One of the greatest frustrations we
experience as coaches is watching our clients try to lose weight, or rather
body fat, unsuccessfully. They might be training regularly and consistently following
our advice about good quality strength programing and healthy eating, but the
weight still won’t budge. It can be hard to watch.
Are you one of the kazillions of Aussies
who try to lose weight relentlessly but have no luck? Or have you lost it, put
it back on again, lost it once more, and now see it slowly going back on again?
Is it any wonder Australia has an
unhealthy relationship with food, one of the highest obesity rates and major
issues with consistency? There are often some fairly simple, but not so obvious
reasons as to why weight loss can become very challenging for some. Perhaps
one, or all of these, apply to you.
I wrote this one with some help from my
own naturopath, Trudy Cadoo. Trudy helped me stabilize my own weight after many
years of fluctuation and struggle, and I often send clients her way who are
having their own troubles either losing weight or maintaining weight loss.
Here are my top five reasons.
Incorrect
training style
A lot of people attempt to ‘burn off fat’ just
with cardio, and don’t engage in any weights training for fear of bulking up.
This works initially, as any movement will help the body start to burn calories,
but the inevitable plateau will hit and suddenly the weight loss will stop.
Additionally, your body is not only burning body fat but also lean muscle,
which then gives you the skinny and saggy look. This is not ideal as we age,
trust me. That person will give up and the weight will pile back on.
Weights training helps the body to grow
lean muscle. Lean muscle supports the metabolism and helps to keep it firing.
With the correct programming, the body can experience EPOC (Excess Post-Exercise
Oxygen Consumption) for up to 30+ hours. This means your body continues to burn
calories long after the exercise ends, unlike cardio alone where EPOC is far
less effective. Training inefficiently is another one we see a lot of in the
gym. Coming in way too many times each week and just training for the sake of
ticking it off. Get yourself a well structured program, written by a Coach who
is an expert at this and get your life back! Everyone has time for exercise, if
it well structured and results driven.
Grab a coach and learn how to try effectively and efficiently. This is a game changer. |
Sleep
Sleep plays a MAJOR role in our body’s
ability to lose body fat. This is mostly due to the effect poor quality sleep
has on the various hormones in the body. When our quality of sleep is impaired,
our body releases greater levels of cortisol during the day. Cortisol breaks down
muscle tissue, so increased levels of cortisol from poor sleep or stress will
ultimately break down lean muscle, which will ultimately affect your body’s
metabolism.
Poor sleep will also affect your body’s
appetite and hunger, and you may find yourself craving carbohydrates (the
simple carbs in particular) more than normal, which will in turn affect your
body’s insulin levels. Sleep deprivation can also decrease the body’s glucose
and insulin sensitivity, putting the body at greater risk of developing
diabetes.
Trudy Cadoo talks about stress and
cortisol:
“I'm not sure there
is any way of avoiding stress these days, it's all about the management.
Lifestyle, physical and psychological stresses put constant demands on the
adrenal glands. Symptoms include fatigue, hypotension, lowered resistance to
stress, salt cravings, hypoglycaemia and lowered immunity. People with a high
level of stress can show an altered level of cortisol and DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone
– an endogenous steroid hormone). I find cortisol to be a major contributor to
overall hormonal imbalance and weight gain in many women in clinic. Stress
management techniques, healthy eating tips to support the nervous system and
overall wellbeing, combined with core nutrients and herbals can make a world of
difference to someone under stress.”
Diet
This is a biggie and I blame the fitness
industry for this one. There has been so much confusion over the years about
what to eat and what not to eat. Eat carbs, don’t eat carbs. Eat fruit, don’t
eat fruit. Diet food, low fat, high fat, no sugar, all of the sugar. I could go
on and on. I believe this confusion has led to many humans eating well periodically,
then getting frustrated, and then having a blow out before starting the process
all over again.
