Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Shangri-La Diet in a Spray?

Not exactly, but the principal is there ... taste and smell are associated with weight-gain.

Read all about it here (or here for the link):

Firm designs nasal spray to fight obesity

Tue Dec 19, 2006 12:29 PM ET

By Jason Szep

BOSTON (Reuters) - Dieters may find some welcome assistance from a new nasal spray that could help resist the appetizing aromas of cinnamon bun stands, pizza parlors or tempting bakeries.

Compellis Pharmaceuticals of Cambridge, Massachusetts said it will begin human trials next year of a nasal spray designed to fight obesity by blocking the senses of smell and taste. It won a patent for the product this month.

"The pleasurable effect of eating is all stimulated by smell and taste," Christopher Adams, the company's founder and chief executive, told Reuters on Tuesday.

"The premise is that olfactory activity that controls both smell and taste is a trigger and a feedback mechanism to eat. If you have some kind of reduced sense of smell or taste, you tend to eat less," he said.

The product, known as CP404, is among the latest devices and treatments under development in the multibillion-dollar fight against obesity.

An estimated 65 percent of adult Americans are overweight or obese, putting them at higher risk of heart disease, diabetes and other conditions that account for more than $100 billion of the country's $1.9 trillion annual healthcare bill.

French drug maker Sanofi-Aventis began marketing its obesity pill Acomplia in Britain in June and expects to receive U.S. government approval by April to sell the drug in the United States. The pill switches off the same brain circuits that make people hungry when they smoke cannabis.

Medtronic Inc., the world's biggest maker of medical devices, is developing a battery-powered gastric pacemaker that causes the stomach to contract, sending signals of satiety to the appetite center in the brain.

Enteromedics Inc. of Minneapolis is working with the Mayo Clinic on a device known as "Maestro" that uses electricity to paralyze the stomach, reducing or stopping contractions that churn food as part of the digestion process.

Those last two devices, like CP404, are still years away from reaching consumers.

TO SEEK FDA APPROVAL

Adams said he would seek Food and Drug Administration approval in about three years after human trials begin in 2007. He also expects to tap the stock market to raise $25 million to $50 million in an initial public offering if human trials are successful, with the spray expected to hit the market in 2010.

The nasal spray treatment would retail at $500 to $1,000 a year.

The Obesity Action Coalition, a Tampa, Florida-based nonprofit organization, cautioned that any such spray should be accompanied by other treatments and a change in lifestyle to be effective.
"There are a lot of reasons why obesity exists, and it's not always a case of food addiction," said James Zervios, a spokesman for the coalition.

"People still need to eat. Every time they get hungry I don't think they could just use the spray," he said. "People need to be taught what are the better foods to eat -- what's high on protein, what's low on fat."

Bariatric surgery, including gastric bands like the Lapband, is the only effective permanent solution, doctors say. Gastric bypass surgery makes the stomach smaller so patients can eat less and cuts out a long stretch of small intestine so fewer nutrients are absorbed.

But the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a unit of the federal government's Public Health Service, has warned that four of every 10 patients who undergo weight-loss surgery develop complications within six months.

Monday, December 18, 2006

Down With the Weight!

I'm embarrassed. I've been steadily gaining since Halloween. My weight has crept back up to 190 as of this morning ... yikes!

It really shouldn't come as a suprise. I've drifted from the basics. I've not been diligent with the WO or my workouts. Stress has taken its toll on me too. I finished school, but work has been tough as I've been placed in a new position. It's much busier than my old position. Plus ... we're moving. We need to get into something a little roomier than what we have.

But I've been able to manage all of that and now I've got it all under control for the time being. I'm now ready to re-focus on my weight.

So what am I going to do for an encore? I'm going to go beyond 185. I'm going to shoot for 175. I really don't know if I'll hit it, but after looking in the mirror, I think there's plenty to take off.

I think the timing is perfect for my encore. Last year we went home for Christmas and I pigged out every day. I was up over 220 when we came back. This year will be different ... starting this week. My mind is focused on hitting 175 and this year I have the tool to do it ... the Shangri-la Diet.

The Plan

There really is nothing new. I'll just be diligent. Diligence and consistency is the key.

Sun - Rest day, no WO.
Mon - 30 mins on treadmill, 30 mins on bike, WO @ 8am & 2pm.
Tue - Basketball, WO @ 8am & 2pm.
Wed - 30 mins on treadmill, 30 mins on bike, WO @ 8am & 2pm.
Thu - Basketball, WO @ 8am & 2pm, WEEKLY OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN
Fri - Optional ... either rest day or go to the gym, WO @8am & 2pm.
Sat - Basketball or gym, WO optional.

I'll continue to not eat breakfast (except on Sundays). For lunch ... something light ... crackers, yogurt and some fruit. For dinner ... salad or healthy food.

That's about it. I don't know if or when I'll hit 175. I would assume that the rate would be about .2 lbs. a day. If this is correct, then I should hit 175 around the 2nd week of March. And since I'm really conservative, I'll add a couple of weeks to that target. So my goal is hit 175 lbs. by April 1, 2007.

I seem to recall this situation happening to either Seth or one of his friends ... they lost a bunch of weight, put some back on and then lost it all a 2nd time. We'll see if that happens to me.

I still feel really good. I feel so much healthier than last year. My wife has been doing the diet and she's lost about 10 lbs. so far.

Well, let the pounds fall!