weight loss and aesthetics

Good Monday morning....

DH44: Thanks for the info about the chat space problem...we will get right on it...

Last week we were given a piece in the Washington Business Journal about a company that takes a picture of you and then through computer work, shows you what you would look like 10 pounds lighter, 20 pounds, 30 etc....The business is based out of Lorton....

I think this is a GREAT idea and we actually contacted the company to see if somehow we could include this during our first visit....provide our patients with a crystal ball as to what they will look like when the weight is dropped...what a great motivational tool!

Losing weight makes us healthier...no doubt...diabetes risk, heart disease, cancers, Alzheimers disease...the list goes on and on about how we can live a longer healthier life when we lose weight. But, one of the "payoffs" of weight loss is looking younger and feeling more attractive. There is nothing wrong with wanting to look our best...confidence and self esteem become heightened.

I will keep you informed as to whether we can bring this service into our program....It would be so much fun to see, before the weight loss journey begins, what you have to look forward to from an aesthetic standpoint.

weight loss and challenging yourself

Good Sunday morning..beautiful weather today will allow you to perhaps get some outdoor exercise!

We often are challenged by people and things around us. Whether if be a teenage child whose behavior is less than optimal to a co-worker or employee whose performance is not up to par to financial issues that come up...we are constantly being challenged.

The thoughts of challenging ourselves is often not a good one, as there is already too much challenge out there already. As this relates to weight, it is critically important that yo do challnege yourself to live the lifestyle necessary to bring you to a healthy weight. Challenge yourself to be around those holiday alcohol drinks and high caloric food sources and NOT give in to the immediate gratification behaviors. This is a good personal challenge to take and one that could keep you alive longer in a better state of health.

weight loss and friends

Good Saturday morning.....so, was getting up at 5 am and getting in line yesterday to shope worth it???

We have come up with a fun idea to expand our weight loss program to more people and help our current patients earn free visits. If you are interested, please contact Jennifer Johns in our office to find out more about our "Serotonon-Plus Party". Basically, if you have 3-10 friends who may be interested in a weight loss effort, then you host a gathering at your house some evening. Serotonin-Plus will provide healthy snacks and either moi (I think that is French for "me"), Donna or Jessica and Jennifer. We will explain our program to your guests and answer any questions. If anyone actually begins our program, then you earn a free visit (100 dollar value) for every person who starts the program. 10 people sign up? You have earned 1000 dollars worth of visits! We will also offer a 5% discount that night to any of your friends who commit that night to the program.

Sounds like a Tupperware party? Well, perhaps, but Tupperware cannot save a life..weight loss can. It is difficult to bring up wright issues to your friends for fear of insulting them or hurting their feelings but trying to help people important in your life.

I am reminded of the line from a commercial that says : "Friends who are friends will not let you drive drunk". Perhaps a variation of this could be : 'Friends who are friends will not let you increase your risk of dying". Contact us to find out more about our Serotonin Plus Party program that will begin after the first of the year.

weight loss and leftovers

Good Black Friday morning...For those of you lining up outside some store on this very chilly morning, I have one word for you: INTERNET....shop the internet for your great deals!!!. Oops..this is a weight control blog, not a shopping advice column so lets get back to business...

Leftovers....lots of them in the refrigerator and on the kitchen counter. Try very hard NOT to get into the "picking" mode where you start taking small amounts of the remaining food sources from yesterday's feast. What you may perceive as small, inconsequential amounts of that apple pie, spoonful of left over stuffing or anything else high-caloric that you may have saved, will , in fact be detrimental to you.

We certainly have learned well not to "waste" food, so I am not suggesting that any food be thrown out. Rather, perhaps the high-caloric food sources can be given away to people with no weight controi issues. Keep the protein sources and perhaps discard the high-caloric carbs.

Have a great day shopping, resting, or working (sorry staff of Serotonin-Plus, we HAD to open...just call me Scrooge!)

weight loss and Thanksgiving

Happy Holiday Morning...

No food/eating nagging from me on anything today.....enjoy your families, feel the warmth and if things are not going exactly how you want them to go now, remember this will only be for now....whether it be a weight struggle, a financial issue or a personal problem(s) things WILL get better and if you focus on your health to keep that optimal, everything else will fall into place....Have a great Holiday and mark your calenders for Friday December 4 5pm for our Patient Appreciation Nite....see Donna sing....see Posner croon Sinatra.....free VIP admission for all of our patients!

