Metabolism and Weight Loss
Dr. Macklin unravels the mysteries behind shedding the pounds
Dec 28, 2006
Weight loss for the majority of people can seem mystifying at best and completely frustrating at worst.Dr. David Macklin, one of Canada's leading physicians in the field of weight management was also once stymied by how to effectively and healthily lose weight for the long term. Looking to lose ten pounds before his wedding years ago, Dr. Macklin decided that the best route would be to jog for at least thirty minutes a day to reach his ideal weight goal. The result? “I didn’t lose any weight because I didn’t know how to make the appropriate adjustments.”
You’re not alone in the battle against the bulge, which Dr. Macklin says is an epidemic with very serious consequences. In North America, the Baby Boomers will be the first generation in history that will live shorter lives than their parents. Over eating, which can lead to heart disease, diabetes and a spate of other health concerns means that, according to Dr. Macklin, we’re literally “eating ourselves to death.” Dramatic? Yes- but based on fact. Consider that a Statistics Canada report says the average person living in Ontario alone eats 300 more calories a day than they did on average 20 years ago. Roughly translated, 300 calories is about the size of a regular chocolate bar (not the king sized kind)- so eating one chocolate bar a day can add up to about 25 pounds in weight gain a year. That alone is enough to drive an obesity epidemic. Welcome to our rounder, brave new world.
The simple answer as to why this epidemic is gripping children as young as five is this: we are eating more calories than ever before. Proportions have morphed into huge servings- from restaurant fare to convenience store snacks; people eat at home less and our modern day stress and anxieties are often triggers for people to over-eat more “comfort foods,” which may lead to wider waist lines. So what then, is the solution, given that Dr. Macklin, a trained physician didn’t have the answers years ago when he wanted to loose a few pounds for his special day?
The answer lies in each person’s unique metabolism rate. “I’ve always counselled patients to get healthy- losing weight is based on how much they eat and drink. I was never able to tell them exactly how many calories to intake because we lacked the technology. Now, with Indirect Calorimetry technology, people are empowered by knowing exactly how many calories they can have a day to lose weight for the long term,” says Dr. Macklin.
Dr. Macklins’ WeightCare clinic sees patients young and old who are looking to reach their ideal weight and take preventative steps to ward off other health concerns down the road. The Indirect Calorimetry testing sees patients sitting down and breathing into a mask connected to a calorimeter tube for about ten minutes. This will determine a persons metabolic rate, hence the “right” amount of food/drink to intake for ideal weight loss. Eat too much and weight loss may be slow in coming; eat too little and muscle, protein and water is lost resulting in the classic “yo yo” cycle most face with crash diets.
Dr. Macklin says, “Most people don’t realize that rapid weight loss is muscle weight loss- and muscles help our metabolism function at its best. By finding an ideal caloric intake number, we’re able to give someone the most weight loss possible of fat. We repeat our testing monthly to make sure our patients are losing fat only and not muscle. If our testing shows their metabolic rate is stronger, then I know I’ve got them at the right number.”
”But what do I eat?” can often accompany just how much one should take in. Dr. Macklin’s WeightCare clinic offers patients one-on-one counselling with a nutritionist who will customize a healthy diet geared at your metabolic rate, as well as a medical doctor, a personal trainer and a behavioural therapist to address the “triggers” that may cause a person to turn to over-eating for comfort.
Exercise alone won’t enable you to lose weight just as starvation tactics and fad diets won’t do the job either. As Dr. Macklin points out, “The diet industry is a multi-billion dollar industry because they’ve created repeat business.” A pill or an exercise machine won’t lead to long-term, healthy weight loss because it’s an “incomplete solution that sets someone up for failure,” says Dr. Maclkin. The answer lies in the numbers- how much weight you lose depends on your metabolism, caloric intake and living a balanced lifestyle.
If you know someone who is almost always at their ideal weight, looks great and has loads of energy, it’s likely that person is living the kind of balanced lifestyle Dr. Macklin encourages everyone to live. Stick-thin models and emaciated celebrities aren’t who we should be emulating. According to Dr. Macklin, “It’s the middle ground that’s often over-looked and under represented in society. Real role models are those who live a healthy lifestyle- the people who are neither on a diet or off a diet. They eat well, exercise, and get focussed.” It seems as with everything, moderation truly is key.
For tips on how to achieve moderation nirvana, click here. And because it's not all doom and gloom, for waistline friendly recipes that you can share with all of your loved ones, click here.
