MY WEIGHT KEEPS FLUCTUATING! Part II

Last week we learned that fluctuations are an inevitable part of any weight-loss journey. This week we will consider other practical things to do to get those numbers moving in the right direction.

If we aren’t getting the right nutrients, our weight loss may stall. You may not realize this, but people who are overweight or obese are usually very nutrient deficient. This is why we use supplementation during your weight loss program. While it’s not the “key” to weight loss, it really is a factor.

Research suggests that there is a direct connection between insulin resistance and magnesium intake, too. Insulin resistance can complicate weight loss for many, because those high levels of blood sugar end up being stored as fat.

You may want to change up your food choices to add more leafy greens, avocadoes, and wild-caught salmon. Magnesium supplementation is always helpful, as well. Right along those lines is Vitamin D. This is a hot area of research right now. The majority of our population is Vitamin D deficient, and that is considered to be a risk factor for obesity and obesity-related diseases like heart disease and diabetes.

Diet variation is also good to mention here. If you are eating the same foods all the time, this is a solid reason for hitting a stall or fluctuating. Your body responds to variation. It gets used to the same foods and gets lazy. So, try new foods. It will help wake up your metabolism. A varied diet is a balanced diet that supplies all the nutrients you need.

You can’t just eat the same 5-10 foods for the rest of your life. Food satisfaction is important to losing weight and keeping it off. Otherwise, you run the risk of not developing a lifestyle change and, instead, embark on just another diet.

Eating a greater variety of food also helps cultivate a more diverse microbiome or gut bacteria, as well - therefore, diet variety can help maintain a healthy gut.

When your gut lining is disturbed and inflammation develops, it cannot absorb nutrients optimally. Inflammation can lead to problems like leaky gut, food sensitivities and even autoimmune diseases. All these issues can definitely interfere with weight loss and cause plateaus.

Another major reason for a plateau is your sleep pattern. Don’t discount this one. Remember, everything is about body chemistry – not calorie counting – and sleep plays a big role in how our body responds to many things. Sleep deprivation (which is considered less than the 7-9 hours needed a night to repair) has many health ramifications. One of the biggest ramifications is that it can trigger or exacerbate inflammation.

Inflammatory compounds impair the way insulin works, leading to higher glucose levels and fat accumulation in the liver, which becomes a vicious cycle of worsening insulin resistance, causing more weight gain.

And this process did not happen overnight. In the same way it took years to develop, it will take time to heal. You can’t short circuit the issue. There is no quick fix. So, sometimes what we might perceive as a stall or fluctuations is actually the body healing at a new level before it can move forward again.

And moving forward means just that. Three or four pounds a month is moving forward. Remember that it’s not a race. It’s a process, a process of healing so that your body will or can release fat. The more you understand and embrace this, the more at peace you will be. You will also be more equipped physically and mentally once you reach your goal to keep it off.