Sarasota Diet:HCG and the Atkins Diet .... no the low carb Lifestyle Day 8 Robert G Carlson, MD, FACS

Sarasota Diet:HCG and the Atkins Diet Robert G Carlson, MD, FACS

Day 8: 219.4

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I continue to tolerate the 20 grams of carbohydrates without too much fatigue. Saw patients in my office and performed a three hour liposuction, then ran to football practice. I continue with a cup of coffee in the morning, but moved from Coffee Mate to half and half or whipping cream, since they are lower in carbohydrates. Continue to enjoy my morning and late afternoon chocolate whey milkshake. Roll-ups for lunch with roast beef and horseradish cheddar cheese. For dinner I ate a steak after football practice as well as a salad with romaine lettuce, a few cherry tomatoes, olives, cheddar cheese and Blue cheese dressing.

I enjoyed meeting my new patient in the morning Friday. He is a very intelligent business man, struggling with weight issues. He felt he was eating well, consuming oatmeal (19 grams carbs) for breakfast and lunch, subway sandwiches (12 inch roasted chicken sandwich-96 carbs) for lunch and dinner while working out of town, but was really feeding his increasing abdominal fat with carbs. He also demonstrated high amount of visceral fat, percent body fat exceeding 36% and a percent muscle of only 29% . This gentleman was not only overweight, but severely sarcopenic…or lacking muscle. He has all the signs and symptoms of the metabolic syndrome, increased blood pressure, increased abdominal fat, increased cholesterol, and glucose intolerance with elevated sugars. The metabolic syndrome dramatically increases your risks of developing heart disease. It is the high sugars in his blood stream and his diet that were driving his whole body inflammation, causing his belly to grow even bigger, and his muscles to waste away. Balancing his hormones, optimizing his thyroid function and using the Sarasota Diet will lead to significant weight loss and restoration of his energy levels and youthfulness. I believe that “we spend the first 50 years of our lives sacrificing our health to make money, and the second 50 years of our lives spending our money regaining our health.” Don’t wait until it’s too late. Start now regaining your health and youthfulness.

HCG AND THE "SARASOTA DIET" ROBERT G CARLSON, MD,FACS

HCG AND THE "SARASOTA DIET" DAY 4 Avoiding the whole grains. ROBERT G CARLSON, MD,FACS
Sarasota Diet- HCG and low carbohydrate Day #4
Day #4: 221.2

This was my first real challenge. I ate dinner out and carefully only ate the grouper and the green beans. The garlic mash potatoes however were continually calling for me to "Eat me". But I endured. My breakfast consisted of bacon and eggs on a low carb wrap. The wrap did have 3 grams of carbohydrates however...the bacon and eggs none. I snacked on Macadamia nuts throughout the day, and for lunch had two rollups of ham and muenster cheese. After dinner, and no dessert, I really needed something sweet, so I piled three containers of sugar-free jello into a large bowl and proceeded to fill the rest of the bowl with whip cream....no calories.

I have had a number of questions about eating whole grain breads pastas, or even brown rice. Well i am restricting my total carbohydrate intake to under 20 grams each day. A serving of 100% whole grain macoroni has 47 grams of carbohydrates, whole wheat spaghetti 37 grams, brown rice has 45 grams of carbs in one cup,Arnold's multigrain bread-20 grams, but their sugar free carb counting only has 9 grams in one slice.....essentially half your day's intake of carbohydrates. Bottomline is whole grain or not. They are packed with carbs and if you want to be successful with the Sarasota Diet, they can't be on your menu.

So what about the Glycemic Index
Not all carbohydrate foods are created equally: in fact they behave quite differently in our bodies. The glycemic index (GI) describes this difference by ranking carbohydrates according to their effect on our blood glucose levels. Eating a lot of high GI foods can be detrimental to your health because it pushes your body to extremes. This is especially true if you are overweight and sedentary. Switch to eating mainly low GI carbs (the ones that produce only small fluctuations in our blood glucose and insulin levels) is the secret to long-term health; thus reducing your risk of heart disease and diabetes which is the key to sustainable weight-loss.

