1. How Can I Avoid Winter Weight Gain?
2. Should I Try A Gastric Bypass Diet?
3. Could My Low-Carb Diet Be Making Me Gain?

How Can I Avoid Winter Weight Gain?  Every summer I lose 10 to 15 pounds.  The hot weather seems to kill my appetite and the sunny days keep me in a good mood.  But now that fall is here, I’m worried—all my weight always comes back as it gets colder.  What can I do to stay slim? 

You can easily replicate summer’s slimming effects by supplementing with 5-HTP, an amino acid that the body converts into serotonin.  And serotonin (which tends to wane in the winter since sunlight plays a role in its production) has been proven to dramatically curb cravings and improve mood.  To get the benefits, take 50 mg of 5-HTP (such as Carlson 5-HTP Elite 50 mg, $9 for 60 tablets, at iherb.com) twice daily.  If cravings persist after two weeks or get stronger as the days get shorter, consider increasing your dose to four tablets daily.

Should I Try A Gastric Bypass Diet?  I’m on a mission to lose 60 pounds, so I’m constantly trolling the Web for the latest diets.  Recently I found a message board where women were comparing notes about a “gastric bypass diet.”  Apparently, you just eat tiny amounts of food like you would if you’d had the surgery, so you lose weight really fast.  What do you think? 

I don’t recommend this approach, which involves following the 800-calorie-a-day diet patients are prescribed after under-going gastric bypass surgery.  While it’s true that women on this diet are shedding up to 20 percent of their weight in three to six months, experts found that this plan is only safe if it is supervised by a doctor because low caloric intake can take a toll on health.  Plus, since the diet is so restrictive, results aren’t necessarily permanent.  Instead, safely shed up to 20 pounds in two weeks by limiting your intake of fat-trapping dairy and gluten (found in bread and pasta).  For over 75 percent of women, these foods trigger allergy-like reactions that lead to weight gain (even without typical allergic responses).  For more guidance, read Food Allergies for Dummies ($14, at amazon.com).  It’s an excellent resource for even the smartest of women! 

Could My Low-Carb Diet Be Making Me Gain?  I’ve been following a low-carb diet for six months now, so my meals have been protein-heavy.  In the beginning I was dropping pounds without struggle, but recently the scale has been creeping back up.  A friend says the protein is to blame.  Could this be true?

Yes, excess protein could be the cause.  The average woman consumes two to three time more protein than her body can process.  Over time, protein deposits build up in the organs, making the body’s pH overly acidic.  And that leads to weight gain since over-acidity hinders the fat-burning organs.  Two strategies can help: First, fill your protein needs with eggs and whey-powder drinks.  They’re rich in amino acids that help the body process the protein deposits that are throwing off your pH.  Second, rebalance pH with alkaline, so try to eat two pieces of fruit and five 1-cup veggie servings daily.