Have you ever started a new diet protocol with great excitement and motivation—only to feel overwhelmed, bored or restricted a few weeks later?
It’s quite possible that the weight loss program itself was unsuccessful. Many programs don’t support people in behavior change, or the methodology or products simply aren’t suitable for the long term. (For example, is that morning shake really your ticket to optimal health for the rest of your life?)
If you’re feeling restricted in your diet or if your weight loss regimen is seemingly a “quick fix”, you probably aren’t on the right track for lasting success.
For over 15 years as a Certified Digestive Health Specialist, I’ve helped people with weight loss as part of my gut reset program. What I’ve learned is this:
The secret to weight loss is to allow “healthy” to become second nature to you. And importantly, to allow the process to be pleasurable! If it feels like a nagging chore, you’ll likely fall back into your old lifestyle.
People who take a curiosity in their health and make small changes over time, are the ones who transform their lives. These are the people who go from someone trying to lose weight to someone who naturally embodies health.
Now, habit change can be one of the most difficult tasks for us humans. Luckily there are super effective tools and methodologies, backed by research, that can help make the process a heck of a lot easier.
If you’re interested in transforming your health one step at a time, I invite you to consider these reasons why you may currently be struggling.
1. You’re expecting quick-fixes for long-term results.
It’s human nature to seek solutions that take the least amount of time and energy. And those quick-fixes can be pretty compelling. But your health is multifaceted and the truth is, there aren’t any quick-fixes for lasting weight loss. At least none that work for everybody.
If you have the mindset that losing weight will be quick and easy, you’re setting yourself up for failure. Achieving long term health is about learning how to truly nourish and take care of your body’s needs. It’s about incorporating new habits that bring you so much benefit that you can’t imagine life without them.
2. Your body isn’t digesting food well.
Proper digestion doesn’t just mean the absence of digestive discomforts. The body experiences proper digestion when it absorbs nutrients from food and detoxifies the waste. Furthermore, eating a clean diet doesn’t always mean optimized digestion. Oftentimes seemingly “healthy” foods can cause an inflammatory response in the body. And inflammation in the gut can cause a plethora of symptoms that you wouldn’t think we're related to digestion—such as allergies, anxiety, irritability, poor sleep, and skin issues.
When I support with clients in losing weight, we talk about what clean eating actually means and what foods may be causing an inflammatory response in their unique bodies. And importantly, I share with them recipe ideas so they are never without a clue about what to eat.
3. Your mind isn’t on board for habit change.
We only have so much willpower as humans. Many of us can keep up with new healthy habits for a few days or weeks. But if the mind isn’t on board, the new habit becomes too challenging and not worth the trouble. Can you relate?
When we bring in techniques to re-program the mind toward the desired goal, it becomes so much easier to change. Techniques such as hypnosis (in-person or via a recording) and guided meditations are known to help a lot of people lose weight, sleep better, increase energy and motivation, and even break addictions. The extra support that these techniques can provide are well worth a try.
4. You aren’t breathing effectively.
You may think breathing has nothing to do with weight loss…but it actually does! The more oxygen the body has, the more fat it can burn. The human body releases 70% of the toxins through breathing. And since we’re never really taught how to breathe effectively, our default is shallow breathing. Shallow breathing accumulates toxins in the body which can lead to the development of illness overtime.
Breathing effectively had a number of other benefits. It helps you to absorb nutrients, supports the nervous system and counteracts stress, and improves your mental clarity and outlook. I share different breathing techniques with my clients and recommend they take a moment everyday to connect with their breath. It can make a huge difference in optimizing digestion and losing weight.
5. You aren’t giving your body a chance to burn stored fat.
If you eat smaller meals throughout the day, the body is only using the energy from the food you eat versus burning the stored fat. A simple way to tap into stored fat is through different types of fasting—intermittent, whole day and multiply days.
Fasting can help you lose weight, make you feel fuller, and even slow down the effects of aging. It enhances weight loss because it decreases glucose and insulin spikes. Now, fasting can bring amazing results, but it’s very important to know what you are doing and if it’s right for you.
6. You have underlying health issues that need to be addressed.
No matter how well you are eating and exercising, having an underlying health issue can make difficult for your body to lose weight. Some issues include: inflammation and cellular damage, hypothyroidism, chronic stress and depression, hormonal imbalance, and vitamin and mineral deficiency, among others.
If you suspect this might be the case for you, consider ordering a comprehensive blood panel. This can provide a clear picture of what’s going on inside your body. From there, we can make nutritional recommendations to bring your body back into balance. Often times making changing after a blood panel brings patients less pain, better sleep, more energy, increased focus, or a higher quality of life.
Do any of these reasons resonate with you? Are you ready to make a change?
Let us help you take a more sustainable, comprehensive approach to losing weight, reducing inflammation, and truly nourishing your body.
In partnership with Dr. Danny McLane of ADIO Chiropractic Clinic and Lisa Brown, Medical Medium—we recently launched the ADIO Weight Loss Group.
This isn’t your average weight loss program. Our mission to provide the appropriate tools, education, and support so that your thoughts, decisions, and actions are aligned with feeling good and vital. We want to watch your life naturally start to transform…revealing the healthy and happy person you were meant to be all along.
Will you join us?
