It is almost weight loss season

Notice I said "almost." Weight loss season follows directly on the heels of "the biggest eating bash of the year." Being of a moderate nature, myself, I expect to weigh the same or a little less when January rolls around. Most people, however, will gain weight because they forget that candy, alcohol, and rich holiday meals are high in calories. They may forget that but their bodies do not. Remember that your body is a lot smarter than you are.

But in just a few weeks, we'll get really serious about losing weight so let's start talking about it, sensibly, right now.

In working with a wide range of people (no pun intended) who want to lose weight, I have found that some people will faithfully follow a calorie-appropriate, dense nutrition program and still not lose weight. This flies in the face of one of my biology textbooks that stoutly (and pompously) proclaims that overweight is simply a matter of calorie imbalance. Too many calories + too little activity = overweight.

It really is more complex than that, unfortunately. Even still, many people simply do not expend enough calories for them to maintain a normal weight. For example, I tested an older woman on a bioimpedance analysis device the other day, and her metabolic rate hovers around 1150 calories per day. Any program below 1300 calories, no matter how well designed, will result in malnutrition, which means that either she will struggle with malnutrition or overweight - or both. Depressing, isn't it?

So I am on the lookout for something to increase metabolism without jacking up the adrenal gland or the cardiovascular system. I am my own best guinea pig, so I pulled a weight loss product off the shelf, and took it, following the directions carefully. Except instead of taking three capsules per day, I only took two. Within an hour of swallowing the second pill, I could have conquered the world single-handedly. I was bursting with energy. My heart raced. My hands shook. I felt agitated. I was afraid I was going to have a heart attack. I got a lot of work done, but at great jeopardy to my health. Imagine if I had taken three capsules? I may not be writing this column.

The take-home message is this: just because a product is advertised as "all natural" or "safe" be skeptical. Natural products need to be approached with caution, especially if you are taking prescription medications.

I will continue to experiment and will report on the results because I still think some people need help with metabolism.

- Carol Simontacchi is the owner of the Island Nutrition Center on Sanibel. She can be reached at 472-4499 or on the Web at www. islandnutritioncenter.meta-ehealth.com.