Weight Loss and the Holiday

Happy Thanksgiving eve.....I wish everyone safe travels....


If you are a guest at somone's house and bringing a gift please think of innovative low-caloric food gifts or non-food gifts to say "thanks" to your hosts....

If you are hosting the holiday gathering, please ensure you have healthy, low-caloric offerings available to your guests so they do not feel forced to "break" their improving eating habits....

Feel the warmth of your gathering and realize that the pumpkin pie, stuffing and wine are not as important as the people there who you would love to see for many many years. If we all stay healthy, a much better chance of sharing the experience together!

weight loss and Thanlksgiving

Good Tuesday Morning....First, I want to thank the people who comment on the entries....very insightful and helpful to me and everyone who reads them...

For those of you who are preparing the Thanksgiving celebration, there is no question that you can still have many choices available to you annd your guests that will NOT derail weight loss efforts. The protein choices of turkey, roasts, hams etc are very compatible with your efforts. Side dishes can also include vegetables...not just mashed potatoes , sweet potatoes etc.

Also, consider portion controlling the desserts...perhaps rather than just putting out the cakes and putting out a cake cutting knife in a tradtiional manner allowing a large piece to be cut off, prepare a very small "sampler" where you place a very small amount as a "tasting" plate with a touch of each of your dessert offerings. And ice cream??? Does anyone at the table actually need ice cream on top of their cake/pie?

Try to separate the enjoyment and love of the people you are with from the need to ingest lots of calories. You are choosing to live longer and healthier so you can be there for many more Thanksgiving celebrations.

weight loss and darkness

Good Monday morning....First, I want to remind everyone to put Friday, December 4th on your calenders for patient appreciation nite...5-7...we would LOVE to see you there...we are bringing in Karioke and if you would like to see Frank Sinatra come alive, then yours truly will croon Mew York New York,

As I am writing this entry, I am seeing how dark it is out there...during the summer I would be seeing a beautiful, warm sunrise and after writing this, go outside, put the IPOD on and run outside. Now, I have to go to the gym and get on a treadmill...not as much fun and the exercise is more boring.

If you have previously counted on walking or jogging outside for your exercise either before or after work, but now cannot do this due to darkness, an alternative is required. For long term weight loss, consistent exercise is usually required, and you should focus on an activity that you do not despise. Many people enjoy exercise classes at a gym,.step or aerobic. For me, tennis is much more stimulating than the treadmill. Plan and make exercise a scheduled activity at least 3-4 times a week.

weight issues and children

Early morning flight tomorrow out of Buffalo so you get these wonderful insights a bit earlier...kind of like the old days when my parents would get the Sunday Daily News in New York on Saturday nite.,..the bagel places in new york were churning out hot NY bagels on Saturday nite....My dad would take me out for a saturday nite ride for those great smelling bagels and get that paper early....but alas, if my Dad only knew then that his son would be railing against bagels as being too high in carb calories and they should not be eaten!

I read a very disturbing report in the USA Today earlier in the week that almost 1/4 of the children in the nation have had times in which food was scarce in the household. 1/4 of the children in America have suffered from hunger? This is the United States...not some third world country...I was shocked.

Clearly, if households are experiencing financial issues that are difficult the response will be parents trying to purchase as many food sources they can at as low a cost as possible...this will lead to the purchase of fast foods, pasta etc. The result unfortunately will be an increased tendency towards obesity in the children. The affected parents are trying their very best to feed their children and not have them feel "hungry" but the outcome will not be long-term health.

Solutions? Perhaps having government monies directed to food support programs for familys in need.....funding this? Not an answer this doctor can come up with but everytime I read about waste, fraud and abuse involving billions of our tax dollars on ridiculous BS, one has to wonder how much healthy food that could buy for children who need our help.

weight loss and the movies

Good Saturday morning...Writing this entry from north of the border in Toronto...Cold up here!!!! I love the way the people say "about" here....sounds like "abooooooot" Actually, they are probably laughing at me for doing my Nuuuu Yooork thing of putting "r's at the end of so many words....And rather than saying "yes" as a question after making a point, they say "ay"...Okay enough about Canadian accents.....back to weight issues....

Anyone going to the movies this weekend??? News reports this week detailed an investigation of the caloric content of the "snack" foods that the different major movie theatre chains provide and the information is mind-boggling. At one of the chains, the large sized popcorn and soda (a sugar containing one) had over 1600 calories...the equivalent of 6 eggs, 4 strips of bacon and 4 sausage links. The caloric content of the candies was appallingly high.

