The reasons for wanting to lose weight are vast and varied. Sometimes people feel self conscious about the way they look. In addition, excessive weight can be the link to significant health issues. Whether you are hoping to tighten and tone before you head out into to the SoCal sun or are searching for a dramatic change that will lead to better overall wellness, weight loss is an important step in getting there. So it can be stressful when you’re trying to lose weight and having little to no luck. You might start to wonder if it’s even possible — or if you’ll need to resort to surgery or an extreme diet. What you might not know is that your metabolism can play a significant role in the rate at which you are able to shed pounds. As a recent article in Observer explains, many factors can influence your metabolic rate, including age (basal metabolic rate slows down as people get older) and body composition (more muscle mass often means increased BMR, which is why men who pack more muscle seem to lose weight faster than women who don’t). Super diets that cut caloric intake might be doing you more harm than good on your weight loss journey — fasting and malnutrition slow down BMR.
While there are some things you can do to speed up your metabolism, such as routinely eating breakfast, working out, getting plenty of rest, and staying hydrated, there are also underlying hormonal situations that may need to be addressed. At the Southern California Center for Anti-Aging, we can help you confront those underlying issues after thoroughly evaluating your medical status. Then a weight loss program can be created based on your individual needs. Sometimes human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) is just the thing to kick start your body. If you’ve ever been pregnant, you might already be familiar with HCG because it is a natural hormone released by the human placenta. If a mother is not eating enough, HCG stimulates the release of fat from her body to provide fuel for the baby. Outside of pregnancy, HCG is believed to decrease or prevent hunger cravings while also sparing lean muscle. And don’t be fooled by the origins — HCG is not just for women. Men can also see the effects of HCG as it increases the levels of hormones that may increase metabolism.
For your convenience, our clinic offers programs that feature a nutrition and exercise regimen, physician-prescribed HCG, amino acids injections, and weekly check-ins. Another option for weight loss is the South Bay Diet, which is a customized plan with the proven combination of high-protein, low-fat, low-carb eating; exercise, behavior modification, including stress management techniques; nutritional supplements and, as needed, medication to control appetite. Metabolism works in funny ways and trying to shed pounds can be frustrating. One of the best things you can do is get a team on your side as you work to shed weight. Come in and chat with us to see how. we can get your metabolism back on track. We’ll discuss your current practices, talk about your fitness goals, evaluate your hormonal health, and find a plan that is best for you.
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — The latest diet craze has many women and men injecting themselves with a substance that suppresses the appetite. It is so effective doctors say you can lose up to one pound a day. But not everyone believes it’s safe. Inside her El Segundo home Karen Coran injects herself, plunging a needle into the folds of her stomach.
“You make sure that the syringe doesn’t have any bubbles in it… Inject the needle straight in,” dieter Karen Coran said while demonstrating how she prepares her injections.
She is not a drug addict or a diabetic — she is an extreme dieter.
“I’ve done Lindora, I’ve done Weight Watchers,” she said.
She tried almost everything. At 5 foot-3 inches and more than 250 pounds, she was considering lap band surgery. “I was frustrated, because it seemed like my body, no matter what i did, wanted to hold on to the weight,” Coran said.
Then her doctor told her about the HCG Diet. HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is a hormone used for fertility treatments. It’s found naturally in the bodies of pregnant women. Some doctors believe HCG tricks the body into pulling fat from the body while suppressing appetite.
Dr. Judi Goldstone weighs in on The HCG Diet Craze
“Have you ever seen anything that works this well?” I asked Dr. Judi Goldstone.
“There was so much patient demand. They were calling asking if i did it. I started researching it and I tried it. And I was just shocked by how phenomenal the results are,” Goldstone said.
She now has 20 patients on HCG. Most of them are women, but she says it works just as well for men.
Patients on the HCG diet are restricted to 500 to 800 calories a day. The diet is limited, consisting of plenty of protein with some fruits and vegetables.
“I’ll get tomatoes and strawberries, which are great this time of year,” Coran said.
Doctors say that many patients lose a half pound to a pound a day for the first six weeks. Because the caloric intake is so low, doctors actually urge their patients not to exercise.
“Is there ever a point where the patients are losing too much weight and too fast?” I asked the doctor.
“Yes. I’ve said no you have got to maintain your weight for the next week,” Goldstone said.
A typical lunch consists of three ounces of chicken, a few strawberries and a piece of lettuce.
Opponents say that eating like that of course dieters will lose weight. They warn it can be dangerous, causing vitamin deficiencies or other serious health problems. “It’s risky to get injections of a substance one a week,” said Dr. Sharon Orrange, an internist at
The Doctors of USC, who specializes in women’s health. HCG first became popular as a diet drug in the U.S. in the 1970s. But recently it has exploded on the Internet. Dozens of websites advertise pharmaceutical or homeopathic HCG.
More About HCG
HCG is FDA approved for fertility treatment, but not for weight loss. To get it, you need a prescription from your doctor. If you buy it without a prescription over the Internet, there is no way to determine what is really in the product.
“I think the FDA will perk up and I know they have in the last couple of weeks and start to really cut down on what’s sold on the Internet,” Orrange said. Dr. Orrange recommended asking yourself the follow questions before starting any extreme diet.
Is it nutritionally adequate?
Has it been researched?
Is this diet sustainable?
Coran says that with the help of her doctor, she is starting her second phase of the diet.
“A diet is sort of a personal thing. What works for me may not work for you or somebody else,” Coran said. She hopes to lose another 30 pounds in the next few weeks.
“I’m not where I need to be yet, but I know I’m on the path and I know I can continue the journey and get to where i need to go,” she said.
The HCG Diet costs almost $400 for a six-week treatment and it is not covered under insurance since it is considered preventative health.
For More Information on the HCG Diet:
Judi Goldstone, MD Southern California Center for Anti-Aging Anti-Aging Medicine Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement Medically Supervised Weight Loss 23823 Hawthorne Blvd. Torrance, CA. 90505 (424) 247-4962 phone (310) 375-1120 fax
