CASE STUDY: Question & Answer Help

[askthetrainer]

Hey

I have a (legitimate this time) question from this woman and I was wondering if I could get everyone's input.... a nice personal trainer case study activity....

5'5" 170 lbs. 30%

I am 52 years old, have not entered menopause yet. I lose weight well on the point system of Weight Watchers, and on Sugar Busters.

I am currently exercising about 30 min. a day, and I take short walks up steep hills, which get me out of breath and cause me to break a sweat. This seems to be very effective, but the key is that I have to cut out all sugar. I lose the fastest, consistently losing about 2.5 lbs. a week,

when I only snack on plain nonfat yogurt, I eat low sodium roasted turkey, little or no bread, grapefruit and do not drink caffeine. Weight loss stops when I drink coffee, even if I only add skim milk to my coffee.

Splenda seems to keep me from losing. I do best at 1200c. a day, eating little or no beef, eating chicken, plain oatmeal, skim milk, an apple and Lean cuisine or Smart Ones frozen dinners.

Can you explain why I can't lose twice as fast (lose 5 lbs. a week?) by exercising twice as long. I don't lose any faster than 2 to 2.5 lbs a week no matter how much more I exercise. I drop water weight the first day or two, but then it all slows down and I am just tired and lethargic.

Also, why does eating sugar (even if my caloric intake is under 1200c) make me gain weight? Is my metabolism slowed by sugar or coffee?
I would like to drink coffee and eat moderate amounts of sugar, but I seem to have to eat perfectly (and I know how to do that, but I get tired of it).

[askthetrainer]

By her explanation and the fact that those low glycemic foods she mentions seem to help her lose weight, it sounds like she's insulin resistant and maybe pre-diabetic as she is very sensitive to changes in blood sugar which is why she had success on that diet she mentioned which happened to be all low glycemic foods.

As far as coffee and splenda, there has been evidence that both jack w/ your blood sugar levels especially in sensitive individuals...

As far as her exercise goes, exercising longer would cause her blood sugar to dip hence fluctuate more than it should which is probably why exercising longer hasn't worked for her...


Am I on the right track? Any recommendations?

[CoQ10]

Even if "Splenda" did cause a spike in this individual, it wouldn't necessarily lead to weight gain. If she's struggling, I imagine it's due to underestimating caloric intake:

Also, why does eating sugar (even if my caloric intake is under 1200c) make me gain weight? Is my metabolism slowed by sugar or coffee?

This is unlikely. I don't think there's anything in the literature to suggest that weight loss will stagnate in the face of a caloric deficit. It's true that excessive sugar intake can lead to metabolic issues, but that doesn't seem to the situation here.

IMHO, this client needs to stop focusing on the minutia and start accurately recording caloric intake.

Hope that helps.

-C10

[askthetrainer]

Originally Posted by CoQ10

Even if "Splenda" did cause a spike in this individual, it wouldn't necessarily lead to weight gain. If she's struggling, I imagine it's due to underestimating caloric intake:



This is unlikely. I don't think there's anything in the literature to suggest that weight loss will stagnate in the face of a caloric deficit. It's true that excessive sugar intake can lead to metabolic issues, but that doesn't seem to the situation here.

IMHO, this client needs to stop focusing on the minutia and start accurately recording caloric intake.

Hope that helps.

-C10

Good point. I totally agree that a great percentage of people underestimate caloric intake but this woman seems pretty Type-A meticulous about her diet and calories.

I can't put a name to it, but there could be an underlying issue here...

Similar to whatever makes some people be able to eat McDonalds every day and never gain a pound while others seem to gain weight eating raw broccoli

[pimpnaty]

Can anyone tell me how to find a thread I posted in?

[askthetrainer]

Originally Posted by pimpnaty

Can anyone tell me how to find a thread I posted in?

Click on Pimpnaty pimp

[CoQ10]

Originally Posted by askthetrainer

Good point. I totally agree that a great percentage of people underestimate caloric intake but this woman seems pretty Type-A meticulous about her diet and calories.

I can't put a name to it, but there could be an underlying issue here...

Similar to whatever makes some people be able to eat McDonalds every day and never gain a pound while others seem to gain weight eating raw broccoli

Undoubtedly, some people have a higher BMR than others. However, particularly when you're dealing with women who already have a very low BMR, a relatively minor degree of dietary non-compliance can make a significant difference.

That said, you may want to suggest she have a blood test (specifically looking at thyroid function) just in case. Probably unnecessary, but at least you won't be held liable if something is wrong.

-C10

[DIreland89]

Originally Posted by askthetrainer

Good point. I totally agree that a great percentage of people underestimate caloric intake but this woman seems pretty Type-A meticulous about her diet and calories.

I can't put a name to it, but there could be an underlying issue here...

Similar to whatever makes some people be able to eat McDonalds every day and never gain a pound while others seem to gain weight eating raw broccoli

She also could like OP said not be counting what she thinks to be "trace calories". From things she just snacks on while making her dinner, or dinner for her family. I see it with my my mother and other family figures that struggle to lose weight. They think their diet is perfect but don't realize that their nibbling at certain times of the day really adds up. For instance she could be taking in a 100-300 calories from just nibbling.

[BSCSCS]

She says that when she exercises more, she's "tired and lethargic". Tell her it's because she needs sugar. Have her take the blood test, if she is not diabetic or have thyroid problems, tell her to cut that almost no sugar diet crap out.