Weight Loss Questions and Answers

All questions on this page are answered by Daniel S. Kirschenbaum, Ph.D., ABPP. After publishing 10 books and more than 100 articles about the topic these are the answers you can trust.

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Questions already answered by Dr. Dan:

1. Rating: +2

   How can I lose weight fast and still be healthy?

2. How much exercise is necessary to lose weight and keep it off?

3. My heart doctor, Dr. Wallis from Good Samaritan Hosp. referred me to you. she graduated from Northwestern and taught at Loyola Un. She is the brightest. Yesterday she was so frustrated with me. I gained seven pounds in the past two weeks. what should I do? I am frustrated too. Always exhausted. Exhausted to the point I want to cry and cannot function if I push myself. With two hip replacements I have to be careful how to exercise. I seem to get hurt and then I am in Physical therapy. Please Help !

4. Dr. Dan, I found your name on the internet while searching for Optifast. I am a soon-to-be 60 year old female and wish to lose weight (between 20 and 30 pounds)....the pounds just keep coming on. I am very anxious about the direction in which to go...the options are so numerous and most of which I do not trust. Please tell me if you believe that you have a program that would be right for me. Thank you.

5. Dear Dan, My name is Brendan Ridings. Recently my mother, Marsha Ridings, contacted you in regards to speaking at New Lenox Schools. I currently work at Cardinal Ftiness near Joliet, IL. The owner and myself are developing a plan for a facility connected to our gym that would be an exercise building just for kids. All of the equipment will be sized just for kids, programs designed specifically to get kids moving and have fun all under the guidance of health and fitness professionals. We want this to be free to any child and there is no obligation for the parents to be members at our gym. This is a basic summary of our plan. I am working on a writing a grant to fund this project, using stats from children to help. I just graduated college with a dietetics degree and I want to help kids. I am emailing you today because I just wanted to see if there is any suggestion or information you may be able to provide. I am contacting local professors to try to get this program studied if in fact it gets up and running so there is data on our intervention program. I feel it will be very successful, we ran some demo kids classes for 2-8 year olds and 95% of kids in our day care participated and enjoyed it. When we charged money for that same class only 2 signed up. Any info you can give would be great! thank you so much for your time. Yours in Health, Brendan Ridings

6. Is it possible to be addicted to sugar? I am 80 lbs overweight and diabetic, 59 years old. I walk and exercise when I can (I have arthritis in my knees) but I can't lose the weight. Most of it is around my waist and I don't know what to do. I get the shakes until I have something sweet usually to drink. I don't know what to do. Thank you

7. Does your center treat children with AllKids (State of Illinois medicaid)insurance?

8. Dear Dan, I am 67 years old and have severe arthritis. Is it hopeless for me to lose weight?

9. I need to lose 250 pounds. I am 50 years old. I do not want to undergo any type of bariatric surgery. It has been over 8 years since I last tried a meal replacement program. If I did Optifast in your program, what are the other supports that would help me make my eating habits change for good? To be quite honest, I am doubtful. Your thoughts?

10. Dear Dr. Dan, I am glad to see you have a new book coming out in April. Even though it's geared toward younger folks, I will still buy it. I got such great advice from your last book geared toward teens...even though I am 57! Please keep preaching the low fat mantra. All I can say is I was fit and healthy counting my fat grams (I followed the T Factor Diet by Martin Katahn), and didn't start to get sick until I got sucked into the low carb "gospel." It is no coincidence that my health problems started THEN. I have all of your books, as well as Pritikin's and Ornishs' etc. Please keep plugging away until this low carb madness STOPS. Thanks again for all the great advice I still get from your books. Another one for us adults couldn't hurt either, down the line! Joyce

11. and.....we just order laura's --- joy formula book....rich/paula e.

12. How can I help my girls 10 years and under lose weight or atleast grow into their height without risking anorexia/bulimia in the future?

13. Dr. Dan: Our son played golf in H.S. and as a Sophomore made it on varsity team. In addition, he played tournaments and won some awards shooting score in the 70's. This year he has struggled all season and his scores have been all over the board. He has lost confidence, motivation and is getting more and more discouraged day by day as his peers have demonstrated significantly improved performance and they have been making fun of him. He has had lessons, etc. but we have been unable to build his confidence back and he has not been able to do it on his own. He shot his worst score recently and did not talk to anyone. He has capability and potential, but we don't know what happens when he gets to the tournament and he is not opening up. What can we do he has tournaments next week. Pls. can you make some suggestions to help him next week. Desperately need to get him back on track as he is trying out for HS team and Junior year critical to get scholorshihps, but more importantly, for his mental health.

14. Wonder if you can help me or point me in the right direction. My daughter was a volleyball player and played year round and had hoped to get a college scholarship. She was cut from her high school team and it was a big blow to her self esteem. She is involved in other activities but I don't think she has gotten over this loss. How can I help her?

15. I am a 37 year old woman and have always maintained a good diet along with exercising every day typically on treadmill and elyptical Little sugar,startches,etc..On average my food caloric intake is 1000-1500 calories. I am 5'6' and 40 pounds overweight.I used to be slender until the last 6 years when I put the weight on.My one vice is I like to drink red wine and I drink perhaps 3 or 4 bottles a week.My face, chin and arms have gotten puffy.I have read that acetate from drinking wine may inhibit the fat burning process even if one diets and exercises. My question is could the wine drinking be inhibiting my fat burning process causing weight gain and puffiness. Does your clinic test causitive factors for weight retention in the individual who maintains a sensible diet and exercise regimen..Thank you