"The Carrot or The Stick?" I've always disliked that phrase, but...........

"The Carrot or the Stick"?

Americans. Free thinking mavericks with wills of steel. We are brilliant and independent thinkers and we are stubborn to the core. These are a few of the traits that have gotten us where we are today. We want what we have worked hard to have and we don't like being told what to do. When it comes to our health as a country, we are now presented with an epidemic that is clearly one we have collectively decided to ignore. Obesity is killing us, it is killing our children, and it is costing us billions of dollars every year, yet obesity rates continue to rise every year in almost every state, including California and Nevada.

A controversial program is being considered in Arizona which would charge medicaid patients $50 a year if they smoke or are overweight. At the same time, taxes may be imposed (or increased) on fast food restaurants, sodas, and cigarette sales with the intent that this money be filtered into programs which promote healthy eating and lifestyle choices. Many Americans are up in arms about this "intrusion of government into their lives". In a recent survey, most Americans acknowledge that obesity is a serious health concern but are ambivalent about the role government should play in fighting obesity. Most people support initiatives such as improving awareness through media campaigns and requiring restaurants to list nutritional information on their menus, but oppose special taxes on junk food. Unfortunately, the knowledge that obesity is deadly, and increases ones risk for developing diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer (and the list goes on and on) is not enough, because we "mavericks" are getting fatter and sicker every year. Apparently we want to "have our cake and eat it too." Here is the good news: many health insurance companies will now lower your insurance premium if you do a few things: lose weight, exercise, and quit smoking. The fact is, people who are overweight and/or have high cholesterol or blood pressure are more likely to develop serious, life-threatening health conditions and therefore pay higher insurance premiums. Smokers are automatically bumped to a higher premium pay scale because it is a fact that smoking causes sever illness and death. It is time for Americans to take our health crisis seriously or we will be hit right where it counts....in the wallet.

 

There is help available to you if you are seeking the financial benefits a healthier lifestyle can and will provide to you. At Rutley Chiropractic and Weight Loss Lake Tahoe, we provide a medically designed and doctor supervised weight loss protocol, and we are helping people lose weight and save money every day. Our members lose an average of 3-5 pounds of body fat per week (5-7 pounds for men) and we are watching cholesterol and triglyceride levels dramatically drop as a result of the loss of body fat. Call us when you are ready for a positive change at (530) 546-5190.  

"How Hunger Works"

Hello blog readers! You don't want to miss this evening's talk with Stacy Stahl. Stacy is one of our Ideal Protein success stories and also happens to be a mental health therapist practicing in Truckee, California. Stacy will teach "How Hunger Works" and enlighten our Ideal Protein "rockstars" about the link between food and emotions, as well as food and brain chemistry. What we choose to put in our mouths is anything BUT random and "unconscious". We choose what we eat for many reasons. This is part 1 of a series of talks Stacy will be sharing with our Ideal Protein members, and there is no cost for this continued education.When you are ready to learn more, don't hesitate to call our office in Kings Beach at (530) 546-5190 to schedule your consultation for Ideal Protein. We are so excited about this protocol, and we invite you to think about the people in your life who you know would benefit from losing unwanted bodyfat, eliminating insulin resistance associated with type 2 diabetes, reducing high cholesterol and blood pressure, and send them our way! Our next "Night Out is" scheduled for Monday night, April 25th! 6-8pm. Don't miss it! We will answer all of your burning questions about Ideal Protein and give you the opportunity to sample a few of the 50 different flavors of Ideal foods we have available!
To your healthy long life!
RFC and WLLT   

3 weeks and 90 pounds later...