When you enter the movie theatre, the smell of the popcorn can be mesmerizing. To avoid succumbing to standing on that food/popcorn line, make sure to eat dinner or lunch before you to the movies. Also, keep fresh in your mind just how hard you have worked the entire week to shed those pounds, and if you give in to the snacks, you may reverse your entire week of great work. Remember: you are choosing to be healthier and happier...that is a GREAT choice and a much better than the immediate taste of popcorn. So no popcorn or nachos, ay???

weight issues and taxes

Good Friday morning....hope the weekend has some fun for you....

Controversial subject time....Yesterday I had a patient express concern about potential "penalties" enacted for overweight people. We have heard previously of having to buy another seat on an airline if above a certain weight and having certain highcaloric food sources taxed extra, like sodas. This patient heard that proposals are in place of having overweight people pay an extra "tax" (perhaps higher insurance premium?) based on being overweight.

Let's provide an analogy: The cigarette smoker. The smoker has higher rates of COPD, cancer, heart disease, etc and there is no question that the smoker will spend more money on physician visits, medications, hospitalizations etc. Should non-smokers pay more health insurance premiums to offset the additional costs to the system that the smoker incurs? Should the smoker pay more money into the system because of being a smoker?

The overweight person: Higher rates of diabetes, heart disease, cancers etc....more money spent on medical issues. Should the non-overweight person be expected to incur costs involved in treating overweight people for the co-morbidities?

I think most people think that it comes down to "choice". The person born with cystic fibrosis has no choice in this disease. Therefore, monies spent on medical treatment are not due to the "fault" of the affected person. I believe few, if any, of the general population would expect the person with CF to "pay more" into the system or be "taxed" extra. Is cigarette smoking a choice? Is being overweight a "choice"? If it is deemed that these medically affecting situations are under the control of the affected person, is it therefore "fair" for that person to be taxed or otherwise pay extra into the system?


Your thoughts? Mine opinion is the following: We need to focus not on finger pointing and affixing "blame" and trying to monetarily hit people but rather do something about this devastating problem immediately and aggressively. Not everyone can afford the BEST weight loss program ever (OURS!!!) so the government should fund weight loss clinics that are affordable or free for the poor...more education at the schools...perhaps POSITIVE incentives for people to be at a healthy weight,...taxing the hell out of the fast food chains, soda companies and every other entity that are contributing to this deteriorating situation...and other measures that proactively address the obesity epidemic.

weight loss and the future

Good Thursday morning...One week to Thanksgiving...is time flying or what???

A study released by the United Health Foundation predicts based on data analysis that the obesity rate in the U.S. will be 43% by 2018 and Americans will be spending 343 BILLION dollars on obesity related health issues by that year. The obesity rate has risen 129% in the past 20 years.

Whenever we see these type of numbers, we feel alarmed but I am not quite certain if we all understand just how devastating this trend will mean. concerning consequences to our society. If we think that there is a healthcare crisis now, wait until 1/3 of the population has diabetes with all of the comorbidities associated with this disease. Rationing of healthcare? Bet on it....there will be no way the generation under the babyboomers will be able to pay the taxes necessary to support Medicare and other government programs that will provide healthcare. Healthcare expenditures will rise exponentially and people will be going without medications and there will be many who will not be able to see a doctor. Throw on top of this the critical shortage of primary care physicians in America and this is all setting up a frightening situation.

The above sounds like the little kid screaming "The sky is falling" but the data is real and this is what the future holds if we cannot, as a society, put a brake on this situation.

weight loss and vigilance

Good Wednesday morning....

Yesterday I was speaking with a new patient who informed me that she didn't have ascale at home. I believe most people have scales at home but I also think that many people experiencing weight control issues do not use those scales. They know their weight is not a healthy one, but do not want to face the real number. Clothes do not fit, the mirror shows changes but psychologically the overweight person does not want to see the stark reality on the scale.

I know it is difficult to stare at a number you are not happy with, but vigilance and monitoring of your weight is extremely important for long term success. Obviously when you are coming to your visits here, we monitor the weight, record that weight etc. However, when you leave your formal visits, the accountability becomes your alone again and if you are not monitring your weight and recording it, I would almost guarantee that your weight will return to pre-program levels.

