Are you working out yet still gaining weight? Are you getting frustrated and starting to lose hope that you will get the weight off?
Don’t despair. There are may be some things that you don’t know about your metabolism that can cause results that are the opposite of what you are expecting.
Exercise is an important component of health but so are eating, sleeping, managing stress levels, and undiagnosed medical conditions. Any of these or a combination of them could be creating the problem.
Let’s talk wholistic approach to weight loss to see how some or all of these components could be the cause of your weight gain. Let’s start with the exercise itself.
1) The wrong exercises won’t help you lose weight
When you think about losing weight do you think about cardio as the best way to lose weight?
Think again. Cardiovascular or aerobic exercise is a good part of the plan, but it is not the best or only plan.
As we age our bodies tend to naturally lose muscle mass. Muscle mass is a secret to maintaining or losing weight. It also helps stabilize blood sugars to prevent the onset of diabetes.
Our muscles burn extra excess blood glucose and prevent it from being stored as fat in the body. As we lose muscle mass we gain weight more easily. This is what many woman attribute to a “slowing of the metabolism” in their forties and fifties.
The solution is to include muscle toning, weight training or resistance exercises in your exercise plan.
If you are gaining weight on your current regimen you have to look at your exercise plan. Is it challenging to you?
Cardiovascular exercise or aerobic exercise works if you are actually burning calories during your workouts. This means that you need to workout hard enough that you are burning calories to cause weight loss. You need to get your heart rate up during your exercise program and you must do it several times per week.
Current exercise recommendations are moderate exercise for 30 minutes, five times per week. To lose weight, you will want to increase that to 45-60 minutes.
2) Food is part of the equation
Your eating habits are a big part of the weight loss equation. Exercise is NOT the only thing you need to focus on. Eating healthy, whole foods in the correct portions will be the key to sustainable weight loss.
Whole foods are fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, whole grains, lean means and dairy products.
3) Are you getting enough sleep?
If you are not getting enough sleep it can trigger certain hormones like leptin and ghrelin to make you feel hungrier during the day, to compensate for your lack of sleep. Getting at least 6-8 hours each night is important to prevent you from gaining weight.
4) Stress can cause weight gain
Your stress hormones cause changes in your appetite. Stress eating can cause you to eat more and store it as fat. So managing your stress can reduce weight gain too.
5) Other medical conditions
Often weight gain can occur due to another undiagnosed condition like hypothyroidism or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
If you are gaining weight and you can’t identify the reason, schedule an appointment with your doctor to check for medical reasons for your weight gain. Also have your physician check for medications that could be causing the weight gain.
Obesity is considered a chronic illness. If you are gaining weight when you are working on losing it, then you need help. It’s important to have a wholistic plan to get you to your ideal weight.
Live Vibrantly,
Dr. Dae
Dr. Daemon Jones
Dr. Dae's website: www.HealthyDaes.org
Dr. Dae's Bio:
Dr. Daemon Jones is your diabetes reversal, hormones, metabolism and weight loss expert. Dr. Dae naturopathic doctor who treats patients all over the country using Skype and phone visits, visit her or schedule a free consultation at her website, www.HealthyDaes.org
Sources:
"Exercise Regimen To Lose Weight And Tone Muscles | LIVESTRONG.COM." LIVESTRONG.COM - Lose Weight & Get Fit with Diet, Nutrition & Fitness Tools | LIVESTRONG.COM. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Dec 2014.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/30446-exercise-regimen-lose-weight-tone
"Getting past a weight-loss plateau - MayoClinic.com." Mayo Clinic. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Dec 2014.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss-plateau/MY01152
Weight Gain Shockers Slideshow: Stress, Medications, and Other Surprising Sources. (n.d.). Retrieved December 29, 2014.
http://www.webmd.com
Reviewed December 29, 2014
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith