“Why do I have such a hard time losing weight?  I try to eat a healthy diet but I still can’t lose the weight, and my cravings for food are intense!  Why does it seem like I must starve myself to lose weight?”  Does this sound familiar?  This article aims to expose some of the underlying problems that can make it difficult to achieve lasting weight loss.

Introduction

Fifty years ago not nearly as many people had problems maintaining a healthy weight. ¹  So what happened?  For one, our diets changed.  The consumption of sugary and processed foods has increased. ^{2 4}  Another problem is that our participation in physical activity has decreased. ³  It has been shown that exercise is an important part of maintaining a healthy body weight. ³  It is also important to consider the health of the body.  For example, a malfunctioning body can make it very difficult to lose weight.

Our diets have changed

Modern day diets are focused around convenience, meaning more processed foods that take less time to prepare and cook.  Is there a downside to eating a diet high in processed foods?  Some health experts feel that a diet high in processed foods can lead to nutritional deficiencies. ⁴  Processed foods also tend to have more empty calories than whole foods, which is not a good thing if you are trying to lose weight.

So how can you ensure that your diet is geared towards weight loss?  Eat a balanced diet, made up of healthy whole foods.  Yes, it might take more time to prepare your meals, but it is worth it.  Make sure to include plenty of fruits and vegetables.  Click here for more ideas on a balanced diet for weight loss.  It is also very important to cut back on processed foods, sugary foods, caffeine and alcohol.  Drink at least eight 8 oz glasses of pure water daily.

Even if you are eating a healthy, balanced diet, it is a good idea to take our Liquid Trace Minerals to avoid mineral deficiencies.  Our soils no longer contain the proper amounts of minerals necessary for optimum health.  Therefore, diet is not a reliable source of these vital minerals.  Click here to learn more about how the poor health of our soils can affect your nutrition.

Physical activity has decreased

Over 100 years ago people were much more physically active than they are today. ⁵  Less activity and exercise means a slower metabolism.  A slower metabolism means a reduced need for calories.  So the next logical step, after you have balanced your diet, is to start exercising.  Start your exercise program slowly and listen to your body. 

The most important part of any good exercise program is consistency.  Try to exercise four or five times a week.  You don’t need spend more than 45 minutes for each session.  In fact, 20 or 30 minutes is a good place to start.  The exercise will improve your metabolism naturally and help you lose weight naturally.  For more great exercise tips, read our simple guide to exercise.

Body metabolism and a healthy weight

Changes in the body can account for changes in weight.  For example, the thyroid gland controls the body’s metabolism at a cellular level. ⁶  The adrenal glands and pancreas are involved in the proper metabolism of carbohydrates.  The liver is involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins.  For more information on the liver and it’s role in weight loss, click here.

These organs and glands have a direct effect on the body’s metabolism.  If they are not functioning properly, weight gain may result, even with a healthy lifestyle in place.  In other words, if the body cannot properly burn the calories you are consuming, diet and exercise will not have the desired effect.  In the case of poor metabolism, you might consider trying our Liquid Catalyzed Chromium Picolinate, which has also been shown to promote weight loss.

Food is not the enemy

Many fad diets have led us to believe that carbohydrates or fats are the enemy.  This is not true.  While you may want to tilt your balanced diet one way or the other, it is never a good idea to completely cut out healthy fats, carbohydrates or proteins.  Doing so may lead to nutrient deficiencies and a decline in health.  Click here for a good baseline to a balanced diet, and remember to consume healthy whole foods.

The bottom line

Losing weight the right way is a step by step solution.  First make sure that your lifestyle is in check:

• I am eating a balanced diet.
• I am exercising about 5 times per week for about 20-45 minutes.
• I am drinking at least eight 8 oz glasses of water daily.
• I have cut way back on processed sugar, caffeine, processed foods and alcohol.
• I am getting at least 8 hours of sleep most nights.

If you have tried all of the above measures for a period of two months and have not seen any results, perhaps your body’s metabolism is sluggish.  If you are willing, you can probably locate a doctor that will help you get to the root cause of your sluggish metabolism.  With the root cause of a sluggish metabolism fixed, losing weight will be much easier.

In the end the fad diets are not the best way to keep the weight off.  Why?  Avoiding a balanced diet for extended periods of time can lead to nutrient deficiencies.  Once the fad diets are stopped, the weight usually comes right back.  The weight loss solution involves a change in lifestyle, including some exercise.  Overall health should be assessed when the correct diet and lifestyle do not produce results over a longer time period.

Sources:

1. The Latest Statistics on America’s Obesity Epidemic.  American Sports Data.
   http://www.americansportsdata.com/obesitystats.asp
2. How Sugar is Made.  Are We Eating More Sugar?
   http://www.how-sugar-is-made.com/sugarconsumption.html
3. Physical Activity Among Adults: United States, 2000 and 2005.  National Center for Health Statistics.
4. Dirty Secrets of the Food Processing Industry.  Sally Fallon.  The Weston A. Price Foundation.
   http://www.westonaprice.org/modernfood/dirty-secrets.html
5. Physical Activity.  Answers.com.
   http://www.answers.com/topic/physical-activity
6. The Thyroid Gland.  University of Maryland Medical Center.
   http://www.umm.edu/endocrin/thygland.htm

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 27th, 2008 at 4:09 pm and is filed under Weight Loss. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.