Eat less, exercise more. Is it really that easy? You may not be surprised to hear that losing excess weight and keeping it off goes way beyond such one-dimensional recommendations.
In fact, the concept of calories in and calories out may be the biggest misunderstanding people have about weight. It turns out that weight gain and shedding extra pounds are not as black and white as many seem to think.
Nutrition, exercise and weight management is always a hot topic. Droves of people are racing to participate in marathons, cross-fit, or just trying to push themselves to higher workout levels. In reality, it is not what you do in the workout time that matters, it is the recovery and lifestyle choices the other 22-23 hours a day that leads to sustaining optimal health and longevity.
Yoyo diets and not incorporating eating and exercise habits as a lifestyle, will hinder your success with managing weight wellness and affect your overall health, increasing your risk for disease and illness.
I discuss with my patients that a cheat day once in a while is essential with no guilt, however, the next day you know how to get back on track…that's living a healthy lifestyle!
Let’s look beyond fad diets at a functional approach to weight management. We’ll explore some lesser-known factors affecting weight and metabolism that you need to know if you want to lose weight and keep it off.
The Top 5 Factors That Contribute to Stubborn Weight Gain
#1: Insulin Resistance
Insulin’s job is to help us transform food sugars into energy. But when we consume too many sugary foods and drinks, our body starts to lose its ability to respond to the insulin in our system. The pancreas tries to bring down blood sugar levels by pumping out more insulin, and as insulin resistance goes up a vicious cycle is created which over time can raise blood sugar and blood insulin to dangerous levels.
That extra sugar in the bloodstream that cannot be converted into energy is stored as abdominal fat and creates an addiction to sugar. This is called insulin resistance and it is widespread, affecting 1 in 3 Americans and in many cases leading to Type 2 Diabetes.
#2: Hormones
Do you feel full after eating?
The hormones leptin and ghrelin control how full we feel after a meal, and the strength of our food cravings. When you are overweight, your fat cells produce excess leptin signaling your body to eat more as you aren’t feeling full. It’s a vicious cycle!
How is your thyroid?
Your thyroid regulates your metabolism, managing the speed at which you burn calories. When the thyroid is underperforming, it can cause fluid retention, weight gain, and constipation, among other issues, making it nearly impossible; to manage your weight. The stats are shocking as 5 out of every 100 people have a low-functioning thyroid in the US.
Many women experience estrogen dominance
When your estrogen and progesterone hormones are out of balance, that is called Estrogen Dominance, even if levels of both hormones are low. Having too much estrogen in the body relative to progesterone causes many symptoms, including weight loss resistance, bloating, mood swings, PMS, and heavy periods.
Let's look at your testosterone levels
Testosterone is as important as any other hormone in your body. Among many functions it has, a few to start with are that it helps decrease excess body fat, increase muscle mass and strength, increase muscle tone and prevent skin from sagging.
Could it be adrenal stress?
Our adrenal glands rule how we respond to stress by regulating the body’s stress hormones. Chronic stress leads to wildly fluctuating cortisol levels, which means more weight gain and water retention. Cortisol is the only hormone in our body that actually increases with age.
#3: Genetics
Genetic testing can tell us a great deal about how and why we gain weight and can be a game-changer for people who have tried everything.
The FTO Gene Variant
One particularly well-documented gene, the FTO gene, is also known as the human fat-mass and obesity-associated gene. It controls leptin, ghrelin (the satiation hormones mentioned above) and adiponectin (which regulates glucose levels). Several other genes affect how we metabolize fats, carbs and proteins.
Genes that impact stress play a big role in weight management too, especially if you’re a stress eater. These genes impact reward pathways, which can affect how you use food to reward yourself.
#4: Toxins
Toxins that are present in our environment can be so dangerous that our body needs to protect us by “walling them off” in a casing of fat. The more toxins we have, the more fat cells we need to imprison them. Get rid of the toxins, and the excess weight may well follow.
Lifelong Sources of Toxicity
Current exposure to toxins such as heavy metals and pesticides aren’t the only concern. Research shows that even early-life exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) can increase fat levels, and with microplastics having recently been found in the placentas of some women, the concern is legitimate.
