Caroline Apovian - The Age-Defying Diet: Outsmart Your Metabolism to Lose Weight—Up to 20 Pounds in 21 Days!—And Turn Back the Clock

When I saw my patient Leslie walking through my office recently, I thought shed just come by to gush about her continuing weight loss. I always encourage patients to stay in touch, and love to see their progress and successes.

When Leslie first came to me as a patient, she was a 47-year-old sales executive and mother of two who wanted to lose the 35 pounds she had gained over the past years. I introduced her to my Age-Defying Diet program, a powerful, three-week program designed to re-ignite your metabolism and fight aging. Two months later, she had lost 28 pounds and trimmed 4 inches off her waist. The program clearly worked for Leslie. Now in my office, six months after she reached her goal weight, she looked terrific in her slim-fitting jeans.

So, what brings you in today? I asked her.

Oh, Im not here for me, she laughed. Im here with him.

As if on cue, a man strolled into my office. Leslie introduced her husband, Jeff. Jeff was 48 years old and complained of low energy and little, if any, interest in having sex with his wife. He often felt down in the dumps, especially after he started taking prescription medicine for high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Look, Jeff said. Leslie seems like shes in her prime; shes healthier and happier than ever. Im the old guy at home on the couch and shes out playing touch football in the yard with the kids every weekend. Im ready to lose this gut and start enjoying our personal and family time together again.

When Leslie first came to see me, she was very worried about signs of perimenopause. She told me about her hot flashes, how she was having trouble remembering everyday thingsWhy did I walk into this room? Where are my car keys? Whats that womans name in the accounting department?and felt like she had a serious case of brain fog. But these things werent what was really bothering her. It was her weight, she said, that was making her look and feel out of sorts.

Leslie was no stranger to trying to lose weight. Like many women, shed been doing it for most of her life, and she was good at it. Whenever she put on an extra 15 or 20 pounds, she used a few tried-and-true dieting tacticseating fewer calories and ramping up her cardio workoutsuntil she was able to fit back into her skinny jeans. Her low-calorie, high-cardio strategy always worked in the past. Leslie slimmed down for her wedding at age 27 by spending hours on the treadmill. Skipping dessert and wine helped her get back into shape for her 20th high school reunion in her late 30s, and helped her fit into a sleek, fitted little black dress she wore for her 15th wedding anniversary when she was 42. But now her body was not responding the same way. She felt overweight, unattractive, and unsexy. Her once active sex drive had disappeared.

When I first met Leslie, she was frustrated.

This doesnt make any sense, she told me during our first meeting. Ive never had a problem losing weight. Ive been doing the same thing Ive always done when I need to lose a few pounds. But it isnt working anymore.

All too often, I hear this from people who come to my office at Boston University Medical Center, where Im director of the Nutrition and Weight Management Center.

I explained to Leslie that her former diet strategy, a low-calorie diet, actually lowered her metabolism. This occurs because your body tries to maintain a certain body weight set pointthe number you weigh give or take a few pounds. When you eat fewer calories, your body counteracts the lower energy intake by decreasing its resting metabolic rate. On top of that, her low-calorie diet robbed Leslies body of lean muscle tissue because she was eating less protein, which caused a further drop in the effectiveness of her metabolism. Her all-cardio exercise routine burned some fat, but it also burned all-important muscle tissue and caused her metabolism to become even more sluggish. At her first visit, I asked her to keep a food diary so I could see what she was eating every day. Her food diary showed me that she occasionally skipped breakfast and ate pasta for dinner at least three times a week, because it was quick to put together. She had a salad just two or three times a week. As a result of her eating habits, her diet was deficient in several key nutrientsiron, vitamin B12, and vitamin C because she didnt eat many fruits and vegetablesall of which contribute to increased muscle loss and a slower metabolism, resulting in extra pounds. During Leslies physical exam, I noticed that her skin, especially on her hands, feet, and elbows, was exceptionally dry. When I asked her about her dry skin, Leslie said she used an entire large bottle of moisturizer every month. I explained to her that on the Age-Defying Diet, she would be eating foods rich in essential amino acidsproteins, safflower oil, and a variety of green vegetablesthat would make her dry skin soft and hydrated again.