This is probably the HOTTEST topic out there. Everyone wants to know how they can lose more weight. Yo-Yo diets come and go all the time, people take pills, try patches and/or starve themselves for a while and then go on binging again and gaining weight. Crash diets only lead to disappointment as more money is wasted and more weight is regained. So why are so many people fighting this weight epidemic, and why are so many people gaining more and more weight as the years go by?
Well, this could be a very long and detailed article, but we are not going to go into all the “essentials” of why this happens, the reasons are many and we could literally be here for days researching all the whys and how about this one. problem.
What I think needs to be remembered is that there are a number of reasons for being overweight, and in some cases obese. According to the US National Center for Health Statistics, only 66.3% of all people are overweight or obese. Now that is an amazing statistic.
Let’s take a quick look at some of the reasons why people struggle with weight loss. For many people it is a constant battle and they feel that they have already lost it with the word “go”. Your quality of life suffers when you are overweight and don’t really feel good about yourself, in fact you feel bad, useless and just not worth any day’s time and so we see the destructive cycle continue. . You eat comfortably and continue to gain weight, leaving you feeling worse about yourself after every bite. A bite you know you don’t really need but just can’t stop.
One of the things you certainly have no control over is whether it is a genetic factor that has caused you to gain weight and subsequently struggle to lose weight again. Maybe you’ve always been bigger than average and because of your bone structure you’re “just like that.” Because of these genes, your appetite is affected, the rate at which your body metabolizes food, and then of course the fat to muscle ratio and how it’s distributed in your body works against you. Don’t get me wrong, you may not have control over the makeup of your DNA, but you do have control over how you can manage it from here. Knowledge is power and when you are equipped with this power you can make better lifestyle decisions. Don’t push yourself unrealistically, it’s not worth it and it makes you feel worse when you don’t reach these unachievable goals. Accept yourself and realize that you are wonderful just the way you are, and yes, you may have to watch what you eat and how much and when you eat along with exercise routines, but remember to take a break from time to time. cheat a little here and there and then go back to watching what you eat. If you don’t indulge in the odd indulgence here and there, you’ll be utterly miserable, and like any strict diet, you’ll give up, overindulge, and gain weight. You need to find that balance that makes your body and taste buds happy.
Then we have the thyroid problem. This is not diagnosed often enough. More often than not, the possibility is dismissed or simply passed over as a possible option. The thyroid gland is responsible for regulating the body’s metabolism, energy, hormones, and vitamins. It is located at the base of the throat and is stimulated by the pituitary gland to produce the hormones necessary to maintain the body’s metabolism and energy levels at normal operating rates. When you have an underactive thyroid, you have hypothyroidism, and it tends to affect women much more than men. In this case, the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone and is therefore not effective in regulating the body’s metabolism and energy use. Some of the signs to look out for are extreme tiredness, weight gain, puffiness in the face, and in these cases you will find that your eyes are particularly puffy. Your hair may be thin, your skin dry and thickened, and your menstrual period may be heavier than normal. Constipation and increased intolerance to cold weather, poor memory, depression, and muscle cramps are also signs of probable hypothyroidism. This is normally treated with a daily dose of thyroid hormones; they can be synthetic or natural hormones to help bring in what your thyroid gland cannot produce on its own.
Stress is also said to cause weight gain. Now, before we all sit back and think another comfort food lecture is on the way, let’s look at why weight gain happens when you’re under stress. I did an article recently on acne and some of the causes or contributing factors of acne and one of the things that came up is cortisol and how it affects the skin. Well, cortisol affects weight and indeed weight loss as well. Cortisol is a hormone that is released in the body when it is under stress, which is why it has been labeled the “stress hormone”, and it is produced due to the “fight or flight” reaction that is released in all of us. . When it comes to weight, it’s the reason your body holds on to weight the way it does.
As already discovered, cortisol tends to have many different effects in the body, and therefore one of its functions is to help the body make blood sugar from protein. We all know what too much sugar does; causes fat deposits in the body. In these cases, fat is usually deposited around the abdomen resulting in the “tire belly”. The best root to go is to have your cortisol levels tested and leave treatment in the hands of your healthcare professional. Although the role of cortisol in weight gain is debated, one test showed that women who have higher cortisol levels in their bodies are more likely to eat high-fat foods than women whose cortisol levels are higher. low. I don’t think tests are really necessary to check when women eat more because we all know from personal experience how and when we indulge in comfort food. Invariably, one’s emotional state is not as relaxed and calm as it could be.
Some medications cause weight gain, such as birth control pills, steroids, and antidepressants. The best thing to do is to consult your healthcare professional and let them adjust your medication to meet your body’s needs and prevent further weight gain.
I believe the biggest contributing factor to weight gain and why people struggle so much to lose unwanted weight is unfortunately lifestyle. Unfortunately, there is no “miracle pill” or “miracle patch” that will simply shed those pounds. We live in a time of comfort and therefore the “take away” and the “drive thrus” are becoming our usual place to eat. It is the norm and not the exception to the rule. They tempt us on almost every street corner, they fill us up faster than any healthy snack and let’s face it, although the nutritional value on a scale of one to ten is maybe -1, we really don’t care, it tastes good enough and is of easy access. Exercise tends to be too much effort and we don’t always have time to do it either. Diets are just a pain in the neck and who knows what we are really doing to our bodies in the long run with all these pills that go with them. Just as food is used to “deal with” depression, sadness, stress and anxiety, it is also used to celebrate and enjoy life. What invariably goes hand in hand when celebrated with food, well alcohol and it is well known that heavy alcohol consumption is also responsible for fattening the belly.
At the end of the day we return to the importance of having a healthy body image. Being overweight tends to be subjective and we all set ourselves these really unrealistic expectations (thanks of course to the media and society) of what we should look like. However, on the other hand, we need to pay more attention to how much we can weigh for no other reason than the health problems associated with being overweight. High cholesterol, diabetes, heart failure, respiratory problems, etc., are all things to consider that negatively affect your health when you are overweight.
Sensitivities to various foods can also cause fluid retention and weight gain, so get tested to see if there are foods that don’t react well to your system. Symptoms that will occur shortly after eating if you are sensitive to that particular food are headaches, indigestion, joint pain, depression, constipation, diarrhea, and respiratory problems.
As hard as it is, try not to compromise your eating habits, skip the drive thrus. When you’re feeling stressed, as tempting as it may be to hit the food, go for a walk or jog to get rid of those angry and frustrated feelings. A punching bag is an amazing source of stress release, so maybe consider investing in one of those and go hit that instead. The exercise is fantastic. I know it’s hard to work out, but once again, don’t set unrealistic expectations for yourself when you do it. The lack of instant results is what puts us off so often. Drink plenty of water, ditch tempting foods, and adopt a well-balanced diet plan that has been designed specifically for you by a dietitian or health professional. Remember that you want to be healthy for yourself and your family so you can take your best step from the beginning.