Isaacs - Beat overeating now! : take control of your hunger hormones to lose weight fast

Take Control of Your Hunger Hormones
to Lose Weight Fast

Scott Isaacs, M.D.

2012 Fair Winds Press
Text 2012 Scott Isaacs, M.D.

First published in the USA in 2012 by
Fair Winds Press, a member of
Quayside Publishing Group
100 Cummings Center
Suite 406-L
Beverly, MA 01915-6101
www.fairwindspress.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

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ISBN: 978-1-59233-504-6

Digital edition published in 2012
eISBN: 978-1-61058-397-8

Digital Edition: 978-1-61058-397-8
Softcover Edition: 9781-5-9233-504-6

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication is Data available.

Book design by Mighty Media Inc.

NOTE TO READERS: The information in this book is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to serve as medical advice or to be any form of medical treatment. You should always consult with your physician before starting any diet or exercise program. Any use of the information is at the readers good judgment and sole responsibility. This book is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition and is not a substitute for a physician.

For the latest updates on hormones and your weight, visit www.BeatOvereatingNow.com.

To my daughter, Arabella. You fill my life with love and joy. You give me incredible pleasure seeing you grow and thrive. You inspire me to be a better person.

Why is it that we dont always do the things we know are good for us? Most of my weight-loss patients are well informed about nutrition and healthy living. They know, for example, that grilled fish and vegetables are a healthier meal choice than a cheeseburger and fries, but that doesnt always ensure theyll make the healthier choice. Even professional dietitians and doctors who specialize in weight loss sometimes struggle with their weight.

What most people dont know, because the research is so new, is how much our hormones are involved in regulating our appetite, metabolism, cravings, and more. The old joke (or excuse?) is true: Its a hormonal problem. Scientists are learning more every day about how hormones influence your weight.

That doesnt mean you have to let your hormones run wild. By reading this book, you can learn how to regulate them with a balanced meal plan and finally lose those pounds for good.

Our hormone levels surge and recede according to several factors, the first of which is, naturally, the type of food we eat. To beat overeating, its not enough to eat healthy foods; you have to keep it coming, five times a day. Without this reliable schedule, your brain will send out warning signals of starvation, and youll end up overeating the unhealthy foods that you crave.

This sets up a vicious cycle of hormone disruption. In part two of this book, youll come to understand which of your hormones is acting out, and how to bring it back in line so you can lose weight and keep it off for life.

Our hormones are also affected by a human gene pool that has survived famines by conserving fat and hasnt had time to adjust to plentiful food (and fast and fake food). Scientists are also just beginning to learn about the dramatic effect that environmental toxins, such as the bisphenol A (BPA) found in many plastics, have in directing our fat cells to multiply.

If that isnt enough to take yourself off the hook, consider that in recent years, the number of obese American adults has increased by more than 70 percent. Many other countries are experiencing spikes as part of a global obesity epidemic. There is more going on here than your lack of willpower.

In this book, I will show you how to protect and control your hormones by eating wholesome and satisfying meals and snacks. Based on my work with thousands of weight-loss patients, I have developed a BON! Eating Plan that will provide you with the foundation for a lifetime of healthy eating. I encourage you to experiment with new foods, but also recognize that if you learn to cook a few basic dishes, including comfort foods, youll be more likely to stick to the plan. Look for delicious fundamental recipes in .

I know you want to get right to it, so Ive included a list of Action Items at the beginning of every chapter. Keep a lookout for Action Items that you can do right away. Changing your habits can be challenging, so its important to take it one step at a time. Throughout the book, Ill suggest step-by-step ways for you to add new healthy foods and behaviors into your life.

You dont need to follow every Action Item and shouldnt feel overwhelmed. I want you to read this book thinking about how you can add these healthy behaviors to your life, slowly creating new habits. The longer you practice new healthy behaviors, the more they will become second nature and part of your everyday routine.

My goal for this book is to help you achieve what you already know you should do. Armed with the knowledge that your overeating is largely due to hormonal dysfunction, you can do something about it. By following my plan, you can focus on continuous improvement, one step at a time, to regulate your hormone levels and achieve an ideal weight without ever being hungry again.

Scott Isaacs, M.D.

PART ONE: Beat Overeating with My Daily Eating Plan

CHAPTER

Many of my patients have been extremely successful in most aspects of their life, except their weight. They may be a corporate CEO, a judge, or a principal of a school; they may have won awards, honors, and recognitions; the one thing that had evaded them was a healthy weight.

As I have told them, I am telling you now that you can be successful losing weight and keep it off forever. Even if you have failed before, there is still hope for you. The key isnt just what you eat and how much you exercise, but understanding how your hormones are involved in dictating your behaviors and the growth of fat cells.

When scientists discovered the hormone leptin in 1994, the door was opened to one of the most important areas of medical research today. We now know about dozens of hunger hormones that influence your appetite, cravings, metabolism, and body weight. Beat Overeating Now! (BON!) will help you bring your hunger hormones back under control to lose weight fast and forever.

Most overweight people feel hopeless and doomed to be overweight forever, especially when studies show that 98 percent of people who lose weight gain it back. As I tell my patients, you dont need to be in the 98 percent. You can be part of the elite 2 percent who finally learn what and when to eat to outsmart their hunger hormones. Its not hard to do. This book will show you how to beat overeating and lose weight permanently.

As an endocrinologist, Ive treated thousands of people who are trying to lose weight by learning about their hormones. Ive observed that the successful 2 percent do things differently than other dieters. For one thing, they never let themselves get hungry, but eat five times a day. I reveal the eating and lifestyle behaviors of my successful patients in Action Plans for each chapter. You dont have to do them all, but the more healthy behaviors you adopt, the more weight youll lose.