Weight Management Struggles

By Sue Pasqual

Do you struggle with weight loss or weight management?  If so, don’t worry; you are not alone.  Over 2/3 of the United States are overweight and obese.  Most people think eat less and more more is the cure, right?  I don’t know about you, but if I eat less, I do not have the energy to move more!  We need nutrients and food to give us energy!  But sometimes, you can’t blame yourself (I said sometimes though-those other times you can).  Certainly, poor food choices and not exercising is a decision you have made, but if you have suffered for years with losing and gaining, your metabolism and hormones may be playing tricks on you and may be partly to blame too.  Couple that with binge eating, aging, menopause and stress and you really have some issues.

Often times, you didn’t fail those diets; those diets failed you! Did you know that every time you go on a diet, your metabolism slows by 10-15% (and yes, not eating breakfast or going longer than 4 hours while awake are referred to as diets by your body)! So, losing and gaining back actually not only hurts your waistline, but your metabolism.

Finding a lifestyle program is your key to success and working towards fixing what may have been broken from years of dieting or lack of exercising.  It is important to know that WEIGHT LOSS ISN’T MAGIC; IT’S SCIENCE.  There is nothing magic – no wraps, no surgery, no high intensity workout that will be the magic answer.  It takes 4 components and following them.  I also recommend working with a coach who can guide you and offer you insight because everyone’s needs and goals are different.  The 4 components that science supports are:

1.) Low-Glycemic impact eating.  Eat more and not less.  Identify new favorite foods.  Quality and quantity matters.  No starving yourself allowed!

2.) Improving your body composition.  That means exercise.  While everyone may be at different levels, you have to find what works for you.  The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of cardiovascular exercise weekly.  That is only 30 minutes 5 times per week.  Now, to really improve your body, assuming you can do more and are cleared by your doctor, more can only help (but don’t over-do it.  Recovering is important too).

3.) Science based supplementation.  Not all supplements are created equally.  Many actually hurt you more than they help you.  Working with quality ingredients, herbs and botanicals that can help your metabolism, hormones and body are recommended.  Using the correct ones do not “make” you lose weight.  They help and assist to repair what was broken, so when you stop, you do not gain weight back.  Once you reach your goal, you may consider a complete wellness regimen such as a quality Isotonix Multivitamin, Omega III fatty acid, and antioxidant and/or activated B complex

4.) Education.  You have heard it.  Knowledge is power.  Being educated on topics such as how to correctly read labels, knowing good fats from bad fats, how to manage stress (and what happens to your body if it is not managed) are just some important topics you should know about!

When you are fueled with the right program, you will never have to go on a diet again.  Remember, you are worth it – so, do not let anyone or anything get in your way of being the best version of yourself!