We at Rutley Chiropractic and Weight Loss Lake Tahoe are very excited to report that our first group of Ideal Protein members has lost a total of 90 pounds of FAT and 131 inches in only three weeks! Our next "Night Out", which is a free seminar at our office in Kings Beach, is scheduled for Monday April 4th at 6pm. This is the night you are invited to learn about the protocol, meet your coaches and decided if this is the right fat loss program for you. This is the night we accept new members and we encourage you to RSVP, as space is limited to 20 attendees only.  Wednesday, April 6th, we have a special guest speaker who will discuss "How Hunger Works".  This is a class for our Ideal Protein members only, and is not open to the public. This is a "free" class designed to help all of our members become experts of their own bodies and physiology. Have you ever wondered why eating a plate of pasta with linguini sauce gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling? Ever noticed that no matter how much personal willpower and resolve some of us have, given the right (or WRONG) situation where hunger and deprivation collide with the Girlscout cookies in the backseat of the car, there seems to be no way to win?
I learned personally about shopping while hungry one day, and how failure to plan is planning to fail when it comes to healthy eating. A busy day at the office meant a skipped lunch and 5 hours without food (or water!). Rather than eat first, I decided to go shopping on my way home to "get it out of the way". BIG mistake. My usual trip around the perimeter of the store where the produce and meats are found somehow mysteriously landed me in the cracker aisle. It was as if my shopping cart had it's own ideas-like "Christine" in that old Stephen King movie! As disgusting at Cheese-Its (or are they cheezits?) may seem to some of you, they happen to be one of my all time favorite junk foods. "I'll just buy a box for the house...". Yeah....right you will. What does THAT mean, anyway? The house doesn't eat cheese crackers. I think a few crumbs made it home. I made it home too....full stomach, no longer hungry for my nutrient rich lunch, and really, really thirsty! That mistake set me back about 3 days in my "fat loss program", as I was now fully carbohydrate (glycogen) loaded! Lesson learned. Meal skipping is just one of my old habits that got me where I was when I started Ideal Protein, and they tend to rear their ugly heads, providing me with great "learning moments" along the way.
Join our team, join our blog so you can share YOUR stories and tips, and we will see you at "Night Out"!
Dr Kellee~ 

It's GO TIME! You need us, and we need 2!

Good Morning Lake Tahoe! ITS GO TIME! Are you ready to take it off ??The Ideal Protein fat loss protocol has succesfully launched at Weight Loss Lake Tahoe in Kings Beach,, and we are interviewing 2 more candidates to take part in our beta test group if Ideal Protein members. We only have 2 more spots available to complete our group of 20, and these 2 spots must be filled by Tuesday March 15th! Here is what you will receive from us as a member of this group: $125 off the initial consultation fee. $120 off your first 6 weeks of weight loss coaching. Free pre and post treatment blood chemistry including a lipid panel and glucose test. Your blood work will be drawn in office and results will be emailed directly to our office for you. This is the only group to receive such discounts, and we will be celebrating our FAT LOSS and increased health and vitality with an Ideal Protein "approved" shwanky dinner party at La Fondue in Incline!!! Not only will you lose the unhealthy (deadly) body fat that has been slowing you down and making you feel terrible, but you will get to see your cholesterol, triglycerides and blood glucose levels go DOWN! Make this the year you "gitter done" and reclaim your health and VITALITY! This is a medically designed, doctor supervised fat loss program. It is a protocol and treatment...it is not like any DIET out there. This is not network marketing. Call us if you are interested. Some restrictions do apply, and not everyone is a candidate for this protocol. Contact Mandy at (530) 546-5190. Only 2 spots-deadline March 15th!
Have a gorgeous sierra weekend! 

How I Met Purple Cauliflower

I love the fact that there is some truth to the saying "you learn something new every day". Even after 36 years on this planet of ours, I only just learned last week that one can find and eat delicious PURPLE cauliflower. Not only is it tasty, but beautiful as well, especially when mixed artfully with orange cauliflower, light green cauliflower, the regular old white variety, and some broccoli thrown in for good measure. As I wandered in the produce section at Trader Joe's, I caught a glimpse of these pre-washed and prepped beauties arranged conveniently in a microwaveable tray, and decided to bring a couple packages home with me.

These crucifers did not last long in my fridge. One steamed tray-full was enjoyed with some Ideal Protein Creamy Chicken Soup poured over the top and seasonings to taste. The other with just a bit of grapeseed oil drizzled over and some sea salt and pepper. Delicious! The Ideal Protein protocol demands that one consumes ample amounts of nutrient-rich and healthy vegetables through all phases. I have embarked on a number of vegetable adventures and made some colorful discoveries over the last 6 weeks, since I began the protocol. Not only has Ideal Protein provided me with the gift of 18 pounds of fat loss, 25 inches gone, and undoubtedly healthful changes on the inside; but I have been introduced to new healthy recipes, some new veggies and new motivation to explore beyond the short list of vegetables my 4-year old daughter is willing to eat. In fact, my 4-year old daughter was intrigued enough by the vibrant and unusual hues in my bowl of cauliflower and broccoli, she tried some of the purple...and loved it!

