Rethink your Weight Loss Plan

Every year new diet books crowd the bookstores and new superfoods get branded as “miracle cures” to melt away fat. Yet, obesity rates continue to skyrocket. It is obvious that taking a one-size-fits-all approach focused on calories-in-calories-out, reducing dietary fat and prescribing drugs, actually overlooks the underlying condition. The conventional approach to weight loss is not working and we need to fix some common mistakes we make when it comes to weight loss.

Overeating might be a problem with obese people but we need to factor in a lot more. For example, we eat fewer whole foods and more processed foods, more inflammatory foods, and we’re taking in more environmental toxins. Many of us work sedentary jobs and don’t get enough exercise. We’re not eating enough probiotics and prebiotics that support gut health. Assessing a person’s metabolic, hormonal, environmental and mental health could help in taking a more whole body approach in tackling obesity.

Here are some ways you could tweak your weight loss strategy:

1.   Eat a diverse diet: Your body needs many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to function to keep you healthy. Nutritional deficiencies are at the core of most weight gain stories. Low nutritional status equals poor metabolism. If you eat the same 3-5 foods day in and day out, you will eventually cause an underlying nutritional imbalance.

2.   Eat real, unprocessed foods: Do not fall for exotic sounding ‘superfoods’. Instead, eat foods your great-grandmother would recognize and eat regularly. Cut out on sugar and refined carbs.

3.   Eat regularly: Blood sugar regulation issues are common in those who find it difficult to lose weight. Try to eat within (at least) a 12-hour window during the day. This will give your digestive system time to reboot for the following day.

4.   Eat for your gut: When your gut microbiome—which consists of trillions of bacteria—becomes imbalanced, all sorts of problems including obesity and metabolic syndrome can occur. So tank up on probiotic foods, fermented and cultured foods and even high fiber foods.

5.   Identify food sensitivities: Don’t throw out entire food groups long term. It takes a little time, but it is worth experimenting to figure out what forms of each food group you can handle and can’t handle. Try an elimination & reintroduction diet method.

6.   Manage your stress: If you are having difficulty losing weight, take an honest look at your daily stress levels. Are you constantly feeling overrun and overworked? Are you doing anything to reduce stress? When you experience stress, your body releases a flood of cortisol that can actually cause you to gain weight and prevent you from losing weight.

7.   Manage inflammation: Chronic, low-grade inflammation contributes to obesity and other metabolic disease. Dial up your consumption of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids found in foods like wild-caught fish, freshly ground flaxseed, and walnuts.

8. Go for a detox: The modern world is filled with dangerous chemicals, heavy metals, and other toxins that can mimic the activity of hormones such as estrogen. This disruption in your natural hormonal cycle can cause an inability to lose weight, as well as other more serious issues, including autoimmune diseases.