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Integrative Medicine
Pounds
and Inches Revisited:
An Integrative Approach
Kenneth R. Kafka, MD
In early 2007, I was handed a copy of Dr. A.
T. W. Simeon’s original manuscript entitled Pounds and Inches, A
New Approach to Obesity. The person who gave it to me had recently completed
the program overseas and was extremely excited about what it had done for
him. I read the manuscript and originally thought it was interesting, but
it seemed too simplistic, and I set it aside. Many months later, several members
of our community approached me and asked me to do the program for them. I
reread the manuscript and reconsidered. I was a bit hesitant at first, in
part because Dr. Simeon’s weight loss program originally was designed
for an in-patient type of setting. After discussing things with my staff,
I decided to go ahead and see if we could make it work.
That was well over two years ago. Since then
I have had somewhere in the vicinity of eighty people complete the program,
many of them more than once because of the amount of extra weight they were
carrying. I have had ample opportunity to learn a great deal from working
with them and guiding them through it. What I originally thought was too simplistic
has turned out to be something that borders on the medically miraculous, at
least for some people. From the outset, I felt that, while the claims in Pounds
and Inches might be possible, I could not understand how most people would
be able to keep the weight off unless they changed some of the habits that
helped create the excess weight in the first place. In that regard, I designed
our program to have an optional body/mind component that complements the experience
and helps lock in the physiological changes that occur while under the influence
of a small dose of HCG and a low caloric diet.
The idea that the program as originally designed
could actually affect the hypothalamus in such a way as to influence someone’s
appetite in the long term is incredibly intriguing to me. I have witnessed
time and again people losing weight in places they have never been able to
lose weight before, and to a certain degree, the reshaping of the body that
Dr. Simeon claims often occurs in his program and may continue afterwards.
Many people experience some degree of the mild euphoria he talks about and
a few have mentioned that they would like to stay on the hormone because they
haven’t felt so good in years. Everyone loses weight and is usually
very pleased with the process. For some, the experience is rather smooth and
effortless, and for others it can be a bit of a struggle. To optimize the
chance of complete success, be psychologically prepared to lose weight because
you will. A little self-reflection beforehand can be very rewarding.
From my observations, I have come to the following
tentative conclusion. I will share this in the way of an analogy. Please bear
with me as these ideas are based on my observations without any hard science
to back them. It appears that the HCG does affect something at the core of
our relationship to hunger. It is as if it is trying to reset our appetite
back to how it was originally designed before all of our cultural conditioning
disturbed its innate equilibrium. Think of a computer. It arrives brand new
with a clean hard drive and operating system. Then we go about downloading
lots of software, and in the process a few viruses may get in and cookies
that we do not want to enter as well. After a while, the operating system
starts to work more sluggishly and sometimes freezes or breaks down altogether.
We also become very attached to the various software programs we have installed.
It is similar to what happens to our relationship with food as we grow up.
As infants we naturally know what we need to eat (there are studies that verify
this). Then gradually our familial and cultural patterns are installed, habits
begin and cravings may develop. The reasons we eat slowly change. Originally
derived from the signals that our bodies give us for proper nourishment, they
slowly become more emotionally based. Additionally our culture and the modern
American diet are loaded with unhealthy, refined food substitutes and ideas
that create imbalance, ensure cravings and create physiological addictions.
Overall, our “operating system” gets very dysregulated and many
people become overweight (now in epidemic proportions) and/or generally unhealthy
because of their dietary habits.
Because of our modern cultural ideas and diet,
a bit more than HCG with a low calorie diet may be required to complete its
promise in a weight loss setting. I have found that some individuals have
to work with their own eating patterns and make an effort to examine and change
their emotional relationship with food as well. The good news is that the
HCG makes that a bit easier than one might expect. I have designed the program
to help you become aware of what drives your unhealthy eating habits, and
with new awareness be enabled to make permanent change. I like to think that
this is where your role in healing yourself comes into play. The HCG plus
diet will do most of the work, and it is your opportunity to do the rest.