• Low GI means a smaller rise in blood glucose levels after meals

• Low GI diets can help people lose weight

• Low GI diets can improve the body's sensitivity to insulin

• High GI foods help re-fuel carbohydrate levels after exercise

• Low GI improve diabetes control

• Low GI foods keep you fuller for longer.

So the key is to avoid those high glycemic index foods!

HCG AND THE "SARASOTA DIET" DAY 1 ROBERT G CARLSON, MD,FACS

HCG AND THE "SARASOTA DIET" DAY 1 ROBERT G CARLSON, MD,FACS


With prescribed HCG, take an subcutaneous injection of 0.2ml( 200 units) first thing in the morning.( check out my website for how to mix the HCG, and where to give your injections on www.andlos.com) Eat as often as you like throughout the day. But do not exceed 20 grams of carbohydrates! On the Sarasota diet, we will keep your total carbohydrate intake to below 20 grams for the entire 28 day course. In addition, you need to drink ½ to 1 gallon of filtered or bottled spring water throughout the day.

DAY 1-14: .2 cc of HCG or 200 units.

Day 15-25: .3 cc of HCG or 300 units.

Days 25-28: .2 cc of HCG or 200 units.

Weigh yourself in the morning when you wake up without clothing and after you have emptied your bladder. Administer the HCG injection with dosing as above.

Day #1- Beginning weight: 226.4( Yikes, I am starting this just in time) I took my HCG, .2cc at bedtime. My breakfast consisted of two cups of coffee but I am going to begin to incorporate a whey milk shake with less than 1 carbohydrate in the future. I ate three rollups (boars head brand roast beef rolled up with white cheddar cheese) for lunch. Because there are zero carbs in the roll-ups, you can eat as many as you want. At dinner I ate a steak and a salad with romaine lettuce, sharp cheddar cheese, olives, cucumber, and a lot of Blue Cheese dressing. The only carbs in this meal are from the lettuce portions. For dessert I had three containers of black cherry sugar-free jello with a whole bunch of whip cream on it. Absolutely NO carbohydrates!

HCG AND THE "SARASOTA DIET" ROBERT G CARLSON, MD,FACS

HCG AND THE "SARASOTA DIET" ROBERT G CARLSON, MD,FACS

I know there has been a lot of discussion about the HCG diet. I have found that using HCG, in conjunction with a very low calorie diet, some describe as low as 500 kcal, that effective weight loss is achieved. Of course 500 kcal sounds impossible, and is essentially a form of starvation, but using the HCG protocol, this low calorie approach is actually tolerable. I however find this approach , with a low calorie diet, to be very difficult for men. However, the Atkins diet, based on a low carbohydrate approach, is well tolerated, and many men do well on this diet versus the “controlled” starvation of a 500 kcal diet.

For men who can’t tolerate and need more than 500 kcal diet( definitely me!), I have developed the “Sarasota Diet”, which incorporates the use of HCG , making a 20 gram carbohydrate diet extending over a 28 day period feasible. So how does HCG really work? I would like to document my experience with this approach over the next 28 days, documenting my chosen food selections (low carbohydrate) as well as my dosing schedule for injectable HCG. Feel free to follow my approach, and to even make your suggestions to help me achieve my goals. I am 226 lbs, 54 years old and have never seen below 210 since I was 40. I want to get to 210…and maybe to 200. I have run numerous marathons, and completed 3 ironman’s, but still haven’t reached my goal. I have had success with Atkins, but after a week or two, begin to struggle with carbohydrate cravings. So my approach is to add HCG to the Atkins low carbohydrate approach, and to melt the fat away. So let’s get going!