Many toxins are major contributors to thyroid dysfunction, potentially leading to hormonal weight gain.
#5 Getting Poor Sleep
Good sleep hygiene is essential for overall health and wellness. If we are not getting adequate sleep, then our body does not recover and rejuvenate, causing increased stress and inflammation in our body. Which can increase the risk of weight gain, or difficulty to lose weight.
9 Easy Ways to Maintain a Healthy Weight
#1: Cut Down on Natural and Artificial Sugars
Are you replacing real sugar with artificial sweeteners? Sugar causes weight gain, and this is the case for both natural and artificial sugar since anything our body doesn’t recognize as a natural substance is treated as a toxin – including aspartame. Monk fruit and Stevia are two much healthier sugar-free sweeteners.
#2: Eat More Fiber
One of the biggest benefits of eating more fiber when you are trying to lose weight is its ability to satiate. Soluble fiber such as that found in beans, flaxseeds, oatmeal and sweet potatoes helps you to feel full longer and slow down the release of sugars into the bloodstream. Soluble fiber cannot be broken down by your own enzymes, so it reaches the gut undigested where it feeds the good bacteria and helps them to flourish. One important aspect of soluble fiber is that it needs water to reach its potential, so staying hydrated is a must.
#3: Green Coffee Extract
Don’t like the taste of coffee but want to take advantage of its weight loss benefits? Green coffee extract (GCE) helps maintain a healthy weight and reduce BMI and waist size - in fact, it has been proposed as a low-cost and safe obesity treatment.
#4: Eat Real Food
A plate full of color balanced with vegetables, fruit, healthy carbs, protein, and fiber is always the best indication that you are eating a healthy diet. Make sure you fuel your body properly by avoiding pre-packaged and processed foods that are chock-full of preservatives, dyes and other chemicals.
#5: Aim for 10,000 Steps Per Day
I always explain to patients that movement is medicine.
Getting those steps in can be hard when you’re spending more time at home. But where there is a will, there is a way! A combination of dietary changes and walking 10,000 steps per day was shown to help significantly reduce total weight, BMI and hip size.
Bonus: lower anxiety levels are a natural outcome of making these changes as well!
#6: Meditation
Did you know that calming your mind can be a powerful weight loss tool? Adding meditation to standard weight loss treatments can result in additional weight loss in as little as two months. Managing your stress will help your adrenals and can positively affect your weight loss goals.
#7: Intermittent Fasting (IF)
One of the most effective ways to get rid of toxins and their corresponding fat prisons is intermittent fasting. How does it work? Designate several hours per day as your ‘eating hours’ and stick to it. This gives your glucose and insulin levels a chance to even out, gives your body a break from the hard job of digestion, and puts the focus on getting toxins out of your body. However, IF is not for everyone, so be sure to check in with your healthcare practitioner before you begin.
Tip: If you stop eating before 6pm and don’t eat until morning-you have completed intermittent fasting.
#8 Getting Proper SleepSleep is crucial for our overall health. Be sure to practice good sleep hygiene by making a few simple changes and watch your health, and weight, transform!
A few of our essential sleep tips include:
Head to bed a bit earlier
Read or listen to something calming
Turn off blue light-emitting devices at least an hour before bed time
Avoid drinking anything caffeinated in the afternoon to ensure good sleep quality.
#9 Fixing Hormonal Imbalances
As mentioned earlier, hormonal imbalances can prevent weight loss through many different avenues. To get your hormones balanced, proper testing is key! Schedule a consultation with us to get the testing you need and the protocol to get you back on track.
Are you ready to step out of the diet roller coaster? Give us a call!
At Innovative Wellness Inc. we can assess your insulin levels, stress response, thyroid health, genes, and toxin load. Together we can design a custom-made treatment plan with targeted supplementation, metabolism-supporting nutrients, and nourishing foods.
2023 brings new protocols and programs at Innovative Wellness Inc.
We are now offering treatments and protocols with peptides, a clinically monitored weight management program, and B-12 injections.
Book your consultation today 925-954-8209 - we can’t wait to join you on your healthcare journey!
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