Don't let cravings sabbotage your weight loss

Approximately 70 percent of overweight people are suffering from a chemical imbalance called Syndrome X, which impairs their ability to lose weight. One feature of Syndrome X is to have elevated blood levels of the hormone insulin. This hormone encourages the conversion of dietary carbohydrate into fat, and promotes the storage of fat. Insulin also has the effect of inhibiting the body's ability to burn fat. The most effective way of lowering insulin levels and hence losing weight, is to follow a lower carbohydrate, higher protein eating plan.



Our overweight patients have had great success following this eating plan. However, if you have a large amount of weight to lose, or it is coming off quite slowly, it is easy to lose your motivation and slip off the wagon so to speak. Stress, depression, boredom and social functions can easily sabotage your best efforts. None of us are perfect all the time, it is normal to have slip ups every now and then.

Going off the eating plan every now and then will really not do any harm. It is more important what you are doing 90 percent of the time. The problem is that high carbohydrate, and sugary foods can be addictive, especially if you are prone to low blood sugar levels (hypoglycaemia) or depression. Once you become accustomed to eating these foods again, your cravings can come back more intense than ever, and it becomes harder and harder to stop. Thus it becomes much more difficult to go back to the eating plan. Some of our patients have told us that they feel like an alcoholic when it comes to bread and sweets; once they start eating them again they can't stop until they've eaten the whole packet!

Here are some tips you may find useful for getting back on track and controlling cravings:

Make sure you eat first class protein at each of your meals. This means seafood, or lean meat, poultry or eggs. If you are a vegetarian you must combine a nut with a seed, with a legume to obtain complete protein. The protein will have the effect of stabilising your blood sugar levels, thus getting you off the sugar cravings roller coaster.

Eat enough so that you feel satisfied at the end of your meal, and are not searching for something to eat two hours later. Be creative with your meals, make them colourful and interesting. You can make salads delicious by dressing them with olive or macadamia nut oil, balsamic or apple cider vinegar. You need to enjoy what you are eating so that you don't feel deprived and can keep at it.

Enjoy healthy snacks consisting of protein, such as raw nuts and seeds, which can be combined with fruit. You could also make a smoothie using a whey based protein powder that is sweetened with stevia. The smoothie can be made using unsweetened soy milk, almond milk, water or diluted coconut milk. If you add some fruit and ice you can have a delicious, filling treat that won't impair your ability to lose weight.

Drink at least two litres of water each day. This is essential for your metabolism to function efficiently, and it will pick up your energy levels. Water is great for reducing hunger and cravings, if you have a large glass of water, you will often find that you are not that hungry after all. Many people find that squeezing some lemon or lime juice into water and sipping it through the day is good for controlling cravings.

There are certain herbs and nutrients that work together to improve the sensitivity of the body's cells to insulin. This is desirable because it means the pancreas will not need to produce excessive amounts of insulin. This will therefore help with weight loss and reduce cravings and hunger. A combination of the herbs Gymnema sylvestre and bitter melon, along with chromium, magnesium, lipoic acid and carnitine is best. These can be taken combined in capsule form before each meal, and will make the eating plan significantly easier.

When trying to lose weight, it is important to remember that you are not going to reach your goal weight in a month. Be patient and be kind to yourself. Don't lose sight of your goal, and remember that you are working toward a healthier body as well as a slimmer one. It is important to enjoy the journey toward weight loss, and not just the destination.