WEIGHT LOSS

Weight loss is a complex issue. If weight were easy to manage, then everyone would be at their ideal weight. We wouldn’t have to keep fighting “the battle of the bulge.” However, there is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to weight loss. Any medical provider or media outlet that tells you their program is “the one” for you and everyone else is likely misleading you to make a profit.

There isn’t a magic combination that mobilizes everyone’s fat storage and enables them to lose weight equally. No two bodies are exactly the same. Everyone’s body is different. Genetics are a significant contributor to weight management. So are environmental factors, lifestyle factors, and individual biochemistry. No two people have the same blueprint, and all of these elements play their role in weight loss.

Your diet and lifestyle factors

Multiple factors that impact your metabolic processes. Thus, counting calories and exercising are just two of a wide array of components that directs your body to burn or store fat. People who want to lose weight may be best served by attending to the basics. Maybe there are simple fixes that are being overlooked. Often, there is not some mysterious root cause to the extra pounds you carry. Weight gain is often a natural result of basic diet and lifestyle choices.

For instance, evaluate where are you in respect to these diet and lifestyle factors:

  • Do you drink enough water each day (which is half your body weight in ounces)?
  • Are you getting adequate exercise?
  • Do you eat the rainbow (consume 7-10 servings of multi-colored fresh fruits and veggies each day)?
  • Are you eating enough good, healthy fats (omega-3’s from fish, avocado, nuts, and seeds)?
  • Do you skip meals or go extended periods without eating? 
  • Do you overeat at certain meals?
  • Are you eating foods that encourage your body to store fat (sugar, sugar substitutes, diet drinks, processed foods, and hydrogenated oils)?

Frequently, when the issues above are under control, it can make a world of difference to your weight situation. Yet, sometimes people may be doing all the right things and are still not achieving their weight goals. Then what?

Your individuality

Your individuality plays a significant role in your ability to lose weight. Any combination of factors could be affecting your body’s ability to let go of the weight. Once those factors are uncovered, they can be balanced. Once they are balanced, your body will take care of the rest. An experienced functional medicine practitioner may best address the answers to some of those metabolic questions. The right professional asking the right questions may lead you to the answer you are seeking. Once your individual biochemical and genetic factors have been evaluated, a professional can help you arrange the pieces in a way that works for you and your lifestyle. Knowing how your body works is vital information. It will go a long way towards not only addressing weight loss but many other health concerns as well. You are the only person who does what you do, in your own body, with your own mind. You are the one who will succeed.