DEAR DR. GOTT:
I have been reading your column for many years and have a great deal of respect for your advice. I think your diet of no sugar and no flour is perhaps the best way to lose weight, but my problem is to lose weight in the right places. Does it matter where the calories come from where the weight goes? I am 81 years old, 5’3” tall, and weigh 125-130 pounds. I don’t feel that I need to lose much, but every ounce I eat seems to settle on my belly and hips.
My size 8-10 clothes still fit but they look so different with my belly. I read constantly about losing belly fat in three to five weeks. Can I lose weight in a particular area of my body by eating a different diet? I love carbohydrates, always have, and find it difficult to give them up. I would, however, if I thought it would help. While I do overindulge at times, I most often keep that habit to a minimum.
Please help me with this troubling situation. I will thank you forever if you can give me some sane advice.
DEAR READER:
First, I must commend you on being 81 years old and weighing what you do. Many individuals your age — men and women — lose interest in their looks and how they present to the public.
In all likelihood, your prominent abdomen is not caused by the type of food you eat. Your intake of calories from specific foods will not result in weight distribution to an area of your body of which you approve or disapprove. Consider your whole body; it’s unlikely you can gain weight in your arms or legs, shoulders or ankles. By the process of elimination, an abdomen is a natural location for weight to accumulate. I surmise you probably do not exercise as much and are not as active as you once were. This alone can lead to weight in areas where you don’t want it to be.
You don’t mention any medical conditions that would lead to the change in your stature. A heart condition, arthritis, or hypertension might restrict you somewhat, but mild exercise might help all of the diagnoses I’ve mentioned. If you have a diagnosis of concern, I would suggest you speak with your primary care physician for his or her direction on appropriate options.
Then, if your doctor is in agreement, you might consider a walk around the block each day, modified sit-ups, or yoga. In fact, if you have a health club or nursing association in your neighborhood, the personnel there can direct you as to appropriate exercise. Remember to begin slowly and work up to a comfortable program.
When all is said and done, you just might feel better and will find those size 8-10 dresses fit better in the long run. Good luck.
To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “A Strategy for Losing Weight”. Other readers who would like a copy should send a self-addressed, stamped, number 10 envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.