Exercising? Eating Well?.....And Still Not Losing Weight?

June 15, 2018

You've been consistently exercising 3-5 times per week, raising your heart rate through cardio, increased your training to shift those kilos and following an eating plan, but your weight hasn't budged, or you have only lost a couple of kilos in a couple of months. Sound familiar?

First of all, exercise and nutrition are crucial to achieving a healthy body weight, along with mental clarity and function. Secondly, there could be something else going on that needs further investigation.

Here are some things to consider before you throw in the towel. The following will apply to both men and women and maybe where you need to start asking questions to finally get some answers and results.

Fat is an Acid Problem

Excess fat is actually an overproduction of acid and toxin build up.

Our body will store excess waste if there is too much coming into the body from what we eat, drink and think. Our bodies are designed to eliminate waste through our 4 avenues of elimination. If any of these systems become blocked, congested or over-burdened, then acidic toxins will remain in circulation or be stored in our fat cells.

Fat is neutral and buffers acid to maintain balance and keep our vital organs safe. An excess of fat indicates too much acid entering the system as well as inefficient elimination systems to get rid of it. When we correct this imbalance we tend to naturally find healthy ways to manage our weight and our health.

Hormones

Did you know that our water supply, our food containers, and our external environment can create hormonal imbalances?

We all have male and female hormones. Even a slight imbalance in the ratios of these hormones can lead to many issues. Hormonal imbalances can affect your weight, your mood, your blood sugar and your motivation. They can slow your body down as well as bring on feelings of anxiety and depression leaving you feeling tired and unwell. As a Naturopath, I can offer specialised functional tests, that can assess the balance and individual levels of all these hormones. These are different to the tests you would get with a GP. They are comprehensive tests that not only tell where you are at but also which systems we need to support to restore healthy function.

Stress

Holding abdominal fat? Can't shake the belly bulge no matter how many sit-ups and planks you do?

You may have elevated cortisol and stress hormones. Cortisol is known to cause accumulation of fat around your middle when elevated consistently. It can make it difficult to shift any weight as it throws our bodies into a state of sustained stress and survival mode, resulting in excess stored fat. Elevated cortisol and excessive middleweight, also increases our chances of developing a range of cardiovascular diseases such as Diabetes, High Cholesterol, High Blood Pressure and Heart disease. When you have at least 2 of these conditions you are at risk of developing all of them if not addressed.

We have a specific test where we can accurately measure stress hormones and their patterns to help you find solutions. By bringing your stress hormones back into the healthy range, we can also create strategies to reduce your risks for other potential health problems.

These days, with increased pressure, stress, screen time, processed foods, lack of movement and lack of sunshine, I am seeing the patterns for cardiovascular diseases starting in early childhood, with diagnoses occurring in teenagers. These are no longer middle-aged or elderly diseases. They are functional lifestyle diseases.

Thyroid

Feeling tired or exhausted? Moody, depressed, anxious or just down? Is the quality of your skin, hair and nails suffering?

These could all be signs that your thyroid is not functioning properly. Apart from the physical symptoms, there are many things we can do to support healthy thyroid hormone production. Your thyroid can speed up or slow down depending on your stress levels, hormones and nutrition. Once again, there are some specific tests we can perform to assess just how out of balance your thyroid is, and come up with some strategies to help you feel good again.

This is a very common problem in our practice and a crucial one to address.

When are you Eating?

Eating, and when not to eat! That is the million dollar question!.....

We have been told to eat small high protein meals frequently to keep our metabolism firing and working properly. We are also told to eat less and watch our calories. And then we are told to stop eating carbs and follow the Keto style diet? Which is right? Which works? Are you overwhelmed and confused where to start or what will work for you? You are Not alone, most people are.

Adapting to an Alkaline eating plan that will create lasting habits as well as supporting your ability to feel good, lose weight and feel energised can be done. There is a process I love to take clients through to work out our starting point and plan. First, we investigate any underlying problems that may not be obvious on the surface. Then we apply holistic naturopathic and nutritional therapies to support the process. By correcting underlying imbalances with therapies that support not suppress the body, we work on the causes, triggers and sustaining factors to remove the reasons that are stopping you from the best version of you.

The focus is on lifestyle and creating lasting habits that can be adapted to suit you, your family and your goals.

Reach out if this has raised some alarm bells for you. I would Love to help you discover How to feel incredible, Healthy and bring that Spark back into your life.

To book an appointment or inquire about how we can help you please go to:

https://alkalinesuperfoods.com.au/collections/consultations

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