But first let me explain a little more about the HCG diet. HCG or Human Chorionic Gonadotropin has been used since the early fifties to help people lose weight. HCG when used by itself, does not cause weight loss. It is the low calorie diet (or low carbohydrate diet), in conjunction with the HCG that provides an accelerated fat loss. HCG is a naturally occurring substance in the human body produced by the placenta during pregnancy in very high amounts. The reason for this high production of HCG was poorly understood until Dr. A.T.W. Simeon, a British physician, studied its effects and developed a program of weight reduction. Those who have taken HCG while dieting report that it is much easier for them to stay on the diet and they seem to lose inches rapidly from the primary fat stores, in particular, the belly, buttocks, and thighs. There have been no reported adverse side effects to this substance. Unfortunately there has been no clearly defined scientific or clinical explanation, however it appears to work at the level of the brain, specifically the hypothalamus, to suppress your appetite, and thus allow one to tolerate a low calorie or my approach, a low carbohydrate diet.
Posted by Dr Robert Carlson of Sarasota at 8:44 PM

Vitamin D Helps Weight Loss Robert G Carlson, MD, FACS

Vitamin D Helps Weight Loss

Being overweight with excess body fat and abdominal obesity represent an overwhelming threat to the health of millions of men, women and children. Obesity is out of control, and today the number of obese people exceeds 35 % and it is growing rapidly. It is a true epidemic. Closely tied with this epidemic is the high percentage of the population of the United States that is grossly deficient in vitamin D. We have been told that the sun is bad for us, and processed foods have minimal Vitamin D in them and even Vitamin D fortified milk and orange juice are a joke, with the wrong type of Vitamin D, and amounts so small that they are essentially worthless unless you drank five gallons of milk and juice a day.
Fortunately, there is hope. Vitamin D has been shown to be critical in the creation of stored fat. You can help your body burn abdominal fat and lose weight naturally by incorporating adequate amounts of vitamin D in your diet, primarily through extremely inexpensive supplementation. A Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism study showed that the lack of Vitamin D is important in the accumulation of excess body fat. In the absence of sufficient vitamin D the body increases the number and size of newly formed fat cells that will promote and accelerate abdominal obesity. Providing sufficient levels of vitamin D, will signal fat cells to shrink. This makes weight loss much easier when calories are restricted.

Research proves that Vitamin D improves weight loss. Robert G Carlson, MD, FACS

Researchers at Aberdeen University found that low levels of vitamin D interfered with the function of a hormone called leptin, which tells the brain when the stomach is full. The study also found that excess body fat absorbs vitamin D, stopping it entering the bloodstream. Unfortunately in the winter months, when exercise is difficult and seasonal depression creeps in, low vitamin D levels are epidemic and will cause weight gain. In addition, the rapid spiral worsens as the accumulation of excess body fat leads to the fat-soluble vitamin D becoming locked away in fat cells.
In another study involving 60 overweight/obese women aged 20-35 years adhering to a low calorie diet, those with higher vitamin D levels lost more weight and fat. This supports the theory that women with a better vitamin D status will respond better to low calorie diets and lose more body fat.

In postmenopausal women calcium/vitamin D supplements have been shown to slow weight gain This finding comes from a detailed, seven-year study of more than 36,000 U.S. women enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative. It clearly demonstrates that most weight gain was in the youngest postmenopausal women and that Vitamin D and calcium slowed the process of weight gain.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have discovered that if you are struggling to lose weight or have lost weight but plateaued, that adding vitamin D3 to a high protein diet may be just be the boost you need. They found that you could lose 25 pounds of flab from your body in about 7 seconds per day, simply by adding vitamin D3 this year. So it appears that Vitamin D3 may be the "SWITCH" that turns on automatic fat burning engine.
A 2009 study conducted by researchers from the University of Minnesota found that overweight people have better success in losing weight when their vitamin D levels are increased. When combined with a reduced-calorie diet, it appears that supplementation with vitamin D helps to promote increased weight loss among those whose levels are low. For each nanogram per milliliter increase in vitamin D precursor, it was observed that an extra half-pound loss in weight occurred while on the diet plan.

