Why Can’t I Lose Weight?

Why Can’t I Lose Weight?

Why can’t I just lose weight?

Weight loss is something that most women desire. Women will often come into the office with a list of diets that they have tried or tell us about how much they have restricted but the problem is, they don’t feel well, and often times even if they lose the weight, they can’t keep it off. Yoyo dieting and fad diets cause a lot of problems. Many people will say that they feel great when they start, but over time they just don’t feel well.

Yo-yo dieting can affect your metabolism for years. Especially when it comes to dramatic calorie restriction. The body down regulates its metabolic rate as a result, an affect that can last for years. The more that we yo-yo, the more damaging that it is, especially as we age. This is why the weight that you lose is so much easier to gain back and even harder to lose the next time.

In addition, it can also cause hormonal changes altering the hormones that manage stress and hunger resulting in increased hunger and causing your body to hold on to fat.

The result is often:

• Fatigue
• PMS
• period changes
• weight re-gain
• hair loss
• feeling cold
• losing muscle.

But, what do women do? They jump right on the next diet. The cycle is endless, their metabolism is shot, and they still don’t feel well. All the while they are continuing to look at the number on the scale. I know what it is like…I was that woman.

So, what can you do to reverse the damage?

The first thing is being consistent.

Just because years of dieting has made it harder to drop the pounds on the scale doesn’t mean that you should give up on healthy eating.

Eat more protein.

Many women are in a trap of eating less and exercising more, wondering why they are not getting results. Lots of time the key is to eat more but make sure that you are eating more of the right things. Protein is key to blood sugar stabilization, it supports muscle mass  and is important for supporting metabolism!

Get enough sleep

Sleep affects hormone production resulting in increases in the stress hormone cortisol, alterations in blood sugar control by decreasing insulin sensitivity, and altering the production of the hormones leptin and ghrelin which are responsible for hunger and fullness. If you don’t sleep your body starts to work against you making it harder for you to make nutritious choices and easier to store fat.

Find ways to manage your stress

When we are stressed we are more likely to eat for emotional reasons. This usually results in eating when we are not hungry and making less nutritious choices. In addition, stress increases cortisol levels which decreases insulin sensitivity causing us to crave sugar and store fat.

Build muscle

Muscle is our most metabolically active tissue. More muscle means increased metabolism.

More muscle may also mean a higher number on the scale (compared to what we think that we should be). Higher muscle mass is also really important for health as we age. It protects our bones, makes our hearts stronger and improves our immune function. Being thinner is NOT better if you don’t have muscle and this is a HUGE issue when it comes to weight, BMI and weight-loss programs!

At Health Over All, we are changing the way that we do things. We have realized that an appointment once every 3-6 months will not give you the tools you need to BE HEALTHY! We have realized that consistency is key and that good health takes time. We are now offering programs that will help you to adopt and maintain healthy changes that don’t involve you starving yourself.

Please book your free Alignment Call HERE to find out how you can work with us.

Dr. Lisa Maddalena, ND