It's also a time when most Americans put on a few pounds, so it's hardly surprising that the No. New Year's resolution is to lose weight. Despite their good intentions, however, studies reveal 95% of dieters won't lose an ounce.

That was the complaint Larrian Gillespie, MD, a prominent UCLA-trained surgeon and urogynecologist, heard hundreds of times from her patients. So she looked into this frustrating problem and made a startling discovery: Biochemical changes, triggered by stress overload, were blocking weight loss, and in some cases, were causing weight gain, even during dieting!

Dr. Gillespie's solution: Correct those biochemical changes with a detox that reverses the effects of stress and gets your body back on an even keel. "This way you'll lose weight quickly and easily," she says.

Your first step for a successful New Year's weight loss is to take the test on the right to determine whether you're suffering from Level 1 or Level 2 stress. Then turn the page for your personalized prescription for guaranteed weight loss.

HOW STRESS SABOTAGES WEIGHT LOSS
Stress stimulates the adrenal glands, which respond by producing a flood of fight or flight chemicals which increase heart rate, blood pressure and breathing. This is lifesaving in a crisis, but when stress is chronic, your nervous system becomes exhausted. It conserves what energy it has by lowering your metabolism and boosting production of lipoprotein lipase, an enzyme that stores food as fat, instead of burning it for energy. This makes weight loss virtually impossible.

WHICH DETOX PLAN DO YOU NEED?
Bills, deadlines, housework...everyone faces stressors every day. And when the problem is severe-or chronic-enough to exhaust your nervous system and slow or stop weight loss, physical symptoms will occur. Give yourself a point for each statement below that's true for you, then tally your score to discover which stress-level detox you need.

• I often sigh or yawn 
• I habitually wrinkle my brow or clench my teeth 
• I bite my nails or chew pencils and pens.
• I often have a dry mouth or clammy hands.
• I often suffer from indigestion, nausea or diarrhea. 
• I often breathe rapidly and shallowly.
• I sometimes feel lightheaded or faint.
• I struggle with acne, rashes or hives.
• I get frequent headaches or migraines.
• I don't sleep well at night.

1 to 5 = LEVEL 1 Stress has overstimulated your adrenal glands, slowing your weight-loss efforts - but you've caught the problem early. Level 1 diet strategies ( see the next page) will flush out stored stress hormones fast, and prevent them from building up again.

6 to 10 = LEVEL 2 Chronic stress has depleted your adrenals of the nutrients they need to function. The Level 2 detox (see the next page) will replenish them and soothe your overworked adrenals to quickly lower your production of fat storing enzymes. 

The information contained in this web site is not intended as a substitute for the medical recommendations of physicians or other health-care providers. It reflects the experiences, studies, research, and opinions of the author and is presented for informational purposes only. Before beginning this, or any nutrition program, you should consult with your health-care provider.

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