Are you tired of never-ending diets? Have you been dieting for do long and nothing is working for you anymore? Do you feel frustrated, stuck and helpless about your weight? Weight loss is a sensitive and very complicated health issue.
Science has proven that there are usually underlying or “hidden triggers” that can be at the root cause of overweight. These can be related to diet, lifestyle or your current health condition. If these hidden triggers are not targeted in your weight loss program, your weight loss efforts will not be successful or will be lost in a very short time.
8 “Hidden Triggers” That Can Sabotage Weight Loss
1-Inadequate Nutrition
If you are not eating a balanced diet that provides your body with essential nutrients including proteins, good fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, this can hinder your weight loss efforts. Eating the right amounts and proportions of food in the right time are also key to balance your blood sugar levels, boost your metabolism and help your body burn fat. With the minimal intake of live foods such as vegetables and fruits and high intake of processed and refined foods, many people suffer from nutritional deficiencies.
2-Yo-yo Dieting
Yo-yo dieting or chronic dieting is actually more harmful to your health than just staying overweight. It is one of the most common factors that promotes weight gain on the long term and sabotages any weight loss efforts. Harmful diets can destroy the normal regulatory mechanisms for appetite as well as allows the body store fat more efficiently. This is due to the fact that overtime the muscle tissue is usually lost and replaced by fat tissue making it more difficult to burn fat.
3-Toxicity
We are exposed to many toxins that can enter our bodies through ingestion, inhalation or contact. Toxins can also result from toxic by-products of metabolism, and waste stored in the colon. When your body is overloaded with toxins that exceed its elimination abilities, it will store the excess toxins in the fat cells. This is a protective mechanism to protect you from these toxins. When you decide to support your body and give it a chance to get rid of the toxins, your weight will normalize naturally as you will no longer need the fat for storage of toxins. That’s why I believe a cleanse is an integral part of any successful weight loss program.
4-Poor Digestion
Under active digestion causes poor colon function, overgrowth of bad bacteria and constipation which promote weight gain and inhibits fat loss. It’s astonishing to know that you can store as much as 65 lbs fecal matter in your colon. If you are not digesting your food, it’s also probable you will not absorb the nutrients and you will end up with nutritional deficiencies that not only affect your weight but compromise your whole health and predispose to chronic health issues.
5-Hormonal Imbalance
Hormones play an important part in controlling our appetite, balancing our metabolism and regulating our blood sugar levels. Balancing your hormones is essential for helping the body burn the fat and stop further fat deposition thus allowing for healthy fat loss. Weight gain may be also triggered by female hormonal imbalance such as lack of progesterone and estrogen dominance. Moreover hormonal changes may be associated with depression and poor sleep which can contribute to weight gain.
6-Emotional Blocks and Limiting Beliefs
Emotional blocks and limiting beliefs that can either be blocking you from releasing the extra weight or sabotaging your efforts to get slim and healthy. On a deep level, body image or weight issues are usually a reflection of unhealthy attitudes towards the body- that are usually rooted in lack of self-love. That’s why emotional eating to numb unwanted feelings of guilt, shame or anger is a very common condition. Working on the mindset can be key for weight release. When the mind communicates with the body, the results are usually amazing.
7-Chronic Stress
Recent research has shown that there is a direct link between stress and belly fat. Heightened cortisol levels in the blood resulting from stress react with the body’s insulin to create visceral abdominal fat and drive us towards fatty and sugary foods.
8-Hidden Food Allergies or Sensitivities
Hidden food allergies or sensitivities are very common and are a cuase of many chronic health conditions including weight gain. Common food allergens are dairy, wheat, soy, corn, eggs, nuts and chocolate. If you are allergic to any of these foods it is essential to remove it from your diet because your body will not be able to digest it well and continued intake will cause a state of inflammation and other unwanted side effects.
Based on your diet, lifestyle and current health issues, you can have any combination of the above factors. Most of the weight loss clients who sign up for our Oakville Weight Loss program, will have a combination of at least 3 of these factors. Pinpointing and dealing with these factors can be challenging but is essential for permanent weight loss.
As an Oakville holistic nutritionist and weight loss expert, I’ve found that no diet or exercise program will give you permanent weight loss results, without getting to these hidden and sabotaging factors underlying your weight issues. And that professional help of a holistic nutritionist can effectively address these challenging factors allowing you to achieve long-lasting weight loss results.
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