It is not entirely realistic to think that you can complete the program, lose
weight and keep it off if you just go back to all of your old habits and patterns.
Something may have to change, and the program affords you the opportunity
to do just that in a setting that we feel is extremely supportive and individualized.
For our program, I ask that you change one daily
habit at the outset, such as brushing your teeth with the opposite hand each
morning. This simple pattern interruption can have a snowball affect to expand
your level of awareness all day long. I strongly suggest that you keep a daily
journal of what your thoughts and feelings are regarding your relationship
to food. Are you eating because your body is hungry or because you are trying
to avoid certain feelings or thoughts? Are you eating out of politeness in
a social situation, or to please somebody else? Do you just feel bored? Are
you feeling unfulfilled and simply looking for some comfort? The issues that
drive people’s appetites are seemingly endless, and we all fall prey
to them at different times. Program participants have had some remarkable
insights during the program that have had very lasting affects in their lives.
A few have decided to contact their old therapist to clarify some issues.
I referred one person to a hypnotherapist to assist her with her emotional
eating habits. If you are already involved with your own personal growth,
than this part of the program can be easy, exciting and fulfilling. If this
is a new idea in your life, please know that we will be here to support and
guide you. My staff and I make ourselves available by phone each day if necessary
and we also encourage you to exchange phone numbers with fellow participants
so that you can support each other if you feel inclined. Sometimes two friends
decide to sign up together so that they have each other for support. Please
keep in mind that in-depth personal introspection is not always needed nor
required. We offer this as an adjunct to the basic program itself because
we have found it to be very helpful in many cases.
We discuss these things as well as all pragmatic
details in our weekly support group. While attendance is not required, we
strongly recommend it. It is vital that you make room in your busy life so
that the program can be a priority with you as the guest of honor. That act
unto itself frequently disrupts many patterns and turns a light on within.
We encourage you to think of this program as a special time that you are taking
for yourself. Remember, this originally was designed as an in-patient type
program. People traveled long distances to stay at a special clinic to participate.
If you are interested in joining the program,
I encourage you to make sure that it is well-timed in your life so that you
do not have to travel overnight anywhere during the first 23 days and that
you do not have too many obligations such as weddings, parties, etc. The three
weeks of maintenance following the HCG portion are also extremely important.
If possible, please try to include that time without added travel or stress.
In other words, setting aside a six-week block of time free of extraneous
obligations is ideal. Remember, we are trying to accomplish this while you
are still very much right in the middle of your life. Unfortunately, it is
a bit more complex than simply taking a pill. The HCG will make all of it
easier than you may imagine, but a well thought out, organized life plan by
you is extremely important to the program’s success. Reading the book
in its entirety, bringing all of your questions to us at the outset, buying
the food and scales, knowing exactly what to eat, perhaps preparing some meals
beforehand and freezing them all can contribute to decreasing your stress
level and enable a very satisfying weight loss experience.
I have found the program to be very gratifying
as a practitioner of the healing arts. I am continually learning, and take
great joy in seeing people lose weight and change their lives for the better.
If you decide to join us, you will need to set up an appointment so that I
can medically determine it is safe for you. It is very important for me to
know your medical history thoroughly and to have a good feel for who you are.
Before you start, we will have a brief private session with you to make sure
you understand all the pragmatics and are indeed prepared to begin. If you
are worried about the injections, fret not. We use a tiny insulin syringe,
which even the most needle phobic people have had absolutely no problem using.
I will show you exactly how to administer the HCG pain free.
It is our hope that by reading Dr. Simeon’s
book, Pounds and Inches, A New Approach
to Obesity, and my overview of our program that you are well positioned
to make an educated decision about whether this program is right for you.
If you decide to join us, I look forward to working with you.
Kenneth R. Kafka, MD
