Excerpt from Vegetarian Times, July/August 2005

Q: Can drinking more water really help me lose weight?

A: Yes. Mild dehydration slows your metabolism (calorie-burning rate) by 3 percent, so water intake is a key to weight loss, says Donald S. Robertson, MD, medical director of the Southwest Bariatric Nutrition Center in Scottsdale, AZ. "If you're overweight, you need extra water to convert stored fat into fat you can burn, so drink an extra 8 ounces of water for each 25 pounds that exceeds your ideal weight."

But don't start guzzling until you've checked with your physician. "Anyone with kidney problems, heart failure or glaucoma should avoid excessive water intake. Too much fluid can overwhelm damaged kidneys or hearts and increase pressure on glaucoma-stricken eyes."

Stalled at the scale
Mary Beth Faller
Special for The Arizona Republic
Jun. 1, 2004

This is so not fair. You've been walking every day, skipping dessert, eating salads and the weight was melting away. Until now. You're stuck. The pounds are staying put.

There's no official definition of plateau, but many diets, such as Atkins, define it as not seeing any loss of weight - or inches - for at least four weeks without cheating, and it usually occurs about a month or six weeks into a weight-loss program.

And not cheating is key. Many "plateaus" can be traced to slipping.

…A stall in weight loss will prompt suspicion from Dr. Donald S. Robertson of the Southwest Bariatric Nutrition Center in Scottsdale.

"The Number 1 reason I see for a plateau is cheating," he says.

But if you - cross-your-heart-hope-to-die - have not cheated, there could be other reasons why the scale isn't budging:

• You're gaining muscle, which is twice as dense as fat. So while the scale is not going down, the inches around your waist and hips should be.
• You started a new medication. Some kinds of pills, such as birth control or hormone therapy, can alter your weight. Check with your doctor.
• You started too quickly. Unless you're under the care of a physician, Robertson says, nobody should be consuming fewer than 1,200 calories a day. Although such a restrictive plan might give a quick weight loss, you're depleting your body's resources and there's nothing to draw from. It's not a lifetime plan.
• Your body has adjusted to your new weight and now requires fewer calories to function. Although this may seem like a betrayal, it's actually a mechanism to prevent starvation. Behind cheating, this is the most common reason for plateaus in Robertson's patients.

"They're taking in as many calories as their bodies need."

• You've reached your "set point." This is a hazy concept that hasn't been proven, but many experts agree there is a genetically predetermined weight that your body wants to live at. Unfortunately, what you want to weigh and what your body wants to weigh may differ. Be realistic.

…Robertson also tells his overweight patients to lift weights in a supervised program.

"Even very heavy people who have trouble with their joints can do it, and it burns fat," he says.

…In fact, Robertson says he will add 500 calories a day to his patients on low-calorie plans for two to three weeks in order to raise their metabolism.

Then they drop back down to their usual number of calories.

Simple ways to fine-tune your diet
Jun. 1, 2004

You won't need a drastic overhaul to get through your weight-loss plateau. Weight-loss experts say you'll probably just need to fine-tune some aspects of your diet, exercise regimen and your attitude before the pounds start dropping again.

Change your mind-set …

Consider setting a goal of a clothing size rather than number of pounds…

Change your diet

• Don't start depriving yourself of calories. This will slow the weight-loss process even more because your body will think it's starving. If you're consuming fewer than 1,200 calories, you need to eat more. If you're eating 1,400 or more calories, spread them out more over the day, in five small meals. Try eating 1,500 calories one day and 1,300 the next. Don't withhold small treats.
• If you haven't started keeping a journal, do it now. Record everything that goes into your mouth.

"They hate to do it," says Dr. Donald S. Robertson of the Southwest Bariatric Nutrition Center in Scottsdale. "But sometimes it surprises even the patient. If they're on a low-carb diet, they'll see that they've been eating something with a lot of carbs in it, and they've been eating a lot of it."

• Many plateaus arise as boredom sets in. Invest in a new cookbook and try some new recipes.
• Drink lots of water. Your body needs it to burn fat.
• Eat more fiber - at least 30 grams a day. This will fill you up and ease hunger pangs.

Change your exercise…

• Add weightlifting. This increases muscle mass, which burns calories faster than fat. Muscle is also denser than fat, so although your body may be firm, the scale might not show a lower number.
• Eat and drink water within an hour before your workout or you might not reach peak intensity.
• Eat and drink water within an hour after your workout, when your body is more receptive to replenishment.
• Rather than just adding more minutes of exercise, increase the intensity. Walking a mile and a half in 30 minutes burns about 120 calories, but running three miles in that same half hour burns 365 calories.
• Vary your workouts. Use different cardio machines, or try biking, swimming laps or inline skating one day a week.
• If you use equipment that has a calorie-burning readout, realize that it might not be accurate. You could be burning fewer calories than you think.
• Try to burn more calories during non-workout time by always taking the stairs, parking far away and walking when you can.