To address the Metabolic syndrome and the increase in visceral abdominal fat, I believe it is critical to understand the connection between vitamin D levels and insulin resistance. Vitamin D deficiency may contribute to the wide set of disorders associated with this syndrome of high cholesterol, insulin resistance, high blood pressure and increased abdominal fat. In a study published in 2004, the authors saw a 60% improvement in insulin sensitivity in healthy, vitamin D replete adults — and determined that vitamin D was more potent than two prescription medications commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes.
Clearly, vitamin D is critical in regulating our weight, and knowing the dramatic impact on thyroid function, and optimizing metabolism, the correlation between rising rates of obesity and vitamin D deficiency aren’t a surprise. Vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol supports so many important functions in our bodies and interacts with over 2000 Genes. To believe that the only benefit of Vitamin D is to improve bone growth seems short cited at best. Focus on optimizing your vitamin D levels, and a healthy and active lifestyle will be in your future.
www.andlos.com Robert G Carlson, MD, FACS

Help Me...I know my thyroid isn't working right! Robert G Carlson, MD, FACS

Most endocrinologists. Internists and Family Practice physicians subscribe to the practice guidelines of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. Guidelines that totally disregard a patient’s symptoms and place more importance on worthless reference range lab values. Why do they totally disregard a patient’s plea of classic symptoms of low thyroid function, with weight gain, exhaustion, hair falling out, dry skin and worsening memory, even depression when confronted with a “normal” TSH level??? I have no idea why. I believe how the patient actually feels is the absolute most important decision making factor in choosing therapy as well as in increasing or decreasing doses. The TSH level is absolutely, unadulteratedly worthless test! Studies have repeatedly shown the ineffectiveness and potential harm of only T4-replacement. The studies show that T4-replacement leaves many patients suffering chronically from hypothyroid symptoms and gaining weight they can't lose through dieting and exercise. I believe Synthroid may be a reasonable medication, but ONLY for someone who has no stress. T4 is inactive, and does not interact well with thyroid receptors. It has to be activated to T3, which is the only form of thyroid hormone that interacts with thyroid receptors. Stress blocks this conversion. Therefore giving a patient synthroid to a patient with any type of physical, emotional or situational stress is a worthless effort. It will not work! Patients have to use the combination of T3, and T4. The T3 will provide immediate energy. I prefer the Armour thyroid from Forrest labs, and avoid the use of generic thyroid supplements.
Now here is one more twist. When a person has Hashimoto’s (Autoimmune Thyroiditis), they have antibodies that have attacked their own thyroid. Because these antibodies “gum” everything up and block any hormone from interacting with thyroid receptors, thyroid levels are absolutely worthless. You can have high “normal “ values and still demonstrate severe low thyroid symptoms. By the way, 30 % of women over the age of 50, will have positive antibodies, and all the lab tests will be worthless. Therefore in these women, women presenting with classic low thyroid symptoms and who are often told their thyroid is “normal”, the ONLY reliable factor for adjusting the thyroid medication dose or the need for treatment is “HOW DO YOU FEEL?” The lab tests are worthless, and the ONLY way to manage Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis is by adjusting the medications to a patient’s signs and symptoms. I repeat …Lab results are worthless, and patient’s symptoms are the most important and only way to adjust medications. The only way! So, spending time speaking with patients, as well as ongoing adjustment of thyroid replacement therapies is critical to achieve optimization of thyroid management.

Lose Weight And Not Be Hungry With Low Carbohydrate Approach

Low Carbohydrate approach to successful weight loss
Robert G Carlson, MD, FACS
Patients often ask me for a dietary recommendation. I believe that a change of habits is better than a “new diet”, and my preference is a low carbohydrate approach. The low fat diet is just forcing large amounts of sugar into your system, making you fatter and increasing you risk of developing diabetes. Let me give you an example of a daily low carbohydrate approach:
Goal is to keep your total carbohydrate intake to 20 grams of carbohydrates a day for two weeks and then increase to 30 grams. You can’t eat bread, pasta, rice, ice cream or candy. For instance one can of mountain dew has 46 grams of carbohydrates or over two days worth of carbohydrates. A two ounce serving of pasta, has 42 grams of carbohydrates! Alright here we go:
Breakfast- Coffee/Tea with/without cream, no sugar but can have splenda or estevia or even better Erythritol.
Two egg omelet with bacon and cheese using only water to mix eggs. (no carbohydrates or maybe 1 total for breakfast. Avoid low fat cheese, because that means high sugar cheese No bread
Snacks: Macadamia nuts, almonds (8 nuts is about 2 grams carbohydrates), avoid cashews
Lunch- Roll-ups Go to your favorite deli and get the thicker slice cheese and meats. Roll the cheese and meat together and use mayonnaise or mustard... I even take lunch meat and put cream cheese into the roll-up…no carbs! You can eat these all day long and there are essentially no carbohydrates in a roll-up.

Dinner- Go to Publix and get a lemon pepper chicken, or to sonny’s BBQ ( or your local favorite) and eat the chicken, beef etc, but avoid too much red sauce as they sneak sugar into that. And of course NO sweetened tea. I also eat steak, seafood, turkey as well. No ketchup.
Also at dinner I recommend a salad, and this has some carbohydrates in it. I like spinach, with cucumbers, olives, and some tomatoes. The tomatoes have some carbs in them. Putting blue cheese dressing/most Ranch dressings, balsamic vingarette on your salad and cover it with sharp cheddar cheese. There is very few carbs in this meal, with the exception of the tomatoes. Onions are ok as well, but I just don’t eat them very often. Avoid Garbanzo beans as well
At bedtime you should try another roll-up or eat some more nuts as it is important to have some protein at bedtime.
An evening snack when craving sweets is my favorite. I take two or even three containers of sugar free jello, my favorite is the cherry, and cover it generously with whip cream, you can even use the heavy whipping cream. There are absolutely no carbohydrates in this and you can even go back for seconds or sneak a shot of whipping cream from your own personal can. In the past I have eaten popcorn, but I would definitely avoid it as it is a source of carbohydrates. Fruits I like are strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries, but you need to avoid bananas and oranges (very high glycemic index).
I hope this gives you some direction. When you go shopping look at the labels for how much carbohydrate is present per serving.

Sugar Addiction and Sress-It's making you fat

So we talked a little about the type 1 sugar addicts who are hooked on energy drinks and caffeine. How about the Type 2 sugar addicts? This person‘s life is always in crisis. It seems like you are always reacting to your challenges. But how can you prepare for anything because you are always putting out fires? These patients seem to be women, moms with all the household duties, as well as a full time job. Now you have three full time jobs, home, children and your profession, and you have to also be a wife in there somewhere or deal with an emotional relationship. But your testosterone levels are plummeting with stress and you no longer think about romance. And that’s even more stress!
You are stressed out and always running either to swim practice, running your house or your office. Your adrenals help you for a while; unfortunately this exhausting lifestyle takes its toll. Ahhh sugar, or those comfort foods. They give you the boost you need, but inside of your body your adrenals are in maximum overload, and they will give out. The type 2 sugar addict finds that it is getting more difficult to fit into her clothes and that is because the adrenals and the sugar boosts cause your adrenals to work overtime with even higher cortisol levels. Your insulin levels then spike and sugar in the blood stream becomes fat in your belly. It’s your body’s way of surviving the anticipated stress. Studies have shown, women in adrenal fatigue will gain an average of over 30 lbs. Does this sound like any one you know? More to come…..