What if we just simplified this and went back
to basics. Meat products, loads of vegetables and fruit, good quality fats and
lots of water. Forget the processed food, just eat simple, eat colorful and
learn to love food again. Understand the three macros (proteins, fats and
carbohydrates) and how it’s important they work together. Don’t restrict
calories. Stop dieting and don’t chase fads. If someone suggests low calorie,
run for the hills because the minute you go back to eating properly, all of the
weight you lost will pile straight back on again. We also fund that under
eating will eventually lead to storage of body fat, rather than loss. And your
body will start to rip into the lean muscle for fuel. Not the outcome you were
looking for.
An important point to keep in mind is that
genetic factors can play a major role in the body’s ability lose body fat, and
until we fully understand our genes we may be pushing shit up hill. This is why
I really believe there isn’t one diet that suits everyone. Here’s Trudy’s
explanation on how your genes may be affecting you while you don’t even realise
it:
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Go for colour! |
“The tailoring of treatment to patients has always
been a fundamental feature of functional and complementary medicine. Now,
advances in genetic testing mean we can determine how a person's genes may
influence their health as well as identify more suitable treatment protocols to
help optimise overall health and wellbeing. Some people are genetically more
prone to having a weight problem. Your genes influence how much total fat,
saturated fat and carbohydrates you can tolerate. Your genes influence how much
fat you absorb from food, how much body fat you can create, how effectively you
can burn body fat, the best type of exercise for you to burn body fat, and how
prone you are to rebound weight gain.
Understanding these
genetic influences enables you to make the best choices around diet and
exercise for successful weight loss and long-term weight loss.”
Hormones
Hormones
are one of the biggest factors I see affecting women. I can generally tell if a
woman’s weight loss is being affected by hormones simply by looking at where
they are carrying their excess body fat. This can be managed and controlled with
the right help and support and can often be managed without seeking medical
intervention.
Trudy says about
hormones:
“Oftentimes, thyroid is considered
when weight is creeping on and this could certainly be the driver as the
thyroid has a key role in regulating the metabolism. Other hormones may need to
be considered, including insulin, leptin, cortisol as discussed under stress,
and sex hormones – oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone.
“Aside from the hormonal changes of peri
menopause and menopause, women diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome
(PCOS) may also experience weight
gain. Hormonal changes in your middle years can also cause your metabolism to slow
down, leading to weight gain. As
well as dietary recommendations, natural herbs and nutritionals can help you
keep your hormonal system in balance.”
Alcohol Consumption
Yes, I am going to
talk about alcohol one more time. If you are not prepared to give up alcohol
for a period of time when trying to lose weight, be prepared to also give up on
your weight loss goal. The two do not complement each other. When consuming
alcohol, your body is going to try and use the calories in the alcohol first. You’re
then going to eat some kind of crappy food, which your body will not have the
ability to metabolise. You are also pouring poison into your body, which is
going to increase the appearance of fatty deposits under your skin (cellulite),
specifically around your thighs, lower back and tummy.
Don’t believe me?
There is enough research and evidence to support this, but here’s my
suggestion. Give it up for twelve weeks and watch what happens to your fat
loss. Do a solid detox during this time and give your body and organs a chance
to heal. Around the six-week mark, expect people to start commenting on how
fresh your skin and hair look.
Weight loss or body
recomposition can be extremely frustrating for many of us, especially women.
But here’s the part you probably don’t want to hear. If you need to lose
weight, there is no quick fix. It takes hard work, commitment and a genuine
acceptance that,
a) it needs to happen, and
b) you will need help and support.
Often, the hardest
part of this journey is accepting that it needs to happen. Accept the truth
about where you are now and acknowledge that it is time to make some changes.
The road may not be easy for you, but it is absolutely worth it and you deserve
to experience life in a healthy weight range, full of energy and beautiful
health.
Our Twelve Week Challenge starts this weekend at Ritual HQ. If you would like to start the process of changing your body composition, with the right help and support, then reach out as we have limited spaces available.