Weight Loss Wisdom Why can’t I lose weight even though I am eating well and exercisin...
Weight Loss Wisdom
Why can’t I
lose weight even though I am eating well and exercising?
How much
‘should’ I weigh?
I eat less
than many people, yet I am the one who is overweight. Why?
Many people
feel defeated or frustrated by their attempts to lose weight. Although weight
loss seems simple, it is actually quite complicated. Understanding all the
factors that influence why you weigh what you weigh can help.
When it
comes to weight loss, one size
does not fit all. Your best strategy is to work out a personal best weight you
can live with for life.
Why do I
weigh what I do?
The diet
industry would have you believe you will lose weight if you just eat less or
shift your diet. The fitness industry continues to perpetuate the myth that you
only need to exercise. In reality, changing your diet or exercising more may or
may not result in weight loss. Although your weight reflects your nutrition and
exercise habits, it is not as simple as ‘calories in versus calories
out.’
Your weight
reflects many complex factors (see sidebar) that are above and beyond your food
and activity habits. Understand that while we can change some factors, we must
learn to live with other stubborn, unchangeable ones. Work at the factors you
can control, like nutrition, exercise, stress and sleep. Then, remind yourself
that like everybody else, you have a unique weight that your body will steer
toward.
What
influences weight?
Just as we
have different shoe sizes, we have different body sizes too. Many factors
influence your weight:
§
personal genetics
§
family history
§
age and gender
§
medical concerns and medications
§
amount of exercise
§
stress and sleep levels
§
nutrition and calories consumed
§
dieting, fasting and starvation
§
fluid intake and hydration status
§
sodium and carbohydrate-rich food
intake (as these can make your body store water)
§
and body composition (bone, muscle
and fat mass).
How much
‘should’ I weigh?
Perhaps you
have been told to use the BMI (body mass index) to assess
your weight. This chart correlates height and weight into a health range. While
the BMI does give a broad starting place, you are an individual. A chart cannot
determine your health or how much you should weigh. Charts like these
oversimplify the range of factors contributing to your weight. They cannot
reflect what we have learned about the science of weight management.
More and
more health educators and researchers, including the Canadian Obesity Network,
are moving towards individualizing target weight goals.
What is a
personal best weight?
Identifying
a personal ‘best weight’ gives you
a realistic target. You are likely never going to win an Olympic gold medal or
a Nobel Prize. However, that does not mean you should stop shooting for your
personal best.
“Your best weight is the
weight you can achieve while living fully. Living
fully is about living healthfully AND soulfully.”
Your best weight is a personal best. It is not based on a graph, chart, app or
number provided by a so-called ‘expert.’ You are your own best expert.
As you look
at nutrition, activity level and other lifestyle considerations, keep a few
points in mind. You are most likely to be at your best weight when you:
§
get enough sleep
§
manage stress and emotions in healthy
ways
§
eat healthfully and mindfully,
without striving for perfection
§
exercise in a non-punishing or
extreme way
§
live soulfully, with enough fun and
flexibility to feel that life is social and fulfilling
Five tips for achieving your personal best weight
§
It’s not a number
First,
focus on restoring your health and quality of life. Your personal best weight
is not about a number on the scale. Instead, work on increasing your energy
levels, improving your mood and getting the vitamins, minerals and other key
nutrients you need. You may identify other targets that would help you feel
your best. For instance, you might focus on reducing joint pain or the need for
medication, improving digestion, or achieving healthier blood pressure, blood cholesterol and blood glucose levels.
Most people
who struggle with their weight have a target number in mind. They try to adapt
their lifestyles to hit that number. Embracing a best weight mindset means
doing just the opposite. Let go of the number. Instead, focus on achieving the
healthiest possible lifestyle, while staying fun and flexible. If you can do so
while continuing to enjoy life, whatever weight range you achieve will be your
best weight.
§
Find a weight loss
strategy that you can live with for life.
Think about
how long you can follow a suggested diet plan, weight loss program, or exercise
routine. If it’s not a plan you can live with forever, then weight loss is
doomed to fail. The idea that you can restrict now and return to real life
later just does not work in maintaining weight change. Attempting to do so is
the most common reason for having your weight yo-yo up and down.
In the long
term, crash diets and punishing exercise plans involving hours in the gym do not
work. You may lose weight at first, but often the weight returns very quickly.
You may even find yourself heavier than you were before. The most difficult
part of a yo-yo cycle is the psychological damage it causes. Feelings of
failure, body hatred, and a worsening relationship with food go hand in hand
with these strategies.
Instead,
think about what you can enjoy versus tolerate.
§
If you despise legumes and love meat,
then a strict vegetarian diet is clearly not for you.
§
If you are a carbohydrate lover and
want to support sustainability efforts for the planet, then a paleo plan is
certainly not your best bet.
§
If you really hate the gym and are
not a morning person, then chances are that morning workouts are not your best
choice for building a fitness plan.
§
Take the die out of
diet.
In fact,
remove the word ‘diet’ from your vocabulary. Go for an eating plan with as much
variety and as few food restrictions as possible. After all, there is a basic
psychological principle that we all want what we cannot have. Keep your options
open, and of course, employ an eating style that considers your overall health.
§
Find physical
activity that you enjoy.
When it
comes to physical activity, remember – exercise to become stronger and out of
love for your body, not because you hate it. Perhaps you like walking the dog,
or would be happy joining a class or team. Combine physical activity with
socializing and family life as much as possible. It can be more fun if you do
it with a partner, pet or as part of a community.
§ Never underestimate the power of stress and lack of sleep.
Although
many lifestyle factors play a role, one of the most overlooked is the power of
stress management and getting enough sleep. No surprise – the more stressed we
get, the more our nutrition habits suffer. Being stressed makes it hard to find
the time and energy to plan meals, shop and cook. Stress and sleep deprivation
also trigger physiological changes in our hormones that drastically influence
cravings and food preferences. The same hormonal changes hinder weight
loss.
During a
short-term bout of stress, the brain unleashes a cascade of hormones that shut
down appetite and the desire to eat. Chronic persistent stress does just the
opposite. Persistent stress triggers the adrenal glands to produce the stress
hormone cortisol, which increases appetite and influences overall motivation to
eat. According to research, ongoing emotional or physical stress causes
cravings for foods high in sugar and fat. High cortisol and insulin levels, as
well as higher levels of the hunger hormone known as ghrelin, seem linked to
cravings.
Although
getting enough sleep and reducing negative stress can be challenging, make them
a priority in your overall weight management program.
Weight
wisdom
You know your body best. A truly
healthy weight is not something that can be found on a chart. Your body will
naturally stay in a healthy weight range when you nourish it with healthy food,
exercise regularly, and manage sleep and stress.
Never allow
the weight you see on the scale to determine whether you will have a good day,
or a bad one filled with feelings of failure and guilt. Your happiness,
self-worth, and beliefs about your health should not be assessed in that way.
Resist the
magnetic pull of the scale and start to measure your success on your own terms.
Move towards a best weight philosophy that offers a kind, compassionate and
realistic view of your efforts going forward.
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