Research has shown that people who are happy are physically, emotionally and mentally healthier. And…
Weight Control and Your Body!
As January creeps by and 2014 truly sets in, many people will have already given up on that New Year’s Resolution diet!
It is an unfortunate fact that dieting doesn’t work the same for everyone. If you’re struggling to reach your diet goals then it could be more than a seasonal lack of motivation holding you back.
Unfortunately, an incorrect thought process has been adopted by the masses—that weight control is a simple matter of calories in versus calories out. This is a dramatic oversimplification of how our bodies work. You are unlikely to reach your desired weight if this is your primary approach.
Struggling to Lose Weight?
If you’re doing all you can to keep your weight under control but are still not achieving results then consider the following six possibilities. If you feel like one of them applies to you, then arrange a consultation with your doctor and you could soon be on your way to being in control of your health!
Gut Health
The gut is a very complicated portion of the body and the smallest of problems in this area can upset the digestive balance entirely. This can lead to a whole range of further problems.
The gut is home to literally billions of various bacterium and studies have shown that this bacterium can be partially responsible for your weight maintenance. Further research is underway to fully understand how the gut extracts energy from food. This will help us to know more about bacteria’s ability to influence weight gain or loss.
Leptin
Leptin is the scientific name given to the hormone that fat cells produce. When leptin is produced it tells the brain to begin using existing fat stores for energy. Sound simple? Sadly it’s not.
Leptin resistance can take place which results in the body entering starvation mode and attempting to store more fat instead. Eating a diet that is high in sugar and processed foods is likely to lead to leptin resistance.
By consuming nutritious plant-based foods and avoiding any products that could cause your blood sugar levels to spike, you can have more control over your leptin signalling.
Thyroid Function
It is essential that your thyroid be functioning correctly when properly managing your weight. The thyroid is typically the first thing that a healthcare professional will check for when you are trying to determine a medical reason for why you are not losing weight.
If your thyroid hormones are at a normal level then this immediately rules out your thyroid as a cause. This is a very simple thing to check for and can be easily eradicated as a possibility.
Stress
Heightened levels of cortisol in your system can also be a reason why your body is holding on to excess weight.
Excessive levels of cortisol occur when the adrenal glands are not functioning properly. Stress is the primary reason why the adrenal gland function may go awry. Making appropriate lifestyle changes can help to get this under control.
Insulin Resistance
Similar to leptin resistance, insulin resistance can also have an adverse effect on weight management. This happens when your body is producing insulin but is not using it as it should. This problem is associated with type II diabetes, but can also take place in people who have not yet reached the full diabetic diagnosis.
Insulin is a fat storing hormone. When type II diabetes begins to develop, it can become near impossible to lose weight.
Toxins
The presence of toxins in your body can have a surprising effect on weight loss efforts. Toxins contribute to several of the aforementioned issues and can exacerbate existing problems. For example, when toxins enter the body they are likely to attach themselves to fat cells. This can cause the cells to over-produce leptin.
Related Posts
Wow I never really knew about insulin levels being responsible for not losing weight!
thanks for useful this info 🙂
Very informative post – makes it even more important that I control my cortisol after my high-mileage weeks!
Great reading!
Wow, definitely more than just calories in, calories out! #2 is interesting as I’ve been looking at cutting out sugar. Is it right that leptins also make you feel hungry? So by eating sugar, you are producing leptins that make you more hungry. Which is why you could easily gorge on sugar but eating the same amount of fat e.g. cheese, would feel too much!?
I think you might be on to something there 🙂
very helpful post. I have been having some issues with my digestive system and this helped me a lot. thanks. 🙂
Wow! A lot of great info here. Thank you for posting this. I have not had a problem with my weight management, but a family member is having a hard time and I think this post will help us zero in on the problem. Thanks again.
Reblogged this on Progression of me and commented:
Fantastic information in this post! I think cortisol plays a bit factor in my weight loss journey. Is there something listed here inhibiting your weight loss?
Yes, very informative. Thanks for the detail. As I continue on this ‘getting older’ journey, the need for understanding how the body gets along grows ever more important. Having this extra ‘soft cushion’ hanging around (lol) for a few years now, had me wondering what’s going on. :’) thanks for post.
Reblogged this on BALANCEFORLIFE and commented:
This is a great little article that points out that we all have different reasons why that stubborn excess weight or difficulties in weight loss could be a problem. Can you identify with any of these?
As a nutritionist myself I really appreciated this article! It’s not a matter of willpower as some believe but physiological reasons as well. I pray this will enlighten some who are ready to give up. Blessings,
Hi! Really informative and a treat for a bio science student
Eating should be taken seriously!
Thank you for visiting and following my blog! I’m glad that allowed me to find yours and I’m anxious to begin reading. I’ve been retired for almost two years and have become quite sedentary. Beginning this Feb. I will be going to a gym. This is so timely for me! 🙂
That’s great that you’re making positive lifestyle changes! I can’t recommend yoga enough! It’s especially great as we enter the later years as it is a low impact activity that really has massive muscular benefits 🙂 good luck!
great article!
[…] Weight Control and Your Body! by Julie Montagu was originally published on The Flexi Foodie. […]
Thanks for your comments on leptin. The medical literature is publishing more all the time about how leptin interacts with the inflammation of asthma!
Great posts, Julie. Stumbled across your blog today and love the short and informative bits! I love learning about nutrition and how different foods impact my body, especially so I know what is best for me! Thanks!
that title is an oxymoron for me. ;o)
love the Harry & Sally mention. that pulled me in. 🙂
What pertinent information! Just what I need in order to help me develop a more healthy lifestyle. Thanks for stopping by my blog, if not I would have never been able to find all this wonderful information on yours. Thanks for sharing.
LaTrice
Great information.
Haven’t read all your blog so I don’t know if you’ve addressed people people diagnosed with Metabolic Syndrome yet.
At least 85-95% of my diet is healthy (according to my 25 years study of nutrition and diet – I mean healthy food, not weight reducing diet).
The only way I can lose a few kilos is to go Paleo 100% i.e. no dairy & no grains. I’m intolerant to both.
Unfortunately I have a severe outflow obstruction in my Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and can no longer do any exercise that raises my heart beat above it’s medicated level. I used to be a power walker 10-12 years ago.
So now I’m about 30 kilos overweight & stuck on it. All I can do is very slow walking for 3-4 hours 2-3 days a week.
Any ideas for people who can’t do aerobic exercise?
Hey there and thanks for visiting my blog! Your condition sounds quite tricky, would you be able to manage some light yoga or tai chi?
It’s nice to see that more people are coming to understand that it is NOT just calories in = calories out. I think most people who’ve been fat and struggling to lose weight always knew that in the back of their minds. Science is FINALLY starting to verify that really is the truth and we’re not just ‘stupid, lazy pigs’ ( I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been called that (and worse) because of my weight.
I’ve tried every diet out there (including all kinds of vegetarian) and STILL have not managed to lose anything more than 1-2 lbs/month (while working out for 1-2 hours minimum per day) which honestly is just not worth the struggle.
I appreciate what you’re doing, spreading good information and good looking recipes.
Thanks, 🙂
Reblogged this on SOUL HARMONY ON DEMAND and commented:
Here is what is on my mind….might be yours as well? Smile at you! Veronika
Eventually this also disrupts the normal function of leptin and ghrelin as the hormones become less
responsive to food intake. If somebody is promising that you can lose
five pounds a day there are probably going to be some unhealthy side effects.
The numbers remain constant unless the fat cells
become full.
Reblogged this on MarsGaz.