ARE YOU A VICTIM OF METABOLIC SUPPRESSION?

Just answer YES or NO to each question.               YES                    NO

1. Are you more than fifteen pounds overweight?       _____               _____

2. Do you frequently skip breakfast?                         _____               _____

3. Do you skip meals to cut down on calories?          _____               _____

4. Do you frequently fluctuate between periods of

    dieting and periods of overeating?                         _____               _____

5. Have you been on any low carbohydrate diet or

    fast more than two times in the last two years?       _____               _____

6. Do you get little or no exercise?                             _____               _____

7. Did either of your parents have a weight problem?     _____               _____

8. Are you shorter than 5’5” if you are a woman and

    5’9” if you are a man?                                            _____               _____

9. Are you a woman?                                                 _____               _____

10. Do you have a long history of unsuccessful dieting? _____               _____

Give yourself 10 points for each “YES” answer and rate yourself on the scale below.

TOTAL SCORE                         EXTENT OF METABOLIC SUPPRESSION

   70 – 100                                                         Severe

   50 – 60                                                          Moderate

   30 – 40                                                          Mild

     0 – 20                                                          None

BASIC RULES

1.       Eat everything exactly as it is prescribed. Avoid substitutions unless specified.

2.       Don’t eat anything more than the meals assigned.

3.       Never skip a meal.

4.       Drink plenty of fluids- water, diet drinks, iced tea. Coffee and hot tea are allowed but make sure you drink at least two to three glasses of water per day. Avoid caloric drinks such as fruit juices, or liquids that are high in sodium, such as tomato juice and bouillon.

5.       Do not add table salt to your food. It’s simply not healthy and may result in water retention, which will mask your weekly weight losses. You get plenty of sodium (salt) naturally in the foods on the diet.

6.       Remove all visible fat from meat, and remove the skin from chicken before eating it.

7.       Avoid all alcoholic beverages. No beer, wine, or liquor until you lose your weight.

8.       Buy only fresh fruits and vegetables. If these are not available, buy frozen. Never use canned fruits or vegetables.

DO’s

1.       Do wait twenty minutes after a meal to exercise.

2.       Do keep your exercise going for at least twenty minutes.

3.       Do plan to exercise after two of your four meals.

DON’Ts

1.       Don’t wait any longer than thirty minutes after a meal to begin exercising.

2.       Don’t strain; moderation is the key.

3.       Don’t miss a day.