Opening up your 401K statements when the market was crashing was painful. Getting on a scale when you know your weight is not optimal is also painful. But this vigilanc is crtically important in your long-term weight control.

weight loss and the government

Good Tuesday Morning....

All over the news this morning is the US Government's taskforce changing mammogram recommendations for women. Major changes, with the new recommendation being that a low-risk woman should not be screeened until after 50 (was age 40) and then every other year, not once a year. This will create quite the controversy as obviously, if a woman developed a small lesion at age 43, how would she eve know before it was way too late? Oh, well, think about how much money is being saved by NOT screening women over 40 and for those who develop cancer before age 50 (I would bet that everyone reading this blog has heard/known someone who developed breast cancer before age 50) too bad! Lets total up how much money the insurance companies will make by NOT having to pay for these mammograms. Tens of millions for sure.

Under the "governments" watch, obesity is killing Americans in numbers far exceeding swine flu and other medical issues making front page news. Aside from making insurance company executives millions more in bonuses, how about "the government" do a better job of monitoring the nation's largest health concern (obesity) and doing something about it in a more proactive way. Government weight loss centers? Better education programs in schools? Allowing tax subsidies for obese people doing weight loss programs which cost is bourne by taxing companies such as McDonalds extra for doing this to us?

Once again, these type of "guidelines" will set up a "haves" and "have-nots" system in which women with more money will buy their mammogram every yeat and those with less will be forced into screening every two years....and run the higher risk of cancer. Your thoughts?

weight loss and monitoring calories/exercise

Good Monday Morning...

First, I want to thank the people who are commenting....I would recommend that you all read these comments..some VERY helpful insights.....really good stuff....THANK YOU for posting comments!!!!

As I have mentioned many times, the gaining of weight requires no thought process at all...the losing of weight requires CONSTANT vigilance.

Look at the caloric content of every food source you ingest and compare it to the amount of exercise needed to burn those calories off. We have on the website a list of aerobic activities and how many calories you burn doing those activities for specified times. I run 5 miles, takes me 46 minutes (okay.,..stop laughing..the old guy is slow) and burn off 640 calories. Okay...how long does it take Posner to eat a piece of chocolate cake that has 1100 calories? Hmmmmm...about 5 minutes. The point here is that we can consume calories so much quicker than we can burn it off. So, when you are considering eating a food source that you know will derail your weight loss efforts think about the amount of time necessary to burn that off. Is it really worth that immediate gratification food source? You will then have 2 choices: either gain the weight or take lots of time to exercise it off. Do you really want to spend an extra 45 minutes at the gym in exchange for that piece of cake, those 2 glasses of wine or the cookies? Keep vigilance of this..and make the smart choice.

weight loss and self-confidence

Good Sunday Morning...I know I will have a great day cause the Giants cannot break my heart today...they are on a bye and do not play!

First, I want to thank the several people who offered up suggestions for our book content. These ideas really help.

Yesterday I saw a young woman who entered our program about 12 weeks ago and has lost about 20 pounds. On the first visit she was very shy and almost withdrawn. Eye contact was even difficult.

12 weeks later..a completely new young woman...smiling...dressed to show her new look, an energy aura beyond belief...in essence, a total transformation...not just physically...but the entire persona.

Losing weight makes us healthier and helps reduce the medical co-morbidities associated. However, the benefits to self-esteem and self-confidence is amazing as well.

Weight Loss....Our book....

Good Saturday morning...

I am asking for your help. Donna, Julia and I will be co-authoring a book about weight loss. We are having a number of chapters already included including stress eating, childhood obesity, post menopasual weight gain, and lots of others.

However, we wanted to get some ideas from you, our patient, as to what subjects may be of great interest to you in a book written about weight issues.

So many weight loss books are "hype" books designed to make weight loss sound easy...Catchy titles, cartoon pictures, simplistic explanations, etc. We would like our book to be much more serious and address the "real" issues involved.


Sooo.....Help!!! please send us some ideas for content that would make this book very special.

We will plan a really nice book signing event in the spring and we will make sure you get an invitation!

weight loss and genetics

Good Friday morning....

I saw a study published that described a permanent change in DNA in children that occurs in children who are exposed to much stress, resulting in an increased risk of depression because of neurochemical factors. Basically, when a child is exposed to much stress, some changes occur in a gene that results in the over production of certain neurochemicals that result in higher liklihood of depressive disease as an adult.

