Stop Being So Hard on Yourself
Perception is essential in determining your success in weight loss. The way you think and feel when you look in the mirror plays a huge role. Are you willing to deal with your mental and emotional pain? Are you ready to make powerful and lasting choices to ensure a healthy future? If so, the rest is easy!
A Medical Workup Is Important for Weight Loss
There are often medical factors that influence weight loss. Start by checking for glandular, hormonal, and blood sugar imbalances. Hypothyroidism is a condition characterized by low thyroid hormone levels. Weight gain can also happen due to stressed adrenal glands that overproduce cortisol and adrenaline. Another cause might be low pancreatic enzymes, which interfere with proper digestion.
To evaluate your potential imbalances, consider the following blood tests:
- Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH) and Free T3
- Free Testosterone
- Progesterone and Total Estrogen
- DHEA-Sulfate (a marker of adrenal function)
- Fasting lipid panel
- Fasting glucose
- Highly sensitive C-reactive protein (a marker of inflammation)
Another test for thyroid production is to apply a tincture of iodine to your inner arm. If it’s absorbed rapidly (in less than 12 hours), it indicates a significant iodine deficiency—a contributor to low thyroid production. Once you discover your imbalances, you can usually reverse them under the care of your physician with treatments like natural thyroid remedies, bio-identical hormone replacement therapy, and herbs to support various hormonal balances.
Cravings and Emotions
Worry, stress, and depression can cause weight gain by flooding your system with fat-attracting stress hormones from your adrenal glands. Toxic emotions can also trigger food cravings that are difficult to control. Here are some strategies to stop your food cravings:
- B-complex and B12 injections
- The herb gymnema sylvestre, which blocks sweet receptors on the tongue
- Acupuncture to stop cravings (usually lasts three days per treatment)
- Stress Reduction Therapy to boost self-image and rejuvenate personal power
Storage Fat
When excess calories are consumed, brown fat produces heat to use calories instead of storing them as white fat (storage fat). The problem is that brown fat becomes less active with age, leading to weight gain. To reactivate your brown fat, consider safe and effective “brown fat boosters” like capsicum, green tea, gotu kola, and CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) combined with guarana.
Healthy Lifestyle Habits
Men often gain weight around the middle, due to increasing visceral adipose tissue (interior belly fat). Women also struggle with weight gain in the wrong places, and it tends to worsen over time. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Simple lifestyle changes can greatly influence your ability to lose weight. For example, eating slowly and chewing food thoroughly can reduce weight by about 14 pounds in a single year. Limit sedentary activities such as television and substitute them with hobbies, sports, or social activities.
The Only Diet That Really Works
The best diet for weight loss is consuming nutrient-rich whole foods. A diet based on restriction is not effective. Instead, the key to weight loss is shifting to a permanently healthy lifestyle. Natural supplements can help manage cravings, but it’s essential to adopt a whole-foods approach. To achieve this, it is crucial to learn and practice strategies like liquid cleansing, whole-food shopping, and whole-food preparation.
