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Sustainable Weight Loss

iUniverse, Inc.

Contents

Dedication....................................................vAcknowledgements..............................................viiAbout the Author..............................................ixForeword......................................................xviiPreface.......................................................xixIntroduction..................................................xxvWarning / Disclaimer..........................................xxxvPart One Understanding the Basics.............................11 An Overview of the Human Body...............................32 The Role of Genetics........................................13Part Two Consider Your Options................................233 The Importance of Food Choices..............................254 The Power of Exercise.......................................695 Psychological Aspects of Weight Loss........................1056 The Role of Hormones........................................153Part Three How to Make a Difference...........................1757 The Driving Force Within....................................1778 Lesser-Known Weight Loss Considerations.....................2199 The Last Resort - A Hidden Trap Awaits......................24510 Summary - What Action to Take Now..........................263Appendix How to Find Help.....................................285Index.........................................................289

Chapter One

The human body is a marvelous creation intended to operate flawlessly for decades, by adapting to its surroundings in order to serve its changing needs. While the plant kingdom is tethered to the earth the animal kingdom is intended to move freely and independently of its surroundings. The existence of physical objects, plants, animals and others, appears at first blush like they should last for long periods, but existence on earth is not quite that simple. There is one rule of the physical universe that interferes with that idea. It is called entropy.

Understanding Entropy

Entropy is "the tendency of any system to move toward randomness or disorder." More entropy equates to greater disorder of the system. "In general most systems within the physical universe tend toward increasing positive entropy and towards more disorder over time, (i.e. things tend to fall apart)." If we look at the things around us, for example a car, a refrigerator, a TV, etc., we see entropy at work. Through use all of these items deteriorate over time. Ah, but there is good news for all of us mortals! There is an exception to the entropic rule of the physical universe and it is this.

The plant and animal kingdoms actually experience negative entropy. Both plants and animals move toward decreasing disorder of their systems. The bodies of plants and animals continuously try to correct themselves. If the body is damaged or contracts an illness it works tirelessly to heal itself. For example when the human body experiences a laceration, abrasion or bruise or when it contracts a cold or the flu, if left alone it will heal itself. The one and only time negative entropy doesn't work for the human body is when the body is too weak or run down to be able to wage the appropriate fight, at which point the organism experiences a steady decline in health, resulting in death.

By applying this fact to the condition of excess body weight it is easy to understand the body works diligently, around the clock to maintain a stable and homeostatic weight. In reality your body is not only constantly fighting for your survival it is also trying to optimize your weight, what ever that weight might be.

Having identified negative entropy, it must be understood no matter how much the body fights on behalf of us, it is still possible to override its propensity for perfection. In the context of obesity there have arisen two interesting theories that support this idea. The first theory is called the Absence of Protection Model, which believes obesity is the result of living in an obese causing or obese promoting environment. The second theory is called the Central Resistance Model, which believes under normal circumstances the body's energy balance system provides an effective defense against weight gain and/or weight loss and obesity involves genetic or acquired defects, impairing the function of this system. There will be more as to how this might work in the chapters on genetics and the role of hormones.

How Cells Produce Energy

The science of Cellular Physiology is the study of cells, including their internal structure and function. While it is not the goal of this book to turn you into an expert on this subject, it will be necessary for you to have at least an elementary understanding of a few basic concepts of how a cell produces energy. Let's take a closer look at some aspects of the internal functioning of a cell.

"Cells are the fundamental structural and functional units of living organisms." Cells are the building blocks for tissue, organs and bones within the body. It has been said we live and die at the cellular level.

Cells are comprised of a vast array of component parts. One that is critical to our understanding is the mitochondria (mye-toh-KON-dree-ah). All cells in the human body contain one or more mitochondria. The "mitochondria could be called the power plant of the cell because it is here that energy from nutrients is converted into a form that is usable by the cell." The end product of this nutrient conversion process is adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is the source of energy the cell uses to function.

There are two ways the mitochondria produce ATP. They are:

• Aerobic Metabolism - The word aerobic means in the presence of oxygen. This process occurs when either fatty acids or glucose are taken from the bloodstream into the mitochondria and combined with oxygen to produce ATP, water and carbon dioxide.

• Anaerobic Metabolism - The word anaerobic means in the absence of oxygen. This process occurs when glucose is taken from the bloodstream into the mitochondria and is involved in a fermentation process called lactate fermentation, where it is combined with creatine phosphate, resulting in the production of ATP and lactic acid.

There will be a more detailed discussion of this process in the chapter on exercise.

Good Health and Weight Control are Inseparable

For more than 100 years there has been substantial support for the idea that a homeostatic system exists in the body that adjusts energy intake and energy expenditure to promote the stability of body fat. To support this hypothesis data cited in the chapter on the role of hormones demonstrates there are in fact hormones that perform this task precisely (e.g. ghrelin, leptin). This concept supports the previously mentioned rule of negative entropy. The controversy that remains is that if our bodies are truly homeostatic systems then why has the condition of obesity grown so rapidly in recent years. While this question lingers, research has already proven that our modern lifestyle is causing defects in the homeostatic system. There are also some additional facts that we know relative to health and obesity.

It is virtually impossible for an obese person [usually defined as a person with a Body Mass...