The question occurs then as to whether this type of stress exposure in childhood also may result in other neurochemical changes involved in eating behaviors resulting in a higher liklihood of obesity as that child becomes an adult.

Brain chemicals play a large role in mood disorders and also eating patterns. There are so many things we do not know about this entire neurochemical pathway and hopefully further research will result in therapies to address these imbalances.

weight loss and children

Over the past several weeks we have placed a number of adolescents into our program. First, I would like to applaud the parents for addressing the weight issues of their children by taking a very proactive role in helping their children achieve better health and happiness.

Many of us may not remember the very senstive issues involved in the interactions of teenagers, but there is no question that the "cheerleader" clique is probably the most "popular" group. Getting the best prom dates, receiving lots of attention, etc. will almost always be reserved for those teens who look the best. For those struggling with weight issues, the hit to the self-esteem can be immense. As much as we may tell our children how beautiful they are even if weight or other physical issues arfe present, the child is often ostracized to some extent in their peer groups. As we may all remember, sometimes teens can be brutal to each other.

I absolutely LOVE helping every one of our patients lose weight so they can be healthier and happier. Helping an adolescent lose weight is even more especially rewarding because the self-esteem and self-image issues are so prominent at that age that a positive change can create a hige difference. If you have a teen struggling with weight issues, set up a free consultation. We would love the opportunity to help.

weight loss and the need for help

First, I want to thank "anonymous" for reminding me to brag about Donna's performance in the 1/2 marathon this weekend. Donna trained very aggressively for this race and performed exemplary. As all of you know who have met her, Donna is the very best Physicians Assistant in the area. I mean this...I have been working in the area for 21 years, have had several PAs who have worked for me previously. interacted with PAs from other practices, and there is no doubt in my mind that Donna is A-Number-One the very best PA in the area. We are very very fortunate to have her as part of our team. After delivery of her baby, Donna put great effort to shed the weight she gained, and as all of you know who have seen her, she is in tip-yop shape and a great role model for anyone who has given birth and strives to get back to the pre-pregnancy weight.

I have written about this issue before, but recently we have had a number of people present for consultations about our program and they are embarrased about needing help in their efforts. I tyr very hard to make people understand that there is no need to feel "weak" or "embarrassed " about needing help. If weight loss was easy, 67% of America would not be overweight. Getting a jumpstart in your efforts and getting help being put "into the zone" is often required. We are here to help you and understand these issues.

weight loss and restaurant choices

Good morningl...I know you Steelers fans are happy.

Over the weekend, I went to an Italian buffet restaurant at the Gaylord Hotel at the National Harbor. A bountifull display of cheeses, breads, pasta, salad, carved meats, brick oven pizzas and lots of other high-caloric foods. And, of course, there was a dessert bar with canolis, ice cream pastries and cakes. The price of this was 32 bucks.

Needless to say, the overwhelming majority of the people there were morbidly obese. I saw plates heaped with foods and the dessert bar was packed. Yes, your Doctor went up 3 times for food.


This issue here is that if you have a weight control problem the very LASST restaurant choice should be an "ALL YOU CAN EAT" buffet especially when it is fairly pricey. This tests the very limits of human nature...if we are paying lots for this we will make every effort to "get our money's worth".

Choose restaurants that you are ordering off o a menu and the more you eat, the more you are going to pay for this.

weight loss and diet pills

On Friday I received a telephone call from a company that wanted to pick my brain a bit about my experience in treating patients for weight loss, as their client is a pharmaceutical company coming out soon with a new weight loss pill. I am thinking about how many times I have seen articles in the newspaper about some "miracle" weight loss pill that is about ready to hit the market.

Inevitably, these things always seem to wash out...either side effects that require the company to pull the pill off the market or the efficacy is questionable.

We, as a country, are always hopeful that the "magic" pill will come out, allowing us simply to take a pilll and lose weight and keep that weight off. It is very important to understand and accept that no pill exists now, nor do I feel such a pill will be invented that makes weight loss that simple.

Losing weight requires work...watching caloric intake, planning meals, exercising etc. Anthing, whether it be a surgery, a program or "pill" that makes long term weight loss sound easy has to be viewed with lots of skepticism.

weight loss and the Healthcare reform bill

Good morning.....okay Redskin fans..i have a prediction...I think they are going to upset the Falcons today!!!

