Three Ways to Lose 10

A dietitian, a personal trainer and a chiropractor weigh in today on how to lose 10 to 15 pounds. No one offers a magic solution.

The Dietitian

Pam Higgins, Northridge Hospital Medical Center, Slim Down Sensibly Program class.

Higgins, who teaches a six-week class at Northridge Hospital Medical Center, says the emphasis is off calorie counting and on appetite and hunger.

She tells her students: “Try not think of it only as weight loss, but think of it as wellness.”

She and the students explore various issues, including the quality of their diet. Are there empty calories? Is there too much fat? Are they eating all the right foods but too much of them? “And we can’t go without mentioning exercise,” Higgins said.

Students slowly integrate ideas brought up in class. Higgins tells them, “Go home and practice, try eating half a sandwich for lunch, play around with it. If you have an urge to eat and it’s not mealtime, try making a list of alternative activities.”

Most of her students need to lose an average of 20 to 60 pounds. Each person has a different profile: the office worker who can’t resist temptation; the working mother who doesn’t have time to cook; the single person who lives alone and can’t bear to cook.

Still, a class is not the answer for everyone. “That’s a personality issue. Some people work better in a group, some people work well with one-on-one attention,” said Higgins, who also does personal counseling. Some very disciplined people, she added, do well simply from buying a book and following that diet.

Taking off 10 pounds often can be difficult, Higgins said. “It’s fine-tuning. As you get closer to your ideal body, your calorie deficit is going to be less, so your weight loss is going to be slower.”

The Personal Trainer

Gina Lombardi, Woodland Hills

Lombardi, whose clientele includes actors and entertainment executives, said she often gets calls from agents who say, “I’ve got to get Danny DeVito to look like a toothpick,” and they need it in two weeks.

“There are ways to do it, but they are not ways that are long-term solutions,” Lombardi said. Diet pills can be dangerous. “I almost look at it as wimpy that somebody needs to resort to a drug.”

Lombardi prefers a change in lifestyle. “The first thing I’d do is analyze their current diet.” Clients will say, “Sunday isn’t typical for me, I went to a bar mitzvah,” but that is typical, Lombardi said. Actors have access to huge catering tables. “I want to know what happens when you walk past the craft table and you’re hungry. What do you grab?”

And she’s heard every excuse, including: “Well, I have five kids and only three nannies.”

In addition to changing the diet, Lombardi gets her clients on an exercise program, preferably one that builds muscle. “Increased muscle mass is the key to being healthy when you’re older.”

For the truly motivated client, Lombardi and her boyfriend, a former Navy SEAL, have developed a 90-minute “G.I. Jane”-type of workout through the Santa Monica Mountains.

Lombardi has also found great success with martial arts, especially for women. “Not only are you getting an incredible personal workout, but you’re getting discipline that carries over to your jobs, your family, your thought process. Boxing, karate are both great for women.”

Lombardi recommends a personal trainer, “for just enough time to make a lifestyle change, for maybe two or three months until it’s part of the person’s life.”

The Chiropractor

Kurt Hegetschweiler, Torrance

Most of Hegetschweiler’s patients don’t come in saying, “I want to lose 10 to 15 pounds.” They come in with a lower back problem and 15 extra pounds.

“Every pound counts, especially in the lower back.” he said. “If you pull a huge trailer, it’s just wear and tear. The more weight you add, the more it adds to the wear.”

People will always fight dieting unless there is a real emergency, he said. The more urgent the back problem, the more willing the patient.

Hegetschweiler has people keep a food diary, writing down exactly what they had for breakfast, lunch, dinner and in between. “Once they see for themselves what they eat, they say, ‘Oh my God, when was the last apple I ate?’ ”

Hegetschweiler offers a diet plan that works with a large lunch and small dinner, often just pasta, salad or baked potato.

“Eat low fat, more fresh foods, a good mix of carbohydrates and vegetables.” And watch out for your alcohol intake. Even a drink or two after work can add 1,000 calories a day.

He also urges patients to walk at least four times a week. “The only way weight loss really works is to combine it with exercise.”

Hegetschweiler, an ice skater for many years, treats many athletes. About 75% to 80% of his patients have lower back problem.

Hegetschweiler, a past president of the American Chiropractic Assn., says there is no magic adjustment for losing the weight. “It’s not like one button you can push and say, ‘I adjusted that.’ ”

But when people lose weight on their way to healthier backs, “It’s a fun thing to do. People are happy.”