5 More Habits Which Can Stop Weight Loss
1. Eating When You’re Stressed Or Emotional
Emotional or stress eating is common and is often one of the main factors which contributes to people to ‘falling off the wagon’ or struggling to lose weight. Food is one of our primary relationships and many of us have developed an unhealthy relationship with food where we may ‘reward’ ourselves with food, eat for comfort, out of boredom or when we’re feeling down/sad/lonely/anxious/angry etc.
Get into the habit of asking yourself- “am I really hungry?” before automatically reaching for food. It can be helpful to ask yourself also “what am I hungry for?” and await the response, often it will be comfort, energy or support which we are trying to find through food. Try to think of another way to fulfill this need which doesn’t involve food eg. have a cup of relaxing herbal tea, have a bath, call a friend, go outside for some fresh air. There is nothing wrong with wanting comfort or support, we just ideally need to create ways to fulfill those needs other than with food.
2.Going to Bed Too Late
Are you a night owl? Ideally we should be asleep between the hours of 10pm and 6am. The sleep which you have before midnight has greater restorative capacity than the sleep after midnight due to your body’s circadian rhythm. Your body operates on a 24 hour cycle which affects hormone production. When you go to bed and the quality of your sleep also affects your ability to lose weight because of the effect of your sleep patterns on this 24 hour hormonal cycle. If you’re not getting enough sleep or you’re sleep deprived, this affects your insulin and blood sugar levels which affects how your body metabolises carbohydrates. When you are tired, you are also more likely to be drawn to high energy or sugary foods and less likely to exercise! If you are in a pattern of going to bed late, try gradually making the time which you are going to bed a little earlier eg. in ½ hour increments each week until you are going to bed closer to 9.30 or 10pm.
3.Eating Foods That You Are Intolerant Or Sensitive To
Food sensitivities or intolerances are different to food allergies. Food intolerances are more common than food allergies and they are also harder to identify. Unlike an allergic reaction to a food, which is usually acute and occurs soon after eating, an intolerance reaction may take up to two days to show up. This means that we can be in a constant state of chronic reaction. It is often not until we cut out a food for a period of time and then reintroduce it, that we notice a link between the food and how it makes us feel. Food sensitivity or intolerance reactions won’t show up on allergy tests (either blood or skin prick tests) because they involve different immune factors. Blossom Wellbeing provides Food Intolerance testing which tests your response to 59 commonly eaten foods via a skin prick blood test. How can a food intolerance affect your weight? Eating foods which you are intolerant to creates inflammation in your body. It is difficult to lose weight when there is inflammation in your body. Food intolerance reactions often also increase fluid retention which can contribute to your total weight as well as making you feel bloated and heavy.
4. Overloading Your Body With Toxins
Your body has very efficient processes and systems in place to help manage the toxins which you come into contact with on a daily basis. Due to the high level of chemicals most of us are exposed to through our food, environment, cosmetics, homes, water and medications, your body can easily become overburdened and your organs of elimination become less efficient at toxin removal. In an effort to protect you, your body creates new fat cells in which to store the toxins. Your body will not let go of fat cells if it is not safe to release stored toxins into your blood stream. Whilst some toxin exposure is inevitable for everyone, you can minimise your exposure by being mindful of what you put into your body, what you put onto it and what chemicals you chose to bring into your home. Many commonly used cleaning products and cosmetics/make-up contain a number of undesirable toxins which can add to your body’s toxic load plus affect your fertility and your weight. There is a group of chemicals which act as ‘endocrine’ disruptors which affect your body’s endocrine (hormonal) system, which has implications both in terms of weight loss and also other aspects of your health. Your body absorbs up to 60% of what you put on your skin, so it pays to consider what is in your make up and cosmetics as used over time this can contribute to the chemical load which your body has to metabolise.
Pesticides and antibiotics present in and on our foods can also build up and affect your health. Where possible buy organic fruit and vegetables and choose grass-fed and hormone free animal products.
5.Not Listening to Your Gut!
The health of your gut has a huge impact upon your overall health. Many people are experiencing symptoms of digestive dysfunction so regularly that they begin to think that it is ‘normal’. Reflux, bloating, digestive pain or bowel problems such as constipation or diarrhoea are signs that something is out of balance or is affecting your digestive system. We think of the brain when we think of neurotransmitter production, but a large percentage of your neurotransmitters are produced in your gut. Neurotransmitters affect our mood and we may try unconsciously to balance our neurotransmitter to affect our moods when we are feeling flat eg. carbohydrates can increase serotonin production to make us feel happier temporarily. When you gut is not healthy you may not be producing the necessary neurotransmitters for healthy, balanced moods. Your gut flora also has an impact upon how your body uses calories! When your gut flora is imbalanced, a condition called ‘dysbiosis’ can occur and this affects your health in many ways. Healthy gut functions is important for healthy bowel function which is another avenue for your body to excrete toxins. When you have dysbiosis this can result in reabsorption of hormones and toxins into your blood stream- not a pleasant thought!
I enjoy providing a holistic approach to weight loss, taking into account your overall health and helping you to identify factors which may be affecting your weight. These may include dietary and lifestyle factors as well as digestive issues, stress, hormonal imbalances, thyroid conditions and food intolerances and emotional eating. Through coaching we can also look at the mindset and thought patterns which are potentially sabotaging your weight loss.
I offer a number of programs designed to help you lose weight and gain health whilst transforming your relationship with food. To make an appointment or for more information visit www.blossomwellbeing.com.au/weight-loss/
