5 reasons why you can’t lose weight
By Renee Eldred & Cindi Young
Loosing weight is not always easy and many can face their own challenges at some point. It can be exceptionally frustrating to find that all your efforts are not giving you the results you are wanting, or that what you did before no longer works.
There are many factors that can impact your ability to lose weight.
· Diet: A diet high in carbohydrates (bread, biscuits, pastry, pasta, etc) leads to a quick spike in blood sugar. The body then releases insulin to quickly move the glucose out of your blood and into the cells. As a result, excess glucose is stored as fat, and the quick drop in blood sugar leads to quickly feeling hungry again. Increased hunger means eating more calories during the day.
· Blood Sugar Regulation: A diet consistently high in simple carbohydrates leads to chronic elevated blood sugar and high insulin. Once glucose storage is full the cells block further glucose uptake = Insulin resistance. Insulin resistance increases hunger, fat synthesis and blocks the body’s fat burning abilities.
· Meal Timing: Are you constantly snacking? Frequent small meals means that your blood sugar and insulin are constantly rising and falling. When there is not enough time between meals, your body has trouble reducing its insulin levels.
· Types of Carbohydrates: Not all carbohydrates are the same. GI refers to the Glycemic Index or glucose rating given to a food. Eating high GI foods leads to a quick spike in blood sugar followed by a spike in insulin, leading to increased appetite. And as we know, increased appetite = more calories consumed.
· Calorie Restrictive Diets: When you follow a calorie restrictive diet to lose weight, you not only loose fat but also protein stores. The body reacts to this loss with increased hunger. This increased hunger continues until your protein stores are fully restored. Alongside poor dietary choices, this can often result in putting on more weight than when you started.
· Water Intake: Water is essential to health and supports energy levels, brain function, detox & elimination pathways, reduces inflammation and allows many bodily processes to function. Not drinking enough water daily can have a negative impact on your weight loss goals.
On the surface, we are told that weight-loss is as simple as adhering to a balanced diet and engaging in physical activity; however, as you are now aware, losing weight is not always that simple. Outlined below are our top 5 tips to get you on the right track:
TOP 5 TIPS TO START LOSING WEIGHT:
1. Reduce your simple carbohydrate intake (bread, biscuits, pastry, pasta, etc), and focus on eating complex carbohydrates (wholegrains, nuts, seeds, lentils, fruits and vegetables)
2. Aim to eat 3 meals a day instead of snacking. Eating 3 meals a day gives your blood sugar and insulin enough time to reduce slowly between meals, avoiding spikes and reducing your risk of insulin resistance.
3. Consume low GI foods. A diet with lower GI foods means that they take longer to break down into glucose, therefore raising blood sugar slowly, resulting in a slower insulin release, and sustained satiety. Feeling fuller for longer means consuming less calories throughout the day.
4. Drink plenty of water. Aim for 2-3 litres a day.
5. Avoid calorie restrictive diets.
Seeking the advice of a Naturopath and Metabolic Balance Practitioner who specialises in weight loss can offer you personalised care to address the specific challenges you may encounter on your weight loss journey.
Metabolic Balance is more than just a diet, it's about REAL FOOD, with an emphasis on a sustainable mindset and creating healthy habits.
In fact, once you have your own Metabolic Balance nutrition plan, you have the blueprint for your own health for many years to come.
Your nutrition plan includes foods that are perfectly matched to your needs, that will regulate your metabolism and help you keep a healthy balance in life, all with proven results.