which should fill that gap. 

Does Dukan work? Expert says: Dukan diet "not a sustainable option"

Fancing giving your diet the royal treatment? Well, sources are reporting that Kate Middleton's rail thin wedding day appearance was down to following the French diet plan. The Dukan Diet's been big in celebrity circles for some time with celebs like Jennifer Lopez rumoured to be following the high protein, low-fat plan.

But should you?
"The Dukan Diet is a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet and is not a sustainable option in the long term," says accredited practising dietitian Jemma O'Hanlon.

"Whenever I hear of someone going on a diet, I always ask them whether they think they will be able to stick to this diet for the rest of their life. If the answer is no, then I ask them why they would choose to commence a restrictive diet that they can't maintain.


"The Dukan diet is an example of one of these. It may not appear as restrictive as other diets, such as the Atkins or the lemon detox diet, as over time it allows you to have more choice about what you can eat. But in the end the outcome is likely to be the same.

"The Dukan diet starts you off on a very restrictive eating plan. The first phase, the Attack Phase, requires you to consume only lean meats, fish, eggs and low-fat dairy.

"Basically this sends your body into a state called ketosis, where your body starts breaking down its lean muscle mass to use as energy. This is because it is starved of carbohydrates that would usually supply the body this fuel. You are guaranteed to see immediate weight loss because your body is forced to break down muscle. Fluid losses also result in order to flush the ketones out of your system, and these losses will also show a reduction on the scales.

"I would not recommend the Dukan diet. Going on any diet means changing your normal eating habits to something that is unfamiliar and unnatural."

Those last few words are those to live by!! As soon as I hear the words 'you can't have...', you should really think twice about whether this eating regime is in your body's best interests.

And if you're still tempted by the lure of Dukan - consider this:

A survey of nearly 5000 ''Dukanians'', as they have been nicknamed, found that 80 per cent regained the weight they lost within three years, and experts who analysed the results of the survey claimed it was a ''public health risk''.

Dukan diet: Does it work?

The founder of the high-protein and oatbran Dukan diet is in the French courts, suing a rival who claims that the low-carb diet is dangerous.

As an Atkins diet grad, I'm interested to see how this pans out. As tempting as the Dukan diet is, I've resisted anything which follows that low carb/high protein approach. If a diet limits your fruit or your veg I tend to get concerned!

After all, I have seen - first hand - what a high protein diet can do to your body... Yes, it left me a whopping 8 stone lighter in a space of just 10 months, but it also caused my kidneys to start shutting down.

Need more reasons? The most relevant one nowadays must be the cost of it all. Keeping myself in protein (steaks, chicken, bacon, etc) cost a fortune! Yes, there are eggs and cheese - but their cost at that quantity - is too high for many incomes to bear.

So... does it work? In short yes. Any diet - if you follow it - will work. But does it keep the weight off in the long term? Dukan claims that following Dukan for just one day a week, following a walking regime and consistently choosing stairs over elevators or escalators will sustain your weight loss... no matter what you eat on the other 6 days of the week. Sounds amazing, doesn't it? Well, some haven't found this to be the case.

Stars go goo goo over the baby food diet

Chery Cole is the latest celeb being linked to the baby food diet plan. Developed by trainer to the stars, Tracy Anderson, this detox plan is rumoured to have helped Jennifer Aniston shed 7lbs in just one week.  Jen, however, has denied turning to baby foods in the past, saying that the last time she ate the stuff was when she was "one".

The plan consists of 14 portions of puree a day, followed by an adult, healthy meal in the evenings.  Its creator told Hollyscoop.com: "I developed a cleanse where you can still eat and it's a lot of puree foods. I was very careful about the foods I chose to put in it. 

"When you do these liquid cleanses I felt a responsibility to come up with something. Liquid cleanses do help you lose weight but you will gain more the next week. I wanted something where you can eliminate toxicity, break bad habits but still have your digestive system going. That is when the baby food cleanse was born."

While there's no doubting that this diet is a short-term solution, there could be lessons to be learned here. It's a reminder of the importance of two things: portion control and the power of wholesome fruit and veg.  Keeping your food servings small and your ingredients healthy are key to losing weight and - importantly - sustaining it!

Why gastric band surgery isn't right for me... right now.

I would be a liar if I said I'd never considered gastric band surgery... but when I read stories of gastric band complications which result in fatalities, I'm reminded of how some 'get thin quick' plans can come at a high cost.

Don't get me wrong, I've heard plenty of success stories of how gastric bands and bypasses change lives, but I hear far too many where it hasn't quite gone as plan.

In most of these cases, the problems have arisen as a result of poor eating habits and a lack of exercise. I've even heard a case of someone who managed to gain weight on a band!  If I were to go down this route in the future, I'd want to be well-prepared and in the right mindset. Take post-bariatric diets, for example. Would you know what types of food you could or couldn't eat? And what about vitamins?

For now I will stick to the eat less and move more plan. Ok, so it's not exciting and it certainly won't lose you all of your excess weight in a matter of weeks - but it comes with no strings attached. And, guess what? I will be able to enjoy normal foods (in moderately sized portions, of course), engage in normal activities and I'll know that it's my blood, sweat and tears that helped me get to the final goal. 

Jenny Craig tops Consumer Reports diet plan review

Wondering which diet to sign up for? Weight Watchers? Slim-Fast? 

Well, according to Consumer Reports pre-packaged diet plan Jenny Craig might be a good bet.  The latest research indicates that - after 2 years - 92% of those following Jenny Craig diets are still following the programme.

With food plans priced at approximately $200 per week it must be good... Of course the same study found that participants - on average - were just 8% lighter after two years. That means that every 1% loss equates to a whopping $2600!!

While maintaining any loss is better than a gain, I long for a diet plan that sees you losing (and keeping off) the pounds - not your wallet!