I saw this morning that the House passed the Healthcare reform bill....I have not read in depth much of what it contains...what I do know is that 1- It does not include anything about tort reform, so have a nice Sunday brunch Trial Lawyers of America...you can still go after Doctors, hospitals etc cart blanche without any worries about having to pay the defendants legal bills in the event you lose. Americans should feel safe knowing that their physicians and ERs will continue to order every test known to mankind to ensure their charts are "buffed" in the event one of these lawyers comes after them. Lets add billions of dollars of costs because of this issue that is not even an afterthought in the Healthcare "Reform" act. 2- Hey, if America's largest health concern is obesity and the co-morbidities asssociated with it, then how about the governmnet establish weight loss centers thruout the United States? How much money would be saved by people NOT developing diabetes, multiple cancers, heart disease etc? We continue as a nation to focus on the treatment of disease states and not the prevention. 3- Not sure anything was addressed about the hemmorhaging of primary care physicians because of the horrendous discrepancy of compensation between specialists and their revenue. What happens when there are far too few doctors available to treat the frontline problems?


Anyway, you, my patients, should know that Posner will still be around for a pretty long time to address your weight loss and/or medical needs. Regardless of what the politicians and their lobbying comrades come up with!

weight loss and cancer

A report came out yesterday attributing 100,000 cancer diagnoses per year directly attributable to obesity. It is well known that colon, breast, pancreatic and esophogeal cancers have been linked to weight issues but also endometrial cancer is associated with obesity.

Every day we are reading reports about Swine flu...a disease which has killed about 100 people. The report about the 100,000 cancer diagnoses was on page 20 in a small article.

Obesity and weight contol issues are killing Americans at a rate far greater than any virus or terrorist attacks. The major threat to America is coming from within....and that is our inability to make significant headway into the obesity epidemic.

On an individual and family basis, we all need to do our part to make this catastrophic problem go away. Please think about this lots....and decide which is more important....being healthy to enjoy your family and the fruits of your hatd work or some food source that temporarily makes you feel good, but yet is leading to future medical catastrophy.

Sorry for the bummer of an entry this morning but seeing this report buried deep into a newspaper angers me...this is front page stuff.

weight loss and surgery

Yesterday we entered into our program a very nice woman who actually lives in Texas but works and travels to d.c. often enough that she is able to do our program. Her weight loss goal was to lose about 60 pounds. The patient was a bit frustrated that her primary care physician in Texas recommended to her that she consider a gastric bypass procedure as her remedy for the obesity.

Surgery? I absolutely agree that for some patients, surgery is the only option. However, if a person has not tried a medical program (no less the very BEST medical wight loss program in the country...modest, aren't I??? laughing) why would a physician recommend surgery right off the bat?

We have placed many patients in our weight loss program who already had bariatric surgery and they gained tremendous amounts of weight back. People who have the procedure still eat the same damagng food sources after surgery in many cases, but they learn how to separate out the portions so as not to do lots of eating at one time.

Learning how to eat the correct admixture of the different food groups, incorporating new behavioral strategies and "mentating" through difficult stress issues as opposed to eating are the steps necessary for lon term success in weight control. Surgery is the last option.

weight loss and the younger generation

Good morning....First..I BLEW the date of our 21st Annual Patient Appreciation Night.....It is Friday DECEMBER 4!!!!!!!! PLEASE mark this on your calenders...The staff and I would LOVE to see you that night.....

Okay, some political observations.....In New Jersey the incumbent Governor lost, and as per one of my previous blogs, during the race, the incumbent apparently made disparaging comments about his opponent's weight. Well, now the thin guy is out of office and the overweight gentleman who was disparaged won. Regardless of whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, you gotta love the fact that perhaps one of the reasons the incumbent lost was because of insenstive remarks about someones weight. With America being 67% overweight, I guess the majority of voters had a BMI greater than 25 and made their voices heard. KUDOS to the New Jersians. Weight has NOTHING to do wth the ability to lead a state, teach a child, work on a government contract, etc.

