| Stabilization: The Neglected Factor in Weight Control |  |
According to a new book The Five Keys to Permanent Weight Control by
Marvin H. Berenson, M.D. dieters have a new weapon to fight the
tendency to relapse and regain lost weight. It is called
the "stabilization period." It would appear to be an
essential factor
needed in all diet programs. At the beginning of dieting each person
has a set basal metabolic rate (BMR). As the body takes in less food
the regulatory mechanism that resides in the hypothalamus changes the
caloric needs of the body. If your normal daily caloric needs are
2000 calories and you reduce your calorie intake to 1400 calories,
the setting of the brain's metabolic thermostat will gradually
change. It reduces the number of calories required for basal
metabolic needs. Thus instead of continuing to benefit from the
reduction of 600 calories and having the body burn an equivalent
amount of fat to make up the difference, which is what causes us to
lose weight, the amount of body fat burned gradually lessens.
At some point in your extended dieting that 600-calorie reduction
will produce no further weight loss. Your metabolic rate will have
slowed to the point that you will be functioning on a 1400-calorie
diet. The length of time for this to occur varies depending on the
consistency of the diet, the percentage of reduced calories, the
amount of exercising, the initial weight of the person and certain
genetic influences.
For the first month or so the changes in the metabolic rate
tend to be minimal unless a person is on an accelerated weight loss
program. If weight loss is maintained between 1 to 2 pounds a week,
and not continued beyond one month there is little discernible change
in the BMR. However, if the dieting continues beyond a month there is
a slowing of metabolism as the body adapts to the lower caloric
input. Eventually the person will lose less and less weight despite
the strict adherence to the diet.
You probably know how difficult it is to lose that last ten
pounds. People who have been on previous diets often complain that
they have to eat like a bird. They always have to be very careful of
overeating. Otherwise, they immediately put on weight. The drastic
lowering of the BMR has sharply curtailed the body's ability to
handle an occasional indulgence, which tends to result in a rapid
gain of weight
Many diets do not adequately make clear that once dieters have lost
the desired weight that they can't immediately go back to eating
the
way they did before. The more weight a person has lost and the longer
the time the diet continued the more likely that the metabolic rate
has become fixed at a new low rate. This lowered BMR now limits a
dieter's food intake.
Most people who have finally been able to attain their weight goal
want to celebrate by again eating normally. To do so too quickly
floods their body with excess calories and they begin to regain their
lost weight. For many dieters their BMR may remain low indefinitely,
and for others months and years may elapse before normal eating can
begin."
To prevent the changes in basal metabolic needs a
stabilization period for periodic weight adaptation can be used. The
technique is simple and offers dieters an opportunity to adjust to
relatively small decreases in weight and psychologically adapt to a
changing body size. During the stabilization period dieters learn to
eat normally and to maintain weight rather than lose or gain it.
The optimal period to diet is one month followed by a one-month
stabilization period where dieting has stopped. During the
stabilization period dieters are advised to maintain their weight at
whatever level it was at the end of their dieting month. To simplify
the monthly schedule dieters can start each phase on the first of the
month. The alternation continues until one has reached his or her
ideal weight.
You will learn as you implement the use of the stabilization period
that it becomes a testing ground for you to learn to adapt and live
with a new weight every other month. It is essential that you do not
lose any more weight, or the purpose of the stabilization period is
thwarted. Most dieters will find that within a few days they need to
increase their food intake in order not to lose additional weight.
Each dieter must examine his feelings very closely during
this period since it is hard to resist not continuing to diet month
after month. But it is much better to face this struggle monthly and
conquer any tendency to sabotage your diet than lose the benefit of
the stabilization period.
**********************************************************************
The Five Keys to Permanent Weight Control by Dr. Marvin Berenson,
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the USC
School of Medicine, is available from his website
www.marvinberenson.com where he offers a free 31 page e-book Self
Growth and the Power of Mental Imagery, or by calling 800 247 6553,
or at bookstores nationwide.
|
|
