Physicians Healthy Weight Center 

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Allure Magazine December, 2011 Featuring Dr. Warren.

This is a portion of the article, Kitchen Confidential: A nutritionist, a food writer, a Top Chef judge. We asked women whose lives revolve around eating to share their secrets for staying slim.

By Rory Evans

Jennifer Warren 

Warren, a physician, is medical director of the Physicians Healthy Weight Center in North Hampton, New Hampshire.

TIPPING POINT
I grew up athletic. I played tennis, taught swimming, rowed crew in college. If I ever felt I needed to lose ten pounds, I exercised more. But in my mid-20s, I gained 65 pounds with my first pregnancy and never fully lost the weight. I put on even more with my second baby. Thirteen years ago, I was skiing with my brother, who had lost a leg to cancer, and this was his first time out. At the top of the mountain, he turned to me and said, “Race ya!” He was off, and within four feet I had fallen; my center of gravity wasn’t working the way I was used to. By the time I got up, I couldn’t even see him. I remember thinking, Are you kidding me? I am more disabled by my weight than he is by losing a leg.

THE STRATEGY
I’m embarrassed to admit I tried overthe-counter supplements,... They worked, and I lost 30 pounds in about three months, but as a doctor, I knew how dangerous those solutions were. When that weight crept back on, I did Jenny Craig. I would lose and regain the same 30 pounds. I started reading everything I could about nutrition, which led me to what’s now known as “low glycemic index” eating—and I dropped from 200 pounds to about 120 in about 18 months.

WEIGHT MAINTENANCE
Because carbs make me put on weight, I always eat them with protein, no matter what. Even if it’s just an apple, I’ll also try to have a low-fat cheese stick. For breakfast, I have a chocolate protein shake with berries for texture and fiber. (I love chocolate, and this shake, as well as sugar-free hot chocolate, takes care of that.) For lunch, I might have nonfat Greek yogurt and lean chicken or a buffalo burger. At dinner, I have salad and grilled chicken or fish. When my husband and I have dinner out, we don’t allow bread or chips on the table. I remind myself that it’s just a piece of bread—it’s not the key to happiness. Then we split a salad and a protein entrée. Yes, we are a waitress’s worst nightmare, but we tip well. I used to love candy; now I don’t keep it in the house. I’ll have a Greek yogurt with a teaspoon of peanut butter or a few cocoa-coated almonds mixed in. I prefer substitution to deprivation.When we have ice cream in the freezer, I wrap it in two plastic grocery bags. It’s easier to avoid when I can’t see it. 

Read the full article here.