08 Nov Does Your Weight Loss Program Harm Your Body?
Weight loss programs are part of a highly profitable industry. So many of us suffer with overweight and our health suffers too. We’re willing to pay to lose weight and look better.
Many programs are effective but the real question is will you be able to keep off the weight afterward? If your metabolism is damaged, if your health is impaired, expect the pounds to fly back on plus more. Yuck.
Does your weight loss program harm your body in the process of taking off pounds? Here are some clues that you may be hurting your health in the process of losing weight.
Do you eat processed, packaged food? Do the ingredients include things you don’t know what they are and can’t even pronounce? Guess what, your body doesn’t know what they are either. They may do a short term fix of satisfying hunger but your body may not be nourished.
Do you learn how to shop for, prepare, and enjoy real food? If you are subsisting on shakes and bars, what will you eat when you stop them? And I don’t mean on calm easy weeks. I mean what will you grab when you have to work late or have places to be? If you resort to the same junk food that made you fat, your results probably won’t last.
Do you take pills? If the program is so hard on your body and you’re so hungry that you need to take a pill to get through, then think of what is happening. Your body could be giving hunger signals because it needs nourishment from nutrient-dense food. A quick bar or pill to distract you from that need may help in a temporary weight loss, but you’re probably not restoring health.
Does your program use artificial sweeteners? The popular sweeteners have been linked to weight gain and may be toxic. What? The FDA didn’t protect us? Well lots of government agencies haven’t done enough. Besides, the sweet taste might be keeping you craving sweets even more.
Do you eat a LOT of vegetables? Have you ever heard of someone getting fat by overeating broccoli? Your mother was right. Eat your vegetables. They have phytonutrients that fuel all of your body’s processes. Part of your cravings might come from the fact your body is still hungry for nutrients.
Is your diet low fat? The low fat advice we have gotten for over 50 years seems to be based on flawed science and biases. Sorry. I hate being misled too, especially by authorities we trusted. Olive oil is so great for your nervous system and much else. However, industrial seed oils and trans fats seem to be harmful to health so there is some truth to eating low fat. Additionally, if you start your day with a low fat shake, you’re likely setting yourself up to be starving later. Fat can keep you satiated and give you self control.
How does exercise play a role in your program? Do you do hours of cardio? Do you kick up your workout while reducing calories? Think of how that stresses the body. Just when you ramp up your efforts with more time on the treadmill or more intense exercise, you deprive your body of additional nutrients. Research has not supported the use of exercise for weight loss. Exercise is essential for health, so keep it up. But sometimes changing your diet requires an adaptation in your exercise program.
Does your program consider your individual health needs? For example, if you have low thyroid function, dieting will probably not result in weight loss. If you don’t get restorative sleep at night, you will likely not lose weight. If you are under stress, your body will pump out cortisol and that tends to lead to weight gain. As you address your health needs, your weight can start to get healthier too.
Remember the cast of the show “The Biggest Loser”? They all ballooned up after the show. Even while continuing to restrict calories, the weight came back. Sorry, but did eat less and exercise more work?
The answer is real health. I’m a Board Certified Functional Medicine Health Coach. I can help you get control of your health and control of your weight. Contact me to talk about working together.
What about you? Let’s hear your experience with a diet program. Comment below.
The Obesity Code by Jason Fung
This article is for information purposes only. See Disclaimer below.
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