The last six weeks of focused and thoughtful eating have enabled many improvements to take place in me, my attitude toward food and my body, and my overall physical and mental health. Anyone seeking to be similarly inspired toward positive change is invited to call us at Rutley Chiropractic (530) 546-5190 to find out more about how we can work together to meet your goals!

Wishing you the best,
Coach Mandy

Walking our talk at Weight Loss Lake Tahoe!

Weight Loss Lake Tahoe officially launched Monday, February 28th with a "Night Out" at the Event Center in Kings Beach. We have 12 new practice members who started the Ideal Protein protocol for fat loss last week and I am already receiving emails and Facebook posts letting me know they feel great and are already feeling their waistlines shrinking! It is pretty motivating when you put your powder ski pants on which were getting too tight last season, and they are baggy in the waist! Mandy and I are getting our workouts in and watching the lean mass numbers on the body composition analyzer go UP and the body fat percent and mass continue to go DOWN! Some weight loss programs and coaches hope to see a 60-40 percent loss of fat to lean muscle when they have a "dieter" on a regimen....we are seeing a 90-10 percent ratio! Mandy has lost 18 pounds of fat and has increased her muscle mass by 1 pound and my lean mass has held strong with just a 1 pound loss in week  #2 when I had the flu and didn't eat as mush as I should have.This will be the first summer in 9 years that I have not thought "Oh no...here comes bikini season!" or worse yet "Oh no....here comes family hikes up Shirley Canyon and the Sierra Buttes!" With almost 15 pounds of fat gone from my 5'3" frame, I feel healthy, strong, energetic and excited! Back to Crossfit with more energy and an even stronger positive attitude than before! Join us in our quest to erradicate obesity in the US one pound of fat at a time.This movement started with 3 of us, now we are a band of 15! Call us for information on our next night out at (530) 546-5190. We are here to wage war on the love handles and muffin tops! We are providing pre and post lipid panels to ALL new members to track the positive effect fat loss will have on your cholesterol and triglyceride levels. This is so much bigger than just looking good guys, this is your life we are talking about! 
In Health,
Dr Kellee Rutley
 

Losers in Tahoe!

Yep-that would be us.....big losers in Lake Tahoe! Losing body fat and inches, that is! I am so excited about this protocol and will let Coach Mandy report our 4 week totals for you!  In the mean time, I invite you to join us for our free seminar "Night Out" Monday, February 28th at 6pm at the North Lake Tahoe Event Center in Kings Beach. Please see the flyer and rsvp to our office at (530) 448-3938. I am down 3 pant sizes, so I need to get out and do a little clothes shopping! Mandy looks amazing! For any of you who already know her, just wait until you see her Monday night! Trim, vibrant, and healthy. Mandy is an excellent weight loss coach....after all-she is coaching me, and that is not always easy!
Have a great powder day, Lake Tahoe!
Dr Kellee 

Two week results are in!

After only two weeks using the Ideal Protein weight loss method our team of three has lost a total of 24.8 pounds and 10.49% bodyfat! We have all dropped at least 1 pant size....luckily we have belts! We will be on this program for a minimum of 6 weeks, so stay tuned for next weeks results! Dr Kellee

Armed and dangerous............!!!

So-the question of the day has been: "How do I know if the weight I am losing is bodyfat?" Great question! After all-most of us cannot afford to lose any muscle mass. Muscle mass is what keeps us strong as we age and also keeps us burning calories even when we are not moving around much. The more muscle you have, the more efficient you are at pretty much everything. At Weight Loss Lake Tahoe we have an arsenal of weapons too assist you in your battle of the LHMT (love handles and muffin tops)! 1. Body Composition Analyzer. This equipment will give you a reading and tell us exactly what percent of your body weight is fat, how much is lean mass, and what your hydration level is (no losing water...that doesn't count as desireable weight loss at our clinic!).2. Scale. You do have to know exactly how much your body weighs....we don't believe in avoiding the scale because we know first hand where THAT can get you! 3. Measuring tape. We measure your body so you know exactly where the weight is being lost from. I know I want to lose it in my midsection and thighs, NOT my face and shoulders, but that's just me. When flushing bodyfat you should notice a significant change in how your clothes fit with even small changes on the scale. 5 pounds of bodyfat is a tremendous change in physique, but 5 pounds of water and lean mass lost makes a dieter look dehydrated and thinner in the face. 4. Ketosis sticks. You must know you are in ketosis using simple ketosis sticks. This is a simple tool often overlooked, but if you want to make sure those pounds lost are really and truly bodyfat, you must stay in a ketotic state (fat burning) and we can test this in 15-20 seconds! STAY TUNED...TODAY IS OUR OFFICE WEIGH, MEASURE AND ANALYZE "IN"!!!! I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE RESULTS OF TWO WEEKS USING OUR METHOD! Results will be posted tomorrow :).  Thanks for tuning in today and please share our blog with your friends! We welcome comments and questions! Dr Kellee

Love Handles and Muffin Tops!

