Do you have excess weight that just won’t budge?
Do you feel as though you’ve tried everything; as though you “are doing all the right things”?
Especially if you are a woman, over forty, with changing hormone levels and a slowing metabolic rate, this is a tough spot for so many. It’s pretty frustrating to feel as though you are working so hard, doing all the things “they say” to do, and not getting anywhere.
Well listen here, Lady Warriors, because I’ve got a few ideas that may just shed a little light on some areas you haven’t yet tried.
Please Remember:
No matter how many avenues you have already tried,
There are always more places to look.
Different Ways To Approach Stuck Weight
Eat Food:
Are you eating enough food? Say, whaaaaaat? You heard me right. Those of us with food struggles easily fall into these “safe-feeling” patterns of restricting what we eat. We “watch” our fat intake, we reduce complex carbs and sugars, we stay away from sweet treats and generally say “no” to the dessert menu. Okay, well most of these things work sometimes, but what if all this restriction is working against you in your weight-loss challenges?
When we find ourselves following a very restrictive dietary regime, a few things can happen. One is that we lose weight for a little while but then don’t make any more progress and stop, getting “stuck” so to speak. Another is that we find ourselves with low energy and nutrient deficiencies after a while, as we’ve been sticking to “safe foods” without taking into account blood sugar balance and macronutrient intake. A third option is that we restrict ourselves too much, convincing the body that it’s starving because it isn’t receiving enough nutrients. This makes the body feel stressed and it begins to fast track the breakdown process storing food as fat in order to ensure adequate reserves.
In general, restrictive dieting tendencies do not work. They may work for the interim, but in time will often tip the scales in the opposite direction. Restriction is not sustainable long-term, that’s the straight up, honest truth.
Stabilize Blood Sugars:
Are you eating at regular intervals throughout the day? Or, are you the kind of person who skips meals as a way to keep your weight down? Are you on the move so much that you forget to eat? Do you sometimes find yourself feeling grumpy and impatient because you’ve forgotten to have lunch that day or chose a muffin instead of a meal? Whatever the reason, if you aren’t eating every 2-3 hours throughout the day, you may be doing yourself a huge disservice. Eating many small meals, evenly distributed throughout the day (whole foods, plant-based style), is an amazing way to maintain stable blood sugar levels, preventing spikes and crashes, and contributing to proper metabolic function. The more stable your blood sugars are throughout the day, the more efficient the body utilizes food as energy, the easier it is for the body to let go of excess weight.
Focus On Bio Circadian Rhythm:
Are you eating the bulk of your calories between the hours of 10am and 2pm? Or do you eat lightly throughout the first half of the day and wind up overeating at dinnertime, finding yourself cramming in unnecessary calories after dinner? Eating with the natural bio circadian rhythm of the earth means consuming the majority of the day’s caloric intake when the sun is at its highest in the sky. During this choice timeframe, our metabolism is working its best and at the height of its efficiency. Try shifting your largest meal of the day to mid-morning or lunchtime and lightening up towards the end of the day. Also, try working in some complex carbohydrates during the middle of the day. This is an effective way to extend energy reserves into the later part of the day, preventing late-night over-eating.
Improve Digestion:
If, on top of feeling as though you are stuck with some extra weight, you are also suffering from poor digestion, supporting proper digestive function is imperative. If you are having symptoms of bloating, gas, discomfort, or constipation, this is your body telling you that something is not right and it’s time to pay attention. When the digestive system struggles, there is interference in proper nutrient absorption. When we are not absorbing nutrients effectively, the body continues to signal to the brain that it needs more nutrients, which presents as misinterpreted hunger signals. If the body feels as though it is not being nourished effectively, it will store food as unnecessary fat in order to endure times of stress.
To improve digestive function: focus on consuming easy to digest foods: lightly steamed vegetables, fish, and low-glycemic fruits, as well as good quality fats: coconut oil, avocado, flaxseed, chia, and olive oil. Include fermented foods every day: kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha and water kefir, and supplement with a good quality probiotic. Consume mineral-rich bone broth regularly, drink plenty of water and reduce inflammatory foods: dairy, gluten, red meats, processed foods, grains and stimulants. More reading on how to improve digestion.
Define Your Purpose:
Have you been searching for the right weight loss plan for far too long and don’t ever feel as though you are getting anywhere? What is your motivation, really? Why do you want to lose weight? What for? Who for? How will you be different without those extra pounds? What will losing that weight change?
A lot of questions, I know, but these are important questions to address. If we are searching for something without truly knowing why, then perhaps we are searching for the wrong thing. Are you looking for control? Are you looking for forgiveness? Connection? Love? Self-love? To heal? What is your higher purpose in this life and what does it have to do with how much you weigh?
Sometimes people have trouble losing those extra pounds because they are missing the whole point. Once losing weight becomes about the right reasons: strong health, life balance, longevity, disease prevention, we often find that we wind up getting past that stuck point simply because we have shifted our state of mind.
Read more on weight and the emotional connection here.