Dear Lynn:

I am 46 years old, and I am trying to lose 15 pounds. My blood pressure is in the low range and I have a hard time keeping my metabolism in an active range. I try to exercise 3-5 times weekly, and I eat a fairly low fat diet. I need to know how I can speed up my metabolism. Are there any over-the-counter, safe supplements I can take? I was considering Metabolife, but it has ingredients that I cannot have due the fact that I am on Prozac. I am prone to migraine headaches so I take Prozac to keep the stress level down.

Thanks for any advice,
--Wanda

Dear Wanda,

I'm glad you realize that since you're on prescription medication, there are many over-the-counter medications and weight loss preparations that you shouldn't take. As far as I know, there are no safe supplements for you to take to either induce weight loss or speed up your metabolism. Many ingredients are dangerous for people on medications, or for many people in general. There isn't any research to show any of these supplements work. There is, however, research that shows that these types of supplements can be detrimental to your health.

Metabolism is largely determined by our genes, just like eye color and height. There's not much we can do about it. However, studies have shown that weight training 2-3 times each week will nudge your metabolism up slightly. As we weight train, we increase the amount of muscle we have. Since muscle drives our metabolic rate, the more muscle, the more calories our bodies burn, even at rest. Studies conflict in the additional calorie burn we derive from weight training, but even if it's only 50 calories a day, that's five pounds a year that you'll lose. That may not sound like much, but it's far better than gaining five pounds!

Work with a personal trainer to design a program especially for you. They will be able to evaluate your current exercise program and instruct you in the correct way to weight train.

Sincerely,
Lynn Grieger, R.D., C.D., C.D.E.

Created on: July 22, 1999
Reviewed on: January 23, 2001