Dr. Simonds and Michelle Kennedy, NP-C answered your weight loss and health questions live and gave away a $25.00 JCPenney gift card.
Q: What is an egg fast? Are they really beneficial for weight loss?
A: Yes, we recommend egg fasts frequently and find them to be very beneficial for weight loss. An egg fast is when you eat nothing but eggs, healthy fats from animal sources, and cheese for 3-5 days straight for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. While it sounds like there wouldn’t be much variety, there really are many different ways to enjoy eggs. If you are not a fan of eggs, you may find an egg fast pretty challenging, but if you like eggs it can be a great way to get you into deep ketosis (fat-burning state).
It’s also a very satiating diet and makes you feel very full. It’s important to make sure you include 1 tablespoon of fat such as mayonnaise, butter, or oil per egg and up to one ounce of cheese. We suggest you omit vegetables entirely while doing an egg fast. Egg fasts are a great, simple way to break through a plateau and reset your diet.
It’s important to know that some of the weight loss is due to water weight and some of it will return once you discontinue the egg fast after a few days. You’ll still end up at a lower weight than when you started the egg fast. We really consider eggs to be the perfect food!
Q: Is the keto diet expensive to follow? Do you have any shopping tips?
A: We often hear from patients that are concerned with the expense of a keto diet. In reality, the keto diet is no more expensive to follow than most other diets. When you’re eating keto properly, you’ll be eating less due to the satiety of the foods. We think that any eating plan can have expensive and more affordable options for meals. We have a lot of keto recipes on Dr. Simond’s Instagram The Casual Keto Doctor.
We suggest buying in bulk and buying frozen vegetables to reduce waste. Cooking at home will always be a cheaper option than eating at restaurants or buying takeaway foods.
Read our blog about Keto on a Budget.
Q: Should I take a multivitamin while on keto and what should I look for when choosing one?
A: You don’t necessarily have to take a multivitamin, but we do think it’s a good idea to take one just to cover the bases. We love Metagenics supplements since they are frequently tested and high quality. Magnesium and sodium are also great supplements to consider that can help you feel better if you’re experiencing headaches, fatigue, constipation, or muscle cramps.
You will not become vitamin deficient simply from a keto diet. Eliminating grains and packaged foods and replacing them with more nutrient-dense foods such as eggs, vegetables, healthy fats, and meats will ensure you’re receiving the proper nutrients.
Q: Can lifting weights while losing weight really help prevent excess skin?
A: This is a really tough question to answer. While lifting weights can help, people’s response to excess skin isn’t always the same. We do encourage you to continue lifting weights throughout your weight loss journey as it offers many health benefits. It’s important to give your body some time, be consistent and re-evaluate after at least 6 months of consistency to determine if other means may be necessary to treat excess skin. We find that many patients are pleasantly surprised and happy without seeking further treatments or skin removal.
After 6 months, if you’re still interested in skin-tightening, we do offer non-surgical options at our body-contouring center in Durham. We have some excellent machines and treatments available. We do offer free consultations too. If interested, contact us for more information.
Q: Are you still offering Express appointments and how do they work?
A: Yes, we are! Express appointments are available for stable, follow-up patients who are doing really well and don’t require any changes to be made to their plans. It’s for patients that are looking for an efficient appointment and need to be in and out of the office quickly. We have a time set aside for Express appointments at our Raleigh office on Thursday mornings between the hours of 7am-9am. We may also offer Express appointments during additional hours as requested. Just let us know when you are scheduling if you desire an Express appointment.
Q: Do you treat many men at the practice? Can weight loss really help with testosterone levels?
A: Yes and yes! We treat many men at the practice and encourage men to seek help if needed. The body fat as an organ can suppress the production of testosterone. For example, too much belly fat makes all these chemicals that tell the body not to make testosterone. As you begin to lose body fat, testosterone levels do increase.
Drinking excess alcohol can also cause the body to turn testosterone into estrogen, which is something to keep in mind.
Q: What does it mean to plateau?
A: This is when weight loss comes to a standstill and doesn’t seem to want to budge. A true plateau is when 4 weeks have gone by and weight loss has stalled. This is when something in your routine needs to be tweaked such as nutrition, fitness, medication/supplements, stress management, and sleep management.