“Love Handles and Muffin Tops”       
Kellee Rutley, DC
  “Love handles”, “muffin top“; it is amazing how many cute terms of endearment we assign to our expanding waistlines, also know as abdominal fat.  Perhaps we seek to make  ourselves feel better about what we believe is an inevitable sign of the normal aging process. Don’t get me wrong…I was one of those who referred to my own jelly rolls as my “doublet” (double in French) muffin top, thinking that giving it an exotic European name might make it easier to cope with. Besides, I was not in denial or shy about it and it made my family laugh. I guess it made it easier for us all to cope with something that was obviously painful to me underneath the giggles. After all, my waistline looked pretty much like many of my friends‘…not a huge deal, just a little more there than there was last year, and evan more than the year before. When my nine year old walked up behind me and grabbed my “love handles” and said “It’s cute, Mom” I almost allowed myself to believe it! After all, I, like many of you, am a very active mother and professional, and had been trying to vigorously exercise it away, “cleanse” it away, sweat and cut calories it away and even give in to it, “embrace it” and accept it as my new, middle aged self.  This is an all-too-common story, and now you are going to learn why that belly fat is not harmless at all, but potentially deadly for both women and men, and now you will also have a piece of information needed to do something about finally getting rid of it, once and for all.
Here are the facts about belly fat:  it increases your risk for breast cancer, heart disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, gallbladder problems, hypertension and colorectal cancer. This is the short list, since researches are linking obesity to more and more dangerous health conditions every day. Abdominal fat is more than just unsightly. As a matter of fact, in our office we now refer to it as the “third ovary” rather than the cute little “muffin top”, because we know that this type of fat is often not visible to the eye, but wraps around internal organs and some fat cells will start behaving like active glands, producing hormones that promote insulin resistance and estrogen in menopausal women. Making matters even worse, the more body fat you have, the higher your levels of a natural chemical known as SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin). SHBG binds to the sex hormone testosterone, making less testosterone available to stimulate sexual desire.
If you are anything like me, you will find this information downright scary, and those love handles and muffin tops no longer acceptable.
If you have been, like me,  exercising, eating organic and healthy foods, and doing everything you already know of to lose that body fat and it still isn’t happening for you, you might want to consider resting your pancreas by cutting out complex and simple carbohydrates (sugar, bagels, pasta and rice) and increasing your quality protein intake with organic lean fish, chicken and meat to  maintain muscle mass while you burn fat.  Everyone needs ½ gram protein per pound of body weight just for daily living. Divide your current bodyweight in half, and this is how many grams of protein you need everyday, and more if you are an athlete. As long as your body has blood glucose and stored glycogen to use as fuel, it will never tap into stored body fat as energy. As a matter of fact, your body stores enough glycogen to last an entire marathon, so try avoiding that high carb fruit smoothy after a workout and go for protein instead. .Obesity in America has spiraled out of control, and according to the Center for Disease Control, one third of American adults are hypertensive and 67% are obese. Let’s wage war on the love handles and muffin tops…it is time. By using these simple principles you can begin the battle in your own kitchen, and if you are interested in reading about how our “weight loss team” is losing body fat and inches, you can visit our blog site, Love Handles and Muffin Tops at http://weightlosslaketahoe.blogspot.com/.  Good luck!

Love Handles and Muffin Tops welcomes you to our blog!

Welcome to our blog site! This blog is dedicated to helping people who, like us, are tired of fighting the battle of the bulge and losing! Regardless of how much bodyfat you have to lose, this blog is for you! We will entertain you with photos, articles and tips and tricks to help you attain the lean body you have been working your butt off for (or NOT!) in the gym, on the hiking trails, or in the yoga studio. We are still setting up the site to make it a fun place for you to visit, so stay tuned! Dr Kellee Rutley and Weightloss coach Mandy Lua of Weight Loss Lake Tahoe will be back soon!