Why do I need to drink eight 8 oz. glasses of water daily?

Water is the most essential nutrient the body requires to function. Water aids in circulation of fluids, efficient digestion, electrolyte balance, and blood pressure maintenance. In addition, water is also involved in nutrient, hormone, and waste transport. Drinking water is essential to weight loss because of its ability to suppress appetite naturally and its ability to help metabolize stored body fat. Our bodies cannot store water, that is why it is so important to get daily water intake. Water helps to maintain proper muscle tone and the sagging skin that can follow weight loss.

Why does my weight loss sometimes slow down or stop after a certain point in the program?

A slow down in weight loss can happen to just about anyone during a diet, and should be considered a natural and normal process. We refer to this process as a weight loss plateau. A plateau can occur from the 5th to the 8th week of a client's program and can last from 2 to 14 days. The phenomenon is related to allowing the body's metabolism to slow down while you're on a reduced calorie diet. You are still breaking down fat at a regular rate. As fat leaves the cells to be used as a food source, the body has the task of shrinking the fat cell back to its normal size. If the body is a little sluggish, and does not immediately start shrinking the fat cells, then an empty space is formed in the cell. The law of physics does not allow the body to have empty spaces so water and salt automatically flow into the fat cell. The water and salt will be removed when the body catches up to the completion of shrinking the fat cells to normal size, and because water weighs more than fat, there may be even a slight weight gain. Do not become discouraged or go off your diet, you are still losing fat during this period. Once this process is complete, weight reduction will again be shown by the scales. Continue to drink water, as water is the best natural diuretic known to medicine and will aid in shortening the plateau, and continue to take at least a minimum of two nutritional supplements daily.

Can I use vitamin and/or mineral supplements?

When you're on a weight loss program, it's hard to get all the important nutrients your body needs. Vitamins and essential minerals are specially formulated to complement your reduced calorie diet programs to ensure that the minimum recommended daily allowances (RDA) are met.

Is it important for me to select different foods at every meal, or can I eat the same foods every day?

We highly encourage you to choose a variety of foods at every meal in order to help you meet all nutritional requirements. The food choices you make may also have an effect on your weight loss. All foods are released into the body in a time-released manner and different foods require different amounts of time to enter the blood stream. The energy released into the blood stream during digestion is called blood sugar and is the life source necessary for healthy functioning for every part of the human body. A proper mixture of foods is needed to assure a continuous supply of energy through the blood stream to the vital organs (heart, lungs, brain, liver, kidneys, etc.). Consequently, you will have a higher metabolism and energy level if you eat a variety of foods at every meal.

Why is it important to include high fiber foods in my diet?

Fiber has a positive effect on weight control, improving large intestine function and lowering blood cholesterol levels. Researchers have found that fiber-rich diets help protect against heart disease, colon cancer, and diabetes. Fiber is the indigestible portion of plants. Every plant food contains fiber. Fiber can be classified into two forms; water-soluble and water-insoluble. Studies show that water-soluble fibers are definitely beneficial in improving the control of blood glucose by delaying the stomach's emptying and therefore slowing the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream. Soluble fibers are also responsible for helping to lower blood cholesterol levels. Water insoluble fibers help to move waste more rapidly, preventing constipation and possibly colon cancer. Fiber intake should consist of both types of fibers in equal amounts to maximize the benefits of fiber as a whole. Fiber promotes weight control by slowing the rate at which food leaves the stomach and by drawing water into the GI tract. This provides a feeling of fullness and/or satiety before a person takes in too many calories. Fiber with the aid of water, binds with fatty substances and promotes their excretion from the body.

Is it important for me to follow an eating schedule for weight control?

It is important for you to follow an eating schedule, especially if you feel like you eat constantly throughout the day, or if you eat at irregular and inconsistent times. A schedule doesn't mean three square meals a day. It means choosing a schedule that's convenient and tolerable for you. Keep the number of times you eat under control. A schedule will help you eat less and think more about what you do eat. Do your best to be consistent.

What are some of the physical hazards of being overweight?

Being overweight can hurt more than just your looks. Obesity is unhealthy and can lead to many medical conditions that can restrict your lifestyle and even shorten your life. Listed below are just a few of these medical conditions related to obesity:

• High Blood Pressure: High blood pressure (hypertension) can result in varying degrees of damage to the brain (stroke), kidneys (degeneration), and the heart (heart attack). Being overweight is an added stress on these already strained organs. Therefore, it is essential that hypertensive, overweight people lose weight.

• Heart Disease: As a person gains weight, the heart must work harder to supply nutrients to all tissues of the body. The greater body mass, the greater the strain on the heart. There is a higher incidence of heart disease in people who are overweight.

• Diabetes: Diabetes is more common in overweight people than in people of normal weight. When an overweight diabetic loses weight, diabetes often improves. (This pertains to Type 2 diabetics.)

• Gallbladder Disease: A significantly higher incidence of gallbladder disease is observed in overweight people than in those of normal weight.