Q: Every New Years I vow I’m going to lose weight. How do I make it stick this time?
Whether it’s New Years, tomorrow or “on Monday”, most people are destined to fail before they begin. Weight gain is tied to the quality of food you eat and not just the quantity. If you eat a lot of highly processed sugary foods, your body is programmed to want more food more frequently, simply because it’s trying to keep your blood sugar balanced. That’s where hormone balance comes in.
After eating, food is converted to glucose (sugar), which travels through the bloodstream to the muscles to be burned off for energy. Testosterone unlocks the doorway for glucose to enter the muscles. If you don’t have enough testosterone, blood sugar stays high. The pancreas sends out more insulin to lower it, triggering a sudden drop. Low blood sugar produces hunger and cravings, so you eat, and the cycle of highs and lows starts over again. Eventually, your body becomes more and more insulin resistant; the liver begins to convert excess glucose into fat, and the risk of diabetes and disease rises along with your weight.
Thyroid is another factor. It drives the metabolic engine, but it also needs testosterone to function properly. When thyroid is balanced, your body burns glucose efficiently. When it’s too high (hyperthyroidism), you burn fuel way too fast. If it gets sluggish or starts to fail (hypothyroidism) your body burns fuel very slowly. One in three women and one in five men will be hypothyroid by age fifty, so testosterone and thyroid levels should be properly tested before you begin a weight loss program.
For many people food offers emotional comfort, and the go-to items are usually sugary foods or forbidden treats. For others, stress and lack of exercise are the core issue. Losing weight and keeping it off requires a holistic approach that helps you find a good balance in mind, body and spirit, so resolve to skip fad diets. Medically supervised weight loss programs like MiraVita Metamorphosis evaluate risk factors for disease, address any underlying psychological and physiological issues, help you make lifestyle changes and provide appropriate medication and nutritional supplements that can set you up for long-term success.
Want 2016 to be your year for getting healthy and losing weight? Start today. Call 844.MV4.LIFE.