Direct From the Doctor

David Heber, M.D., P.h.D., F.A.C.P., F.A.C.N.
Chairman of the Herbalife Medical and
Scientific Advisory Boards

Weight Loss

With holiday season at hand, many people will soon be looking for help losing a few extra pounds. Below, Dr. David Heber answers questions about losing weight.

• Q: How does protein help someone lose fat tissue instead of lean tissue?
• A: By eating enough protein to maintain your lean tissue while losing fat, you keep your metabolism revved up. Every pound of lean tissue burns 14 calories per day compared to only about three calories burned for each pound of fat per day. So keeping the lean and losing the fat helps you burn more calories at rest. This is also called the resting metabolic rate or metabolism for short.

• Q: How does metabolism influence weight-loss?
• A: Whenever you eat more calories than you burn through exercise and through your metabolism at rest, you will store the extra as fat. So having a higher metabolism can help you maintain your weight by balancing calories in and calories out. Exercises that strengthen your muscles improve your ability to burn calories at rest.

• Q: What are the benefits of plant-based protein, or soy?
• A: Soy protein naturally has a different composition than animal proteins that makes it healthier for your blood vessels, bones and kidneys than animal protein. Soy protein also has isoflavones, which together with soy protein as found in Shapeworks Formula 1, has and FDA-approved heart-health claim. That is why you see a heart on the label.
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