Second: Lead article in some papers about the US Army having problems clearing recruits to join as 75%, let me repeat, 75% of the eligible young men could not fit the physical criteria, most of which were weight control issues. Obesity is killing Americans and the childhood/adolescent rate is dangerously high. These overweight yiung people will turn into even more overweight adults and trhe subsequent co-morbidity dieseases such as diabetes], heart disease, etc. will skyrocket even more resulting in disaster. The threat to America comes from many external forces, but internally, we are doing more harm to ourselves. Your oile in this? As a parent, grandparent, uncle/aunt etc., do NOT feed into this problem by not intervening with this issue oif you have young family members experiencing weight issues. Get proactive!

weight loss and holiday functions

First, I want to cordially invite all of you to our annual Patient Appreciation Nite scheduled for Friday, December 5, 2009 from 5-730PM. We do this every year and this is now our 21st year in practice. Please stop by and say "hi" and allow us to thank you personally for being our patient. There is not a day that goes by when I do not realize that I am the luckiest Doctor in the world to have such a great patient population of intelligent, fun, stimulating and wonderful people who allow me the honor of taking care of their medical and/or weight loss needs. YOU have allowed me to focus on medicine and not get bogged down with a depressing insurance based practice. YOU have allowed us to grow into the largest medically supervised weight loss program in the D.C. area. We never forget your importance to us and want to thank you for being our patient. Karioke again this year!!!! A great hit!!!

As we are preparing for this event, we always ensure that we have "healtheir" food and drink choices for those of us who are trying to control our weight. Obviously, with us running a weight loss center, it would be kind of ridiculous for us to only have cake, sandwiches, beers, etc. There will be lots of healthy choices. However, as you plan your holiday events, always remember that there will be many people at your function who will similarly be in a weight losing mode. Please ensure that you too have "healthy" choices available. Sometimes when we go into a weight losing mode, we take a bit of pleasure in "feeding " others. Have choices available!

weight loss and work satisfaction

After speaking and treating thousands of patients for weight control problems. it becomes apparent to me that work satisfaction issues correlate with the degree of "stress eating" that occurs when a patient comes home.

Personally, I have great job satisfaction...every day I get the chance to help people...whether it be a sick medical patient or a person with weight control issues, I am rewarded every day by seeing a patient get on that scale and see a huge smile....I watch patients whose self-esteem rises exponentially week after week, have a worried medical patient become calmer after I provide them with an explanation as to why their condition is benign, etc. When I come home from work, I do not feel hard pressed to grab a few drinks, eat snack foods etc.

However, people whose professions are less satisfactory...whether a person in the government who does the same beaurocratic job day after day with no tangible effect of "changing the world", a lawyer who sucks legal fees from their clients for doing nothing more than generating their own billable hours as opposed to really helping a person, and other professions where it is difficult to see the direct effect of "helping others", these people come home not happy and will often seek refuge in the wine and food sources that provide immediate gratification.

If you find yourself coming home not happy, try to find things that wil change this...obviously not easy to change jobs immediateyl, but perhaps outsode activites that allow you to feel "purpose"...volunterring? becoming active in philanthropic causes? Do something that makes you feel you are heloping others. When you come home feeling that you make a difference, you will find yourself happier.

weight loss and relationships

Good morning.....yes, I am over the Giants horrendous performance yesterday.

First: answer to the comment yesterday: our third phase maintenance polan is bout 1300 caloies per day.

Last week I had several patients lament that one of the major issues adversely affecting their personal relationships with their spouse/boyfriend was the obesity. Intimacy was much less frequent than originally and the quality of that intimacy was not up to expectation. From a physical aspect, weight control problems may limit the male's capacity for sustaining excitement, libido may be adversely affected and "performance" may be limited. Weight issues involving either or both partners can also affect positions possible.

Reality: Losing weight makes many things better. In many cases, the intimacy aspects of a realtionhsip are helped as well.

weight loss and calories

Good morning...hope all of your Halloween events were fun and safe...

In our weight loss program, we do not have patients count calories, but rather, portions of the different food groups. This strategy results in aggressive weight loss when followed. However, this morning I want to focus on calorie counts.

3500 calories equals a pound. When you burn off this amount of calories, you will lose a pound. Everyday life activities such as walking, breathing , etc burns off calories.

However, aggressive exercise will burn off more...and just think about this...burn off 100 more calories a day (this takes about 20 minutes on a treadmill at 4.0 MPH) and this is 36500 calories a year (10 pounds) and if you ate 100 less calories a day (this is avoiding very little) this simlarly would result in 10 pounds of weight loss per year. These are MINIMAL interventions that in aggregare, would result in lots of weight loss.

Keep track of the amount of calories you are consumming (after the program visits are finished) as well as the amount you are burning off and work diligently on both ends of the equation!

Giants will prevail today!!!! GO G-MEN!!!