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The Problem
with Many Diets
There are literally hundreds of diets
out there, from the Southbeach and
Atkins to Paleo. Science has proven
that traditional calories restricted diets
work, indicates Dr. Nawar, adding, “The
problem is that they are not always
practical. This is the first problem with
traditional diets. Secondly, they are not
sustainable. A person can’t live their life
starving. We are human beings and every
now and then need to indulge. These
kinds of diets restrict everything. Also
they don’t really teach you the correct
and incorrect foods for your particular
system. Quite often with these kinds of
diets, once the individual has lost the
weight, 95 percent of people will regain
the weight within one to two years.”
Sustainability
For Dr. Nawar, a patient’s weight
loss journey is about teamwork.
“The patient has to make the
decision to change; the most
important is to learn about food
habits and a doctor will have to
teach this to the individual along
with the dietician’s role of course.
It is a completely synergistic,”
she
says. “During the initial process
of weight management we see our
patients around once every three
to six weeks. Once the progress
is ongoing, it can be longer in
between visits. Ideally for optimal
maintenance, in the first year, it’s
best to come every three to four
months then twice a year then
once a year especially if there is a
problem with insulin resistance
or metabolism or high cholesterol
and more often for diabetics. We
need to keep on monitoring the
patient regularly. The good news
is that with the personalized
program, the issues subside BIG
TIME even in patients with early
type 2 diabetes.”
Weight Loss Plateau
Many of us have suffered the
dreaded weight loss plateau where
the weight just refuses to budge
despite our efforts. According
to Dr. Nawar, this is a natural
process after several months of
dieting. “It might be stress, some
hormonal changes in the body or
even thyroid issues. We have to
treat these issues and play around.
But perseverance and physical
activity can help. The problem
with many patients when they hit
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May/June 2015