Now that your new year’s resolutions are well underway, how are they coming along? If you’re like the majority of Americans, one of your New Year’s resolutions is to lose weight and get in shape. Everyone is looking for the magical formula to lose weight, shed fat, and build muscle. And yet, despite all of the diet books, products, pills, and plans, every year the weight seems to end up right back where it started.
So, let’s address that age-old question: “How can I lose weight and keep it off without starving myself?” This question is an opportunity to examine your lifestyle, emotional triggers, exercise patterns, and nutrition habits. It’s time to get real about why we gain weight and how to shed those pounds for good!
How Much Should You Weigh?
As part of the process of adopting a healthy lifestyle, it’s important that you maintain a healthy body weight. However, many of us focus too much on that number on the scale. The truth is, a lower body weight doesn’t necessarily translate into improved health. Your weight doesn’t necessarily tell you much about your health and fitness status or even how you look!
A crucial part of determining how much you should weigh has to do with what makes up that weight. Knowing if your weight consists of a healthy ratio of muscle, bone, and fat allows you to better interpret your scale reading and helps with peace of mind.
Most physicians and researchers rely on the Body Mass Index (BMI) chart to calculate body fat and its related health risk. The BMI number is derived using height and weight measurements alone, and it indicates whether or not your weight falls within a healthy range. A typical BMI of less than 18.5 is considered underweight, while a BMI greater than 25 is considered overweight. A BMI above 30 is considered obese.
However, recent research has challenged this method, regarding it as flawed and outdated. It turns out that waist-to-hip ratio, not Body Mass Index, is the best predictor of heart attack and other health hazards. In other words, the size of your belly tells more about your health risks than what the scale reads!
As a result, to decrease your risk of serious health issues, healthy weight loss is the key.
The Real Reason You’re Overweight
Many factors contribute to weight gain, including genetics, overeating, and lack of physical activity. To break the cycle of losing weight only to gain it back, you must first determine the underlying factors that contribute to your weight gain and address them.
What you think and how you feel about yourself is the driving force behind what you create in your life. A significant part of embarking on your weight loss journey involves examining your attitude and true feelings about yourself. Being honest with yourself about the kinds of foods you eat and your exercise habits is essential as well.
Moreover, sometimes underlying medical conditions contribute to your weight gain. These conditions need to be addressed before you can develop an effective plan.
Common underlying medical conditions that contribute to weight gain include glandular, hormonal, and blood sugar imbalances such as:
- Hypothyroidism
- Adrenal gland stress
- Decreased pancreatic enzymes
- Insulin resistance
- Metabolic syndrome
In order to properly assess these imbalances, it’s essential to consult with a healthcare provider and consider appropriate tests and treatments.
What You Can Do for Glandular and Hormonal Conditions
- Naturally-derived thyroid hormones: Armour thyroid or Westhroid in combination with Kelp can help feed the thyroid gland with bioidentical iodine.
- Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy: Estradiol and estriol, progesterone, or testosterone for men or women at appropriate doses in a cream or troche can help balance hormones.
- Herbs to support the adrenal glands: Licorice and Panax ginseng help normalize androgen levels.
- Herbs to promote androgenic activity: Rehmannia or Sarsaparilla; Tribulus terrastis daily increases testosterone and decreases estrogen levels in men; Chrysin increases testosterone by blocking testosterone’s conversion to estrogen.
- Supplemental DHEA: This hormone has multiple beneficial effects, with mild weight loss being one of them.
- *Diet plan: Commit to a lifestyle of nutrient-rich foods and drink as a way to maintain a healthy, stable weight.
Losing weight is never easy, and you don’t want to set yourself up with a resolution for the New Year that you can’t keep. Start with a commitment to lose 10 or 20 pounds and go from there. Success comes from taking baby steps, but with consistency and determination, achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is within your grasp.
