The reason I share this is to not bore you with my personal realization, but for you to think about your goals, i.e. weight-loss, sugar detox, better sleep, or whatever it might be and look deeper at why you aren’t achieving your goals. There’s always a reason. Why stubbornly hold on to something that isn’t working or isn’t having the effect you are striving to create? We have to experiment to find what works for us, this requires you to be honest, objective and adaptable.
I see so many of my friends, family and people trying to lose weight while struggling with the idea that they are doing everything right, but still not seeing results. For women, this is even a harder concept because of our hormones. It’s a fact. Consider this: women are much more vulnerable to hormonal imbalance than men. An under active thyroid affects women up to fifteen times more often than men. And according to national polls, women feel more stressed than men, 26 percent of women in the United states are on a pill for anxiety, expression, or generally feeling of being unable to cope compared with 15 percent of men. (The Hormone Cure, Dr. Sara Gottfried, p.4) Hormones are a huge key to losing weight, and although I’m not qualified to diagnosis anyone, from the readings I’ve done, I think it is so important for women starting in their mid-late twenties to get tested for hormonal imbalances.
Bringing it back to weight-loss. Eating less is not the answer. Let me repeat, starving yourself is not the answer. Portion control is great, but if you’re “starving” yourself to lose that extra 5 pounds before Vegas, you’re actually putting your body in a position to gain more weight when you’re back. Truth. The only way to a 6 pack is 100% diet… there is no magical exercise program, shake or pill that will get you there faster. The key is leanness.
So, this is all great, but where do you start?
For me, data and factual information always helps me to be the most accountable and understand exactly what I’m doing right or wrong. I believe this is why weight-watchers worked for me in the past. I recommend downloading the app My Fitness Pal. This will be your own personal nutritionist, helping you understand what you are eating, and how much of it. I would start by recording your meals for at least a week. This will give you a base line. From here, you will be able to analyze what areas you need to focus on. For weight-loss, rule of thumb is you will want to have mostly protein and then a lower fat and carb intake. Now, this is the tricky part because everyone is different — different weight, activity, goals. But, use My Fitness Pal as your guide. It will help you figure out where you need to cut back. Typically losing a pound a week is normal, but anything beyond that you must be careful not to go too low or run into the risk of grinding your metabolism into the ground faster than you lose the weight you’re hoping to lose.
Some things to take into consideration when you are examining why you’re not achieving your weight-loss goals:
1. Inadequate Sleeping. Ideally, we should be sleeping a solid, uninterrupted 8 hours a night. Try to gear down an hour before you head to bed. Put the phones, iPads, computer, TV, etc. away. Let your body actually rest and settle into a dark and if possible cold room. If you sleep with a dog on your bed or restless partner (Cough Cough, Karl…) I hear a supplement called Natural Calm can be helpful. (Note, not for your dog but for your boyfriend/girlfriend)
2. Chronic Stress and High Cortisol. Cortisol, the “stress hormone,” is the hormone that governs your hunger cravings, digestion, blood pressure, sleep/wake patterns, physical activity, and capacity to cope with stress. Under normal stress conditions, your body produces a brief surge of cortisol that acts as a beneficiary and protective alarm. Once you respond and cope with the situation, your cortisol should return to normal levels. However, for many women, the “alarm,” your cortisol surge, never turns off. High cortisol is linked to abnormal blood sugar, diabetes, obesity, mood and brain problems including depression, alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis (MS), among other health risks. If you know you’re stressed or have a hard time turning your mind off when going to sleep, try a natural supplement Phosphatidyl Serine (PS) to help lower your levels. Also, getting a massage once a month, or practicing yoga daily can have a huge impact.
3. Low Thyroid. The thyroid gland secretes hormones that regulate the activities of almost every cell in our bodies. It controls the body’s sensitivity to other hormones, such as estrogen and cortisol. It regulates how quickly we burn calories and maintains our metabolism, which is the reasoning behind why weight control is such a problem when your thyroid is not functioning correctly. When your thyroid is working correctly, you are energetic, upbeat, weight is easy to manage, bowel moves food along nicely, your feet and hands aren’t in need of mittens and socks, your cholesterol is normal– not too high nor too low, your skin, hair, sex drive, and memory is all in line. Therefore, you can understand what happens when your thyroid is not up to par. In fact, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association, 15-20 percent of people with depression are low in thyroid hormones and it’s estimated that about 60 million americans, both men and women, struggle with thyroid problems and most don’t even know it. If you struggle with other issues beyond weight loss, some of what I list above, it would be in your best interest to go and get your thyroid tested. I also recommend reading, The Hormone Cure, by Sara Gottfried.
As I’ve stated above and many times, I am not qualified to diagnose the reasoning behind why you and the rest of the world has issues with losing weight. But, because I try my best to stay informed, and constantly am examining my own health journey, I think it’s important to share my experiences with you. As always, my hope is that something I’ve shared influences or motivates you in a positive way. Weight-loss is a challenge. And once you “crack your bodies code,” it does get easier. Unfortunately, I don’t believe there is a single guide for life– including weight-loss. We get older, get new jobs, have kids, might become ill; we change as time goes on. But in the meantime, stay motivated, be patient, and continuously adapt to the positive and maybe not so exciting changes. Because, anyone can have a goal, a six pack, or that new dead lift PR, but it’s your level